The Express.
London, England, 1853-07-16 00:00:00

THE EXPRESS. SATURDAY EVENING, JULY 16, 1853

in the larger cities and towns. It were certainly
better that the City of Dublin, for instance, should
be divided into two eqcal districts, each of which
shculd be required to return two representatives to ;
Parliament, than that wretched country towns I
like Ennis with a constituency of 143, or!
Cashel with 111, or Tralco with 228, or
Portarliogton with only 71, should any longer
be suffered to usurp, under the sanction of
hew, functions which they are utterly unqualified to
discharge. If the principle of the five-pond Iran-
chile be extended to Ireland in the forthcoming
Reform Bill, the City of Dul,lin would probably
contain electors sufficient to constitute in each of the
divisions we have suggested a constituency of eight
or nine thousand duly qualified persons. Will any
one contend that such a body of hous,:holders is not
more fit to exere:se the right of selecting fit and
proper persons to sit in Parliament than the few
score persons living in any of the towns we have
above adverted to ?

Os Thursday we pnblivhrd the New Tariff of
Mexico, and on the same day Sir RonERR:6 :qua-

CliiSON, on the authority of ex-President
who sat at his side, informed the British Agri,ml-
- asstmbied at Gloucester, that in Mexico those

who deshed to fly from Ftce Trade in England
could purchase an inanity of the best land in the
world at three-halfpence an acre. On this an-
nouncement there wue " much laughter" from the
British Lica,--forgetful of the frequent threats

he has uttered to cast off an ungrateful country.
Wlunce this worthlessness of land in Mexico?

The soil is generally exuberant, in some places almost
beyond European conception ; the climate is both
propitious and delightful; Mexico can produce
abundantly and cheaply nearly all the great staples
'of life and suhiistence ; its situation is nearly
unrivalled on the face of the earth, for,

like another Egypt, it lies midway betwcen
Europe 2nd Asia ; from either ocean, the
Atlantic or Pacific, it is accessible; and above

all Mexico is not wanting in population or in capital,
for by the population returns lately issued it con-
tains, we see, nearly eight millions of people, and
mines, long unprofitable under English and distant
management, are now becoming amply remunera-
tive in the hands of native and home conductors.

Whence, then, this worthlessness of land in
Mexico ? Other causes there are, of course ; but one

great reason is clearly in its commercial policy.
Though the Tariff just issued is iu some few points
better and wiser than the rapid succession of tariffs
that have preceded it—for with every new Presi-

dent there seems to be a new tariff—no man can

read that document without seeing that under such
a system as it discloses land can never be worth
much in Mexico. It is perverse far beyond the or-
dinary perversities of Protection. Nature has given
Mexico every element of agricultural greatness;
there is scarcely any production her teeming
soil cannot grow in superabundance. But
human policy, in defiance of Nature, has re-
solved to make Mexico a manufacturing country,
and says Puebla shall rival Manchester., And fur this
purpose—to protect manufactures which have no
proper supply of mechanical power, and are without
skilled labour,—the new Tariff still lays enormous
duties on cotton yarn and cotton goods, still pro-
hibits the raw materials both of life and of the fabrics

Mexico mays to make, still jealously excludes (for
the smuggler's benefit along its 10,000 miles of coast)
sugar, spirits, rice, coffee, wax, salt, tallow, tobacco,
soap, lard, lumber, boots, shoes, clothing, and all
cereal grains —and even blankets and coverlida.
Mexico does not even, under such a system, grow
cotton sufficient for its own protected manufactures,
but, having protected them, it next protects the
growth of cotton, by imposing duties which raise the
price at Puebla to more than double what it is at
New Orleans. It declares its ports open to all foreign
commerce; but as the new Tariff continues the old
port charges, what it opens with one hand it
shuts with another.
The consequence of this policy is, that the foreign
trade of Mexico is declining, the imports are de-
clining, the exports are declining, the customs reve-
nue is (Relining, internal industry there is little or
none ; but in no country probably is direct taxation
so heavy and so high. In the other continent of
America there is a country in some respects less
favourably situated than Mexico, with about the
same population, scattered, however, over a far
larger surface, which has as consistently pursued a
free trade system as Mexico has a protective policy.
Just compare Brazil—for it is of Brazil we speak—
with Mexico. Brazil has had its political difficulties
to contend against as well as Mexico. It has had its
pronuncismentos, its revolutions, its civil wars, its
changes of chiefs and of constitutions; but it has
overcome all its dangers, has consolidated its
strength, and has now acquired a powerful po-
sition amongst nations. And why? Because
it has always fostered, encouraged, and pro-
moted foreign commerce. Under no pretence
or excuse has it ever protected anything;
it has kept down import duties to the lowest possible
pitch; it has equally left agriculture and trade to
take care of themselves ; and so well have they done
that, that now, by means of their prosperity, Brazil
almost rivals the United States in the rapidity of its
material development. Trade is rapidly increasing;;
the production of coffee and sugar is yearly sus.
menting ; its ports are crowded with foreign ships and
mercantile firms ; under every.vicissitude its credit has
been maintained ; its finances are flourishing ; it has
a large annual surplus; it has been able to reduce
the interest on its debt ; and in a short time it will
be in a position to lower its tariff. With Brazil,
English trade is worth some seven or eight millions
sterling a year; with Mexico, it is now beneath one.
If Spanish pride would only take a lesson from Por-
tuguese success, the fortunes of Mexico might per-
haps yet be restored, and its independence as firmly
established as that of Brazil.
If this new Tariff is a specimen of what exile and
adversity have taught SANTA ANNA, he has not
learnt much during his expatriation. We are not at
all disposed to depreciate the immense difficulties
that surround him, or to exaggerate his imputed
detects of character; but, whilst we recognise i
some of his measures good tendencies, he is still, it is
clear, wrapt up in self. lie is gratifying his vin-
dictiveness and spite by punishing all who took an
active part in concluding a necessary and indispensa-
ble peace with the United States; he is encouraging
another rupture with that powerful and unscrupulous
neighbour by indulging in boundary disputes and
quarrels with it; and, by philandering with the
Court of Spain, he is mixing Mexico up in the future
troubles that are in store for Caba. Resting for sup-
port on a wealthy church, and on a mercenary army,
SANTA ANNA seems to us only pursuing his old
policy in this his new career.
Suspicions are entertained that SANTA ANNA
would not greatly object to see the authority of the
Spanish monarchy in some way or other restored in
Mexico ; but, though the Court of Madrid has re-
cently gratified his vanity with an order and a de-
coration,—and there is no saying to what absurd
lengths Spanish pride will carry its victims,—this
suspicion is probably for the present at least un-
heeded. That SANTA ANNA aims at some external
combination against the United States, is however
almost certain ; but the likelier form it will take is
thought to be an alliance-offensive and defensive of
Mexico and the 'various States of Central America,