The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1825-09-21 00:00:00

rial, we will refer to a fact, which It is in the power of
every one to verify. •
" For some years past the mines of Vetagrande have been
the principal support of the city and state of Zacatecas.
Itnt for them, both the one and the other would have been
reduced to the lowest degree of misery ; and although
their annual produce may be reckoned at 600,000 dollars,
more or less, They have not, for several years, put a single
dollar into the pocket of the proprietors. According to the
calculation of the memotial, 'and supposing that the pro-
posed duties should amount to IS per cent. the limn of
90,000 dollars would be paid into the treasury for duties
on the (said produce of 000,00 U dollars. Hut as in this
case the 90,000 dollars wofild be a (lead loss to the pro-
prietors. de consequence wotild be that they could not
carry them on, but would he under the necessity of
abandoning them ; and then, besides the inevitable ruin of
a State. we should lose not only the 90,000 dollars errotte-
ausly calculated, hut the duties now received, and thOte
that might be received hereafter. There duties, sit. thoie
at present paid on the 600,000 dollars, are 18,000 d 01110.3
produced by the 3 per cent. on metals ; 48,000 dollars pro-
duced, at the very least, by the sleabale on the different
articles of consumption, at present bought with the 600,000
dollars, which, if the y..'stem of the Minister were adopted,
would not be bought at all, for *ant of funds ; 12,000
dollars at the least, produced by the 2 per cent. on coin'
circulated ; and as after sonic mercantile transactions in'
the interior, the coin would arrive at our ports, to be ex-
ported in exchange ter foreign merchandise, after payment
of a duty of 31 per cent. making Rl,OOO dollars, and asl
the duties on the foreign merchandise thus introduced
into the country, would at present ninount, at the very
least, to 43 per cent. more, making 21'0,000 dollars, there
results a total amount of 359,000 dollars, which would be
lost to the treasury, without taking into account other
indirect sums, such, for example, as tithes, mint dues, &c.
" It will he seen from this exposition, that in conse-
quence of a wrong calculation, instead of the treasury re- ,
ceiving the sum of 90.000 dollars, it would suffer an 1
effective loss of at least 339,000 dollars, and a whole State
would be ruined. There are several mines in the same
predicament as Vetagrande ; in a still worse predicament
are those which do not pay their expenses, which are now,
and always have been, many; and the same observations
are applicable to all those which, from the poorness of
the ore, cannot pay their expenses if the high duties arc
re-established,
It is commonlyobjected that all branches of rational
industry arc as deserving encouragement as the mines,
and that therefore gee charges ought to press equally on
all. The first part of the proposition may be granted with- I
nut hesitation. if we limit it to those productions or national i
industry which may be exported to foreign countries, or
which may prevent the importation of a foreign commodity,l
and with reference to the second assertion, we mast observe
that that the re-establishment of the old duties destroys
the equality so desirable to be preserved between this and ,
the other branches, as in this case it would be more heavily
burdened than any other. There are also a great many
reasons for giving every advantage and encouragement to !
the mines: in the first place, no branch of industry opens !
so vast a market to the productions of the country, and
consequently no branch conuibutes so powerfully to The
internal prosperity of the nation. In the second place,
no branch so effectively promotes, or can promote our
foreign commerce, inasmuch as it furnishes the principal,
and, at present, almost the onlyproduction we give in
exchange for foreign merchandise: thirdly, no branch
requires such immense capital :—fourthly, no branch ex-
poses its capital to such infinite hazards, since in other
branches the outlay and profit may be calculated with
sufficient approximation ; whereas in mining. no such cal-
culations can be made with any certainty, and immense
sums are repeatedly lost :—fifthly, in no other branch are
the wages of labour so high (in colic quence of the fatigue,
disorders, and dangeis incident to mining operations), by
which it is rendered less productive, and the profits of the
capitalists proportionably diminished :—sixthly, no other
brunch but this is continued to be carried on when it has
ceased to yield any profit. In agricultural, commercial,
and manufacturing speculations, the undertaking is given
up as soon as it is found to be unprofitable ; but it not so
in mining,—the speculator continues the works, though
attended with no advantage, sod even with loss, in the
hope of being remunerated in the end, either by an im-
provement in the quality of the metal, or by an increase of
the quantity produced. These distinctions arc real and
important, and should be taken into consideration by every
economist who studies the proper degree of encouragement
to be given to the different branches of industry in a mi-
neral country.
Finally, neither the Government should propose, nor
'the Congress decree, the establishment of any duties,
which, besides that they press exclusively on the mining
States, even in these States cannot operate in proportion to
the totality of their wealth ; for it is very possible that
their wealth may be equal, and the metals produced very
unequal, or vice versa, circumstances which, in either case,
would destroy that equality with respect to duties and ob-
ligations which the Stotts have under the law, and which
Congress is obliged to preserve by the 49th article, 4th
part, of the Constitution. If it is thought that the mining
States are the richest, because they are the monopolists of a
production so essential to the prosperity of the rest, this
would be a reason for not establishing a contribution which
should press exclusively upon them, but for assigning them
a contingent proportioned to their greater wealth and re-
sources. The Constituent Congress took these circum-
stances into account, when they apportioned to the States
the duty of 3 per cent. now payable on metals, and placed,
in the assignment of' the respectiVe contingencies, Zaca-
tecas, St. Luis, and Durango in the rank of the moat
wealthy States. Take from these States the consideration
they derive from their mines, and in a moment they be-
come the least important of the Federation; for it is well
known that the scarcity of water in these districts is not
only very unfavourable to the general progress of agricul-
ture, but that it frequently occasions the total ruin of the
crops, and the death of the cattle, preventing these States
from ever reaching, in this branch at least, and those that
immediately depend upon it, the prosperity attained by
ether provinces.
Having thus proved that there is no necessity for the
measures proposed by the Minister, that they are contrary
to the teal interests of the nation, and opposed to the esta-
blished system of Government, it follows that they ought
not to be acceded to.

Fawcett, the excellent comedian, accompanied by his
wife, has been enjoying a provincial excursion, during the
recess, for the purpose of relaxation and pleasure, previous
to the commencement of the campaign at Covent-garden
Theatre, when this genuine actor of the Old School will
resume his station as perfurtuer and deputy manager in
that establishment.

In the presence of the Viceroy smoking was prohibited
at the Mexican Theatre; but betweA the acts a curtain
was let down before his box, that the people might not be
altogether debarred this luxury.
ANCIENT 1111SII GOLD CROWN.—TiIe workmen M-
I ployed in quarrying on the strand near Italtery, for Mr.
Mitchell, of Henry street, discovered yesterday an Irish
Gold Crown, seemingly of the greatest antiquity. As a
claim has been laid to it on the part of the Lord of the
Manor, filif valuable relic has been deposited with Mr.
Rorke, publican, of Dollymount, until the ownership shall
be decided.—Dadia Evening Poet or Saturday.
CONSINATION IN DUBLlN.—Walter Purcell and Wm.
Neile, slaters, who had been convicted before the Magi-
strates at College-street Police Office, for endeavouring to
induce Mr. Kinsella to join the Batty; and Patrick Nolan
and Patrick Gaskin, sawyers, who had been convicted at
the same place for threatening men in the employment of
Mr. Murphy, builder, have all appealed to the Quarter
Sessions from the scatence passed on them by the Ma-
gist rates.—Daidia Parer.
Amongst the great improvements in the neighbourhood
of the metropolis, is a very large sewer now building from
Newington Turnpike through Walworth to Camberwell, a
district which has of late years become extremely populous.
The projected rail-way from Monmouth Cap to Here-
ford is to be carried into effect. The estimated expense of
the undertaking is 19,0001. of which 15,000/. have been
already subscribed.

On Monday last J. Gratton, tagainat whom a true hill was
found at the last Spring Assizes for the murder of
John Milburn, at Dunkinflehl, was apprehended through
the activity of Mr. Lockett. at Macclesfield, the same
day, and committed by T. W. Town, E-q. to Chester
Castle.