The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1825-12-14 00:00:00

MEXICAN MINING AsSOCIATiONS.

The last number of the North American Review, an.
ably-written periodical publication, on the plan of onr great
Quarterly Reviews, contains the following notice of Mr.
Alaman, and the vast mining interests under his charge.
Our reatkrs will recollect that we lately announced that
this enlightened statesman had withdrawn altogether from
his political labours, in order to devote his whole time and
attention to the superintendence of the mines of his country.
We make the following extract the more readily at this
moment of excessive alann, as, being the unprejudiced tes-
timony of an impartial and disinterested observer, it may
serve additionally to show how utterly ridiculous are the
reports and apprehensions respecting those great under-
taking!' :

" Among the most enlightened statesmen of the south
may be ranked Mr. Lucas Alaman, who has for the
last two years been Secretary of State for the Home De-
partment and Foreign Affairs in Mexico. Ile was born in
the city of Guanaxuato, the capital of the rich mining
district by that name, and is now thirty-four years old.
Till the age of nineteen he lived in his native city, or pro-
vince, and early imbibed a taste for the sciences, particu-
larly mineralogy. At this age he removed to the city of
Mexico, where he devoted himself to his favourite studies,
and became distinguished as a mathematician. To obtain
a more thorough education than his native country of be went over to Europe, and after residing for a
time in the schools of Madrid, hespent five years in tra-
velling through the different countries of the continent,
examining carefully the modes of government, laws, and
institutions of each. At the end of seven years' absence
he went back to Mexico, in 1820, prepared to take such a
part in public transactions as the exigencies of the time
demanded, or as the voice of his countrymen might indi-
cate. Ile was immediately chosen in the province of
Guanaxuato to he one of the Mexican deputies to the
Cortes in Madrid, for which place he anti his colleagues
speedily took their departure. In the Cortes he was bold,
independent, and unwearied in representing and defending
the claims of Mexico to the privileges of self-government,
and the character of a separate nation. The unsuccessful
efforts of the Mexican deputies, and the succeeding events
iu Spain, are well known.

"From Madrid Allman proceeded to Paris, where he
endeavoured to form and organise a company for working
the mines in Mexico. Failing in this attempt. he revived
the project in London, and a company was soon established,
under the name of the United Mexican Mining Asso-
ciation. To encourage the undertaking, Alaman promised
to assume the direction of the Company's concerns in his
own country. Operations are already commenced, and
thus far the anticipations of the Company are fully realised.
At the end of the year Mg he retnrnett to Mexico, just
in time to witness the overthrow of Iturbide's mock impe-
rial dynasty ; and under the provisional government, which
was erected in the March following, consisting of the old
Congress, and Bravo, Guadalupe Victoria, and Negrete, as
the executive, Alaman was appointed secretary for the
home department and foreign tears, which post he has
ever since held. Ilis report, at the time of his first ap-
pointment, to the old congress then in session, and his
report in January last to the Congress assembled tinder the
new constitution, are proofs sufficient of his ability to fill
with dignity and wisdom the high and responsible office to
which he has been called.

" It is a favourite opinion of Almon, and unquestiona-
bly a correct one, that the mining interests are at present
of greater importance to Mexico than any other. In both
his reports be has set this subject in a strong light. Ac-
cording to Humboldt, there are three thousand mines in
New Spain, from which the precious metals have been ex-
tracted. It is remarked also of the Mexican mines, that
the ore is poor in quality, though abundant in quantity,
and hence it must require a great amount of manual labour
to work them. The persons employed in the celebrated
mine of Valenciana alone were upwards of two thousand.
This mass of population devoted to the mines must draw its
support from the products of the surrounding country, and
thus give an impulse to agriculture, manufactures, and all
the mechanic arts useful in the common purposes of life.--
Industry will be quickened, and an active, enterprising pc-
pulation increased in proportion to the demand for the re-
sults of different kinds of labour; and, moreover, these
same agriculturists and manufacturers, who supply the
wants of the miners, will themselves want articles of fo-
reign growth, which will be paid for by the produce of the
mines. In this way a healthful circulation will be kept up
through all the veins and arteries of the republic; external
commerce, and internal trade, industry, and wealth, will
nourish together. This truth is confirmed by the present
state of the mining districts, which erjetyecl a high degree
of prosperity, while the mines were worked, even under
' the restrictions of the old oppressive government, hut which
have become depopulated and miserable as the mining ope-
rations have. ceased. In short, the precious metals in
Mexico are to he regarded in the same light as the great
staple commodities of other countries, the cotton, tobacco,
and flour of the United States, and the coffee and sugar of
the Wtst Indira. Awl such is the aspect in which Alaman
and the enlightened statesmen of Mexico, after conquering
old prejudices, now view them, and on this principle the
business of miningis beginning to be renewed with vigour,
and under swim that insure success. By the secretary's
last report it appears that three companies have been
formed in England, and one in Germany, for mining ope-
rations in Mexico. A large capital is already made ef-
fective for the purpose, and the mines of Guanaxuato,
Valenciana, Dcl Monte, Reyes, Cata, Sirens, and Catorce,
are now in action. The mine of Conception has also been
drained by a steam engine, and another is set up at Temas-
caltepec. These machines have fully answered expecta-
tion, and, where fuel abounds, may be used to great ad-
vantage, but the secretary accounts the introduction of
them generally as a question difficult to be solved. In
what the difficulty consists lie leaves us to conjecture.
" Mr. Alaman's last report to the Congress shows the
Mexican government to be sedulously devoted to the best
interests of the nation.. Vigilant attention is bestowed in
affording all the encouragement which the present state of
the country will possibly admit, to every branch of indus-
try, to the means of education, to agriculture, manufac-
tures, and internal improvements. During the disasters of
the revolution, many of the old colleges have been neglect-
ed, and have gone to decay, by reason of their revenues
being withheld or diverted to other channels. Some of
these will be immediately restored, and others established
anew. A seirit begins already to prevail, in a few places,
which promieesgood results. In San Luis Potosi there has
been a voluntary subscription of forty-two thousand dol-
lars, for establishing a college; measures are adopting to
restore another in Guanaxuato; and in Celaya one is now
in operation, in which scholarships are endowed. Primary
schools are formed, and the governments of some of the
states are preparing to establish them in all the towns and
villages, by passing laws and appropriating funds for the
purpose. Schools on the plan of mutual instruction have
been successfully established in San Luis Potosi, Guada-
laxars, Guanaxuato, and other places. It is an omen in
the highest degree auspicious for the future liberty and
prosperity of the southern republic, that their rulers apply
themselves with so much zeal in advancing the cause of
cluettion. Colombia has set a brilliant example, both by
her laws and her practice; and the recent munificence of
Bolivar, in aiding the schools of his satire city, Caracas,
has added a lustre to his name, which can never fade away,
even if the glory of his conquests in defence of justice and
liberty should perish.

" It is a laudable effort, which the Mexican government
arc making, to restore and preserve all the ancient docu-
ments in the archives of the viceroyalties, and also the
relics of antiquity now remaining. Several persona are
constantly engaged in this work, and the arrangement of
some of the branches is already completed in alphabetical
order. Mr. Alaman relates that the index alone to the do-
cuments pertaining to the branch of tobacco, which have
been assorted and arranged, comprises two folio volumes.
The branch of excise has an index, which, together with
the printed tracts on the subject, extends to eighty-two vo-
limes. The number of documents, which have been
transferred to the secretary's office in three branches alone,
namely, finance, ecclesiastical benefices, and indulgences,
amounts to four thousand five hundred and ninety-six. All
these are so arranged, that, by the aid of the index, any
document can be immediately found. A curious history
of the oppression, folly, and superstition of the old Spanish
Government in Mexico, will probably be one day drawn