Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-09-18

Who attempt to do business near the Dor
der of this country-prohibiting them en-
tirely from owning land within certain
lmits-that all commercial and other in
terests of Ell Paso del Norte remain, very
properly, in the hands Of the natives.
While many of these are inclined to be
energetic and to struggle up within hailIns
distance of the times, the majority are
buried in a Rip Van Wrinkle slumber from
which nothing but Gabriefs trumpet or g
revolution could awaken them. Mexican
merchants hereabouts, laboring under the
same general apathy that appears TO have
possessed their ancestors, are content to do
business on the same small scale and in the
same old adobe shops of their forefathers.
Landed property is acquired in Mexico.
as anywhere else, either by purchase or do
nation, accession, prescription, adjudica-
ton or inheritance. Public lands (terreaos
JGldios) are subject to denouncemen5," or
being taken possession of in the high
handed manner by which other peoples
mines or private property is sometimes APP
propriated such announcement (denuleiO}
being limited to $500 hectares, or about
6, $50 acres, to each denoancer, and at the
biennial estimation of the Federal Govern
ment as 10 the value of land in each State.
Public lands in the State of Chihuahua are
valued at 10 cents per acre, and for that
price any American may take up" a tract
for any purpose-iif more than the pres
cribed 6, 250 acres, by special grant or con-
tract with the Minister of Public Works. if
he dare brave the following laws governing
the
HOLDING OF PROPERTY By FOREIGNERS.
First-Foreