The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1856-05-20

L hlOL i W. OEN Id.
Our MEXICAN Correspondence.
MKxrco, May 4, 1856.
Reform Measures Of tie Neso AdmirieyasoW-zaesr Sue
css-The Ereitabe Spirit Of The kerscans Kept Alive
Obstacles Created 1y ne 0,d Spani,a Corporate SySes-
Abolition 4 he Faeros-1he Po,oer of the Clugy dsd
Ailit0y3 keto,aal1y Crushed-2ne Aojety Of TIC Loss
V.nd'. .ottd Asaina An Ecil Dors-PepnlorRy Of o.
mon, t,es ASasa7es de-, dc.
The woIh bravely In the way Of reform In this
country have heretofore made you loss Of yssr
precious time theology have to occupy scns
OF your pious moments over law. Every week bEisgs
forth something Tho object seems 10 bs TO kssp
the people busy In wonder to what next will hAppes
until even revolution will longer be exciting snovgh
for this population The changes sudden stsrt
lrg, and radical that 1t to me- IN order to lse
you understand them, ought to write you history In
stead of letter. viii try, however, to describe things
in - few words possible.
The great dthculty which the present reform admns
stoA has 70 contend with, consists in tho habits Of tie
people, created BY the old Spanish organic Laws Of M
CO. Among these the principal obstacle they hsve 10 bak
" sgAinAt thu ead cesParsse syste. wAiah II sduasl
through AL classes Of society, and which very senty
weakens or destroys the national spirit whether was
by design or from accidental causes the civil STATE Il
CID Spain had marked tendency create oorporAtoas.
to heap upon them privileges and exemptions from the
common law and to enri,h them by donations and ea
ces to confer upon them whatever essential to the
forming Of perfect bodies in their spirit complete in ther
organization Independent by their peculiar lAws Css
prsurados) Some Of these bodies possessed pm
viegss than Others but stu they AL had sufficient for
the purposes OF each Not only had the clergy and the
MILITARY their general fseros, but they were sub
divided into those Of the hiars and among
the first, and those of the artillery engineers and
marines among the second. Tee Inquisition als ths
University, the Mint, the Marqusat of the valley or
esats Of Cortes the primgenures the fratsrntss
even down to private firms, had their privileges
elusive property: having in fact separate exisepcs
from the rest OF the people, You may well imag -
how things in consequence compcatsd-aliks
to the national spirit to community of interest," to
vdusl independence personal liberty to order in toe
judiciary executive administration to the nsuoaai
wealth and prosperity, and to public tranquility ono
ons in Spain and Mexico had not taken place. in sho.
time no one would have called himself Mexican a. be
would hsve been soated BY tina. title but would have
would have been :re respectable since that dssisas
ton conveyed an idea Of something positive; for
would have BEEN to talk Greek. Hence a.
most every per son Of any standing o member
.sve % them snd to r,cous
one with anotber-was an imposibity for the judges
The claim Of privilege was constantly made both in cv
and criminal cases, until nearly all jurisdiction taken
away from the public tribunals Consequently the ori
nary jurisccton which Is that OF the nation ct large
taken it Of causes Of litigation that wore Of ths
least importance. Thus al judicial order diverted,
and even the names Of the institutions; ordinary jus
dIcou became the exception and the s
he ordinary In legslauon other difficulties arose. it
was mpcsSle to make any laws without infringing
ard able to deeAt any innovation on privileges,
The Spanish at last became sensible Of th
til the .tituion 1912 enough remained to create n
termrable confusion in business That constitution abol
PRIVILEGES except those Of the clergy and military
which took effect in Mexco 1920 when proclaimed
for the second mo From that time the corporate spirit
somswhat cecined but fueros were st preserved aad
habits created under the old dspsnsaon of absoluss
powe. left st substng two powerful classes separated
from the rest of society is true the private firms
the lawyers associatons the merchants &c. tue primo.
centuries, the innumeraSe others Of professions per-
sors, corporations and Offices But the clergy and ih
colleges of the brotherhoods and other bodies which
although without privileges retained their old organise
The clergy still had their tribunals In I'll the viror a
the middle agos, taking ccguzancs Of all subjects m
which the property Of the church was concerned hs
members or persons Of the clergy were parties criminal
and civil jurisdiction over all people in any in
holy orders, or monks or proesssd. Besides this
belongs TO courts constituted dispose Of htgAaoa
growing out Of marriages, births, deaths Inheritance,
wills intestscss, divorces &C. To the same also belong
religion such the publication Of forbidden books &c.
Keepirg the regssss of marriages. they could ct once
to the rites Of the Cnurch-for all other marriage con-
tracts were denounced Illegal and az prostitutou.
sn ns ns s1
rents were not in oonmuEion when married. and ksspng
the registers Of bura they could decide according .
religious dcymas who ought to Inherit and who shoud
consequently, inherit
The privileges Of the military less extensive
courts and at Ill times exempt from the jurisdic
tion Of the ordinary tribunals. No matter what wrong
or outsge they might perpetrate redress to b
haps he had ordered the act to be done The officers
could not be sued for debt; even their wills were
dence to an order Of commanding officer was
at Al times a successful plea in law -
panishment no matter the nature of she act asain
whom directed In word, the military never sub
ect to the civil power Their Jurisdiction might seem 10
rave teen extensive enough, but Santa Anna in Dsce
BAR 1853 added to it by the decreecg that all high
robbers and conspirators against the State should be also
tried by court martial. s.
SuctMas the state Of things when Gen. Alvarez caz.s
dated November o. 1866, he abolished all the furos or
special laws existing Of the clergy and the army and
established at the same time law reorgauizlng the M
tiona tribunals, by which eli clerical and military cases
transferred them This decree or law was drawn
Is the law Of JuArez An this WAS one Of thoss
acts which, by the plan Of Ayua must be submitted to
Congress for appreciation it was accordingly laid before
that body, which Is now in session. The excite
ment in relation to it has been intense in the Chamber
Of Deputies The discussion npon the floor has been an
mated and the obbies have been crowded with anxious
people It stated by Montes the Minister Of JOS
tce in debate that President C,monfort desirous
that the law should be approved which brought down
much applause from the galleries. One member EaiA
this act oue mt not to be passed in haste affected
one half Of the population Of the republic Another an
sweed that waiting for sixty years carry this nase
sure recommended BY viesroy Of the last century did
not indicate much precipitation The vote waa taken On
the 23d Of April last when the Flaw was approved 81
yeas 81 and noes 1bsing CAstenada-who declared he
opposed only to voting for 1t 20 hastily You WI
thus perceive that the nstutions OF the church -
army are crushed Protestant colonization can now taks
place, religious books Of all kinds have free creu-
lation. and redress had against man. even If he wear
cooked hat ana broadsvord.
Brooklyn City News.
The Common Council met Last evening, Aldsrman
Backhouse, President in the chair After the calling OF
the roll the President to the board that hs
Honor Mayor Hall had to,mourn the death Of . daush