New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-02-12

peachy, Laguna, TaliascO, and other Mexi-
can ports, and returning to New Orleans.
The contracting parties, within eighteen
months of the date Of the contract, are to
nut in actual service not less than three
first class iron steamships, wholly con
structed in the United States, with all mod
ern improvements, to be subject to inspec-
ton by Il naval constructor detailed by the
Secretary of the Navy.
1t is also provided that the government Of
the United States, in case of war or threat
ened danger, may take these steamships for
its own use, either by direct purchase or by
paying a sum of money equivalent to fair
interest on the Investment.
The mail contract proposed by this bill is
for a period of ten years, at an expenditure
not exceeding $780, 900 per annum for the
first five years, and $780, 900 for the last five
years.
Sir this is not a new project. During the
last session of the Thirty-Fitth Congress
bill similar to this, received favorable con-
sideraton. 1t had become apparent at that
time that we were losing our trade with
Mexico. and that Great Britain and other
countries were getting 1t. The Importance
of this trade to us. the small proportion
that we got in comparison with what We
we're entitled to. and the fact that it was
diverted from us to other and far dis
taut countries, attracted public attention
and excited general comment. The dis
position shown by the Mexican govern
ment to encourage commercial inter
course with this country, her neighbOr
and her natural ally. also invested
this matter with additional interest.
SO general was the disposition to encourage
our commercial relations with Mexico. that
proposition to grant government ald met
at that time with very little opposition. We
had a single temporary mail service with
the Gulf ports OF Mexico for several pre-
vOus wears, at u cost OF 1000 annually,
and this dependent upon the discretion OF
the Postmaster General. This service was
mostly confined to the winter months. but,
maa gre as it was, it had done much to main
tain our trade with Mexico. Notwithstand-
ing this the trade we had enjoyed with that
republic at as early period as 1883, had
during the last succeeding decade rapidly
fallen away.
1t needs bl. the most cuIsOry examination
of the statistics showing the condition of our
trade with Mexico, and the other countries
south of US to demonstrate the fact that
there is some potent influence at work which
is rapidly and surely undermining our trade
with those countries. Take Mexico for ex-
ample. The commercial exchanges between
Mexico and the United States before lS4J
had reached as high'as 10000. 900, or nearly
one-half of the entire trade of that republic
with foreign countries. While in ten years
our Mexican trade has fallen off very rapidly
the trade between Mexico and European
countries had as rapidly increased. In 1888
the value of foreign imports into Mexico
amounted to about 5000, 900, and the ex-
ports to about s2S,000,0O0; thus making a
total of foreign exports and imports of SOL
00J. 900 per annum.
This commerce in 1853 was distributed as
follows. according to the report OF Miguel
Ler,io de Tejada, the then Mexican minister
of the treasury. | refer to the statistics o &
this date because the most reliable that \
have been able to obtain. They show neal
" the present distribution of that trade, ex
cent that it has somewhat increased in the
aggregate. while our proportion remains
about the same: