The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1875-09-25

| Cuba. In the sum Of million and a
quarter for the state Department are i'm
cludcd the salaries of all diplomatic and
consular officers in American countries, in
fact, the entire diplomatic and consular
corps in this hemisphere. The entire OK
pcnsc of Fernando 20 has always been
charged TO cuba since the llrst acquisition
of that African colony.
The sum actually RENTED to Spain in 1867
was s7,3A,3Ol. If from the total amount of
taxes collected in Cuba in 1867 lS32 $50 233)
we deduct the amount sent To Spain
| ts73if.301l, aud the amounts paid by the
colony for branches justly payable by the
home Government, say s120l2,7s9, togcth-
er $l0,351 $50. we have q remainder of s13.-
405, li3, which figures represent the cost OF
collecting the taxes. equal to about ~ per
cent. This amount of nearly S1350000O
represents both the spells of the Spanish
carpet-baggers IN cuba, and the value Of
| Cuba 60 Spain rs such "a field for Admins
tration favoritcs.
The Spanish budget OF tho same year,
from which the above figures are compiled
estimates the produce of tho island for
thar year rs follows:
Rent Of property Ia cities net ............ ti7oo.coo
Agricultural Income not ............ 3SUio.oOO
Industry and commerce, net ............. 77i;nOOO
ti82, 100000
The above figures. which are Spanish
and official, show that Cuba was taxed I'm
time OF peace the enormous quota of
tircntU-four and quarter per cent. ON her
total yearly produce.
The population Of Cuba bv the latest
census anterior to the budget OF 1867 was
under million aud a half-thc Gov
eminent figures are 1.35023S So that the
taxes collected by Spain prior to the war
and in time of peace. amount to the enor-
nous sum OF twonty-thrce and n half
dollars for each man. woman, and child on
the island, whether black or white. free or
slave. At that date there were 3Gs, $50
slaves in Cuba who paid no taxes, while the
freedmen t2250 were and are still ex-
empt because they own no taxable proper
~. Consequently the taxes were really paid
wholly by the white population-about
100000, or at the rate of si3.25 each.
The amount OF taxes collected by Spain
i'm Cuba since the commencement OF the
war cannot be asCertaincd, and probably
will never be recorded. Oncially the home
Government has acknowledged that tho
war in the island has cost over one hum
dred and fifty millions of dollars. But
these figures must fall very far short
OF the enormous sums collected. for
among other items the greater portion of
the expense Of the war which the Madrid
Government has waged against Don CAR
Los has been betrayed by forced loans in
Cuba
But Spain proper has not spent and can
not spend one dollar for the suppression of
the Cuban revolution. The expense which
the home Government nomiually bears is
really paid 10y the wealthy Spaniards in
Cuba, who fondly hoped TO preserve the
institution OF slavery. 4. a. me me outset. so
u.ar was Lug institution to the Spaniards,
that In the earlier years of the revolution
they loosed their purse strings with great
lberaity and an enthusiastic display of
patriotism. They raised, armed. aud
equipped regiments in Cuba and in
the peninsula. They paid bountes and
transportation OF troops, and mhscrib-
ed literally to all loans applied for
by SPANS various representatives in
the island. But on sundry occasions they
found they had been cheated by Spain.
or in her name. They paid their money
for reinforcements, and the prom
ised endorsements never came. The
Captains-General. from LERsUNDI to VAL
MAsEpA, would. knowingly or Innocent
ly. deceive them as TO the nature Of the
war and the strength of the Cubans;
would chronicle disastrous defeats as glo-
rious and important Victories would as
sure them that with ten or twenty, or mt
most thirty thousand fresh troops, the
rebellion could be thoroughly and forever
suppressed.
The last two millions Of dollars obtained
or rather forcihly abstractcd-hy VALMA-
sEDA from the Spanish Bank, affords con-
vincing proof that all confidence of the
Spaniards Of Havana in the representative
OF Spain has ceased. The Minister OF the
Coloni,s in Madrid tclcEraphed to NALMA-
sEDA that he must send home at once
s2o0o,0 o0, most urgently required by the
| Treasury for payment Of the army operat-
| ing against Don CARLOS. NAIMAsEDA re-
Piled that he could obtain il only on u
| promise that 20C00 men should at once be
| sent TO Cuba to reinforce the army there.
AYALA sont the promise that the men
should he sent I'm September and October.
On the strength Of this promise, VALMA-
srpA got the money; and now, after sew
| eral months we have reports that some
men are coming, but these reports are
| probably false, and certainly enormously
exaggerated.
That Cubn could be governed, even by
| Spain, nj far less cost than that actual y
imposed, ia proved not only 10y the enor-
nous sums annually sent to the home Gov
eminent and the heavy charges unjustly
| assessed upon the colony, but by the his
toucu .ct that until the advent OF Cap
tain-Gouclal Co%CnA in 1851 the taxes Of
| Cuba did not exceed Ave millions of dol
! lars year.
Spain's sole interests i'm Cuba to-day are
! the revenue she can drain from the island,
ana the rich pustuago it affords for her
arpct-bnggors. The torch of the pa
triots is fast destroying the former; the
fear Of the maclcte viii probably very
soon induce the vampires of the civil list
TO quit the island.