New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1870-12-18
THE IONA LIBRE.

A self sufficient statement appeared in
the Bulletin on Tuesday that the REPus-
L1cAN, had generously come to it's sup
port in the matter of the iona Libre ques-
ton on the Rio Grande, about which there
is at present some discussion in political
circles. Having held the lead in this matter,
the compliment which placed us in the
ranks as a follower, was not calculated to
excite our honest Animation; but as we
do not propose to engage in constant hos
tilities in order to prevent depredations
on our suggestions, the assumption on
the part of the Bulletin, last Monday. was
allowed to pass without challenge. The
public will come to learn in the course of
time, which is the genuine and which is
the bogus author of suggestions that affect
the general interest. And we should not
have referred to this subject to-day, had
the Bulletin contented itself with keeping
in the right road while it appropriated
the honor of leading in controversy.
But on Saturday itmuddled the matter so
seriously, that neither Mexican nor meri-
can can fail to go astray. Its error con-
sisted in publishing the following para
graph:
The coma Ebre or sfree zone" of Mexico,
now OccasiOning considerable talk. includes
that part of our neighbor Republic lying
opposite to the United States on the Rio
Grande. AS goods are admitted to Mexico
free of duty, dealers can better afford
contraband trade through the ports Of the
zone, than to regularly import American
goods to Vera Cruz and other duty-paying
ports.
In short paragraph the above con-
tains very lengthy List Of mistakes. The
Zona Li5re does not include that part of
the Rio Grande lying opposite to the
United States, but only very small
fraction thereof Matamoras, and prob
ably Camargo, are the only free ports.
Within these towns goods are allowed to
be imported and consumed free of duty.
But all goods that are bought in either
Matamoras OF Camargo for expectation
into Mexico are charged the full tariff.
To be as generous to the Americans as
possible, the Mexican government es-
tablished rule that all goods bought in
Metamoras for expectation to the United
States, should only pay one-tllrd of
the Mexican tariff, which is about
equal to our own import levy. 70
smuggle goods from Mexico into the
United States from the iona Libre, it is
necessary to pay the Mexican tariff, and
then to run the blockade of our own
customhouse. 1t is almost impossible to
smuggle goods out of Matamoras, for the
customhouse at that point loses valua-
BILE collection if it allows goods to pass
out of town without first contributing to
the support of the Mexican government;
and as the officials at that point are
changed often. and watched tolerably
closely, in order to see that they
do their duty fairly, it will be seen
that merchants, who 60 to the
iona Libre to buy goods, or who
import their goods into that district for
the purpose Of smuggling them into the
United States, are engaged in losing
business. In the first place, they subject
themselves to the port duties at Matamo-
ras; then they have to pay the Mexican
tariff, and then they have evade our revenue
officers. Itwould seem that the best way
would be to import directly into New Or
leans, for the American tariff is less than
the local port charges at the mouth of the
Rio G(ande
The Bulletin declares its ignorance.
therefore, in many respects. Its location
of the iona Libre is defective; its asser-
ton that goods are admitted into Mexico
free of duty is mistake, and its sugges-
ton that smuggling is carried on from
Mexico to the United States is an absurd
ity. So the leader had better resign, and
enlist in the ranks again.