By THE NEW YORK TIMES

               SAN CRISTÓBAL DE LAS CASAS, Mexico -- At the end of three days of rocky peace
               meetings, a Government representative tried Monday to deliver new peace proposals directly
          to top rebel commanders here but was rebuffed.

          On Sunday the Government asked a panel of 16 lawmakers, de facto intermediaries, to hand the
          proposals to the Zapatistas in two sealed envelopes. But in a two-hour meeting on Sunday night with
          the legislators four commanders refused to accept the documents, saying that the legislators were not
          official mediators.

          With television cameras rolling around him this morning, a member of the Government negotiating
          team, Alan Arias, walked to the gate at the convention center where the rebel leaders were staying,
          displaying the envelopes. The Zapatistas told him no one would accept them.

          "The Government will have infinite patience and continue to develop new peace proposals," Arias
          said.

          Direct talks between the Government and the rebels collapsed two years ago.

          The 29 rebel delegates who came out of hiding for the talks returned to their villages in convoys led
          by the International Red Cross. Police officers protected the rebels at the meetings.

          The Zapatistas agreed to meet again with the lawmakers' panel. But no channel exists with the
          Government.