The Sun.
London, England, 1849-04-17 00:00:00

I SOUTH AMERICAN STATES.
mFarco.
find n e diffleeltj tl,O (06, sof
ntnnerous correspondents relt>t:ee to the titutncisl re-
resources of Mexico. The vicissitudes which the country
has undergone since the war of independeLcu, ret.der it
difficult to get accurate statistics respecting the various
tispi
ellcuet,i
nl
the ega
the.vifinergsft u
sources of income. We are anxious, however, to supply readers with as many facts as wo have found acces-
sible, them to
the todraw their own deductions re-
population of Mexico in 1839
amounted to 7,044,140. Nut vi ithsiaL.cling the succession
of civil broils that followed the struggle with the armies
of Spain, the country had been gradually, though slowly,
advancing in prosperity. It was then ascertained that
the population had been increasing at the rate of 1 4.sths
per cent. per annum; and taking this ratio for the ten
years that have since elapsed, the' present inhabitants
would' amount to 8,319,420. From this, however, we
have Co deduct the cessions of territory that have since
been made to the United States, comprising 57,026 in
the province of New Mexico, 33,439 in Upper and Lower
California, and 27,800 in Texas. This makes a total of
118,265, which leaves the state in its present position
with a population of 8,200,000 nearly. In order to show
American States, formerly colonies of Spain, we give
the relative position of Mexico, and the other South
the present estimate formed of their respective popula-
tions from the latest authentic sources:—
Venezuela 1,000,000
New Granada 1,600,000
Equador ••• ••• ••• 680,000
Peru 1,500,000
Bolivia ...
... 1,400,000
Chill ... 1,180,000
La Plata
... 1,700,000
Paraguay ... ... 240,000
Uruguay ..• ... 90,000

Total ... 9,390,000
It will thus be seen that the population of Mexico
approximates closely to that of the whole of the other
South American States which belong to Spain, and,
what is of equal importance to industrial pursuits, the
area over which they arespread is not now quite 900,000
square miles; whilst the other states embrace a surface
of 31,380,000 square miles. As far, therefore, as popu-
lation forms an element of national resources, the ad-
;
vantages which Mexico possesses over any of the other
states are obviously pre-eminent.
Again, in reference to the value of :property. The
National Institute of Geography and Statistics presented
a return to the supreme Government in 1839, which
made the aggregate income from the various branches of
industry in the country amount to 300,000,000 dollars
per annum, representing, at five per cent. interest per
annum, a capital of 6,000,000,000 dollars. Supposing,
therefore, Mexico were to have recourse to a direct tax
of five per cent. on the yearly income of the country, it
would produce 15,000,000 dollars per annum, which
would be more than sufficient to pay all the current ex-
penses of the Government, including the interest on the
public debt on a peace establishment.
In order to show the progressive improvement in the
resources of the country under the Government of
Spain, Baron Humboldt, in his view of the subject, states
that the yearly revenue of the vice-royalty during, the
five years from 1763 to 1767, both inclusive, was
6,169,164 dollars, and that the average of the five years
from 1795 to 1799, also both inclusive, was 20,462,307
dollars. Such was the position of Mexico even under the
old restrictive system of Spain, when the population did
not much exceed 6,000,000.

It is almost unnecessary to state that the great draw-
back on the resources of the country since it threw off
its Spanish connexion was the rivalry of the military
chiefs that were the creations of the revolution. This
rivalry was the fertile source of intestine feuds, which
prevented anything like settled government, up to the
aggression of the United Statee in 1846. A regular
army, averaging upwards of 30,000 men, was kept on
toot, at an average expense of rather upwards of
12,000,000 dolls. per annum, during many years; but
notwithstanding this drawback there is not the slightest
doubt of the country having been steadily increasing its
capital. The present Government has, however, given
ample proof that they are duly sensible of the evil re-
sulting from keeping up such a large military establish-
ment, and the army is now reduced to rather under
. .

10,000 men, which are considered to be sufficient to pre-
serve order on the frontiers.

The next point upon which all the successive Govern-
ments have chiefly erred has been in imposing by far too
high a scale of duties ou all articles constituting their fo-
reign:trade. This is a matter that hay been remonstrated
against by the ablest men in the state, including nearly
every successive Finance Minister, as tending to di-
minish the revenue by not less than one-half. The par-
ties that have chiefly supported the system of high duties
were the wealthy proprietors, that had never had any in-
tercourse with general society, and were deeply imbued
with the prejudices they had imbibed from their fathers,
who had supported the system of Spanish commercial
policy. The minds of this class were artfully acted upon
by a small section in some of the principal towns, who
had some capital embarked in manufactures, and whose
motives wore purely selfish, and their actions altogether
inimical to the public weal. It is on all hands ad-
mitted that the future progress of the country exclu-
sively depends upon a large modification of the tariff
of duties, and according to the recent accounts there it
every prospect that the Congress now sitting will ar-
range them on a principle that will give a vast stimulus
to the national industry, and a corresponding increase
to the public revenue.
There are plenty of men in Mexico that thoroughly
understand the interests of the country in this respect,
and it is a great error to suppose that there is any defi-
ciency of men of talent competent to conduct their
financial affairs. Even in the midst of the confusion of
the civil wars the Finance Ministers indicated no lack
of ability, but as we have.above stated they were bailed
in carrying out their plans by the narrow views and
prejudices of a majority of their representatives.
Amongst others Don Antonio Gray, from his published
works, clearly showed that he was fully master of the
whole subject. Some of these Ministers, from a careful
investigation, showed :that more than half the imports
into the country were contraband, by which the collec-
tors of the revenue were corrupted, and the public in-
come diminished in proportion. It will be obvious also
that the system would greatly check the consumption,
from the disproportionate prices of commodities com-
pared with what they would have been under a moderate
scale of duties. It these two main evils, therefore,
are corrected, as they at present promise to be by the
de facto Government of Mexico, no doubt can be enter-
tained that the Government will have ample means to
cover all current expenses, inclusive of the interest on
the national debt.

The Mexican people are only a little later in making
this movement than some of the states on the Pacific,
who have much less ample resources. Chili, for example,
went on for many years in the same state of anarchy,
arising from precisely the same source—viz., keeping up
a large standing army, and the rivalry or the officers
that had sprung up out of the revolutionary contest.
They went also into the same error respecting the com-
mercial tariff, and both evils were corrected in Chili by
the individual energy of Don Manuel Rengifo, who was
fortunately called to administer the finances of that state,
and succeeded in reducing the army to a police force,
and opening the country to foi eign enterprise by a free
admission of emigrants and a moderate scale of import
duties. Peru more recently, chiefly also by the single
efforts of an individual, has imitated the course pursued
by Chili, and promises to meet with equal success. And
with these examples before them, and the advantageous
consequences, the Mexican Government aad Legislature
have a powerful stimulus to induce them to persevere in
a similar course.

There are some other points of the subject which our
space requires us to defer to a future time.

- We have been at considerable pains to consult a variety
of authorities, but we recommend those interested in
Mexican affairs to a compilation made by R. C. Wylie.
who collected information for the committee of South
American bondholders, and which work was published
by Bally Brothers, Royal Exchange-buildingti.—Morn-
ing Paper.

[ADVERTISEMENT.]—CONSUMPTION, BRONCHIAL,
ASTHMA, INFLUENZA, &c.—The following cases of the
severest forms of disease are selected from the clinical
report published by Dr. Cronin:—Mrs. Osborne, 8, Ox-
ford-street; Mr. Morley, Messrs. Croncock and Co., Bow
Churchyard; Major Lynch (late 14th Foot), 7, Wood-
land-place, St. John's Wood; Mr. Bryant, 7, Padding-
ton-street Marylebune; Mademoiselle Dupree, Royal
Academy of Music; Miss Erwood, 72, New Bond-street;
Miss Robb, at the Baroness Bassett's, Tehidy Park, near
Truro, Cornwall; Mrs. Thurmott, 29, Bedford-street-
Covent Garden; Mrs. Williams, Portobello Arms.
Kentish New Town; —, 14, Leicester-place, Leicester,
square.
DIAMNit.--.
el'lneertithts,
ThiGEORGEs clever
artiste
THE
so
oNßLEucßceßsAsfTußlry
managedT RAGN
Mr. Shields,
wG e.odowri
uhebneGt York,
anepoo appears
talentngebadeur
ts° and
tlthat
at
ataot I De! :e st have
dit ore nyd
the Wrexham Theatre, and alsongoluarndowwnitdhutrhinegntahpepliaess:
in autumn
Scotlandraces,
an has
dth ebeen r fulfilling
tthh the
o f
EHighlands,a ser i e s
Do fuenndgeaeg,
results. Inverness, 111
nw.hen we consider how popular he is in
ouwNnfiot,Trhnt
iuhosenSs
edh Tuesday,
yeeln,
youngdeasrwn,
general
dSal
this part of the country,
Owen re-opens
the 26th September next,
when will be presented to his
talent, with some of the patrons
. a host of London
thhoeusievsrewxihl la
Wrexham Theatre
favourites of last season.—
Chester Chronicis.
theovu ti
result. voice attested
o

PORTSMOUTH,- APRIL 15.--The post of Town
Major of this garrison, vacant by the decease of the late
Mthilejt)sirtuWathioitn we,iill be
still
abolished. Mr.
inabeyance,and it is probable that
Dodd, chief clerk in
the lieutenant-governor's office, has retired on superan-
nuated allowance, and a new arrungement will be made
in the appointment of a non-commissioned officer from
the Guards to assist in the office, which will effect a small
saving of expense.
[ADvERTIsRmENT.I—A perfect Cure of Dropsy by
Holloway's Pills.—Mrs. [ADVERTISEMENT.]
of Swan-street, Newcastle,
had enjoyed the beat of health until the meridian of life, at that
critical period she was attacked with dropsy, attended by a
very troublesome cough. The medical aid of reveral eminent
practitioners was procured, but their efforts failed to remove or
even abate the rigour of the disease. The water in her body
and legs increased so rapidly that (wars were entertained that
she could not long survive. At this crisis she commenced
taking Holloway's Pills, which acted so powerfully on hercom-
plaint that its progress was immediately arrested, and in the
course of two months the 'cure was complete.—Sold by all
Druggists, and at Professor Holloway's Establishment, 244,
Strand, London.
NEW CALCULATING MACHINE.—TWO miserably
poor young men, residing in an obscure village, in the
department of the Isere, in France, have succeeded, it
is said, atter ten years' lubour, in completing a machine
declared to bo superior to any yet invented. The Aca-
demy of Sciences have issued a most "eulogistic report"
on it.— The Builder.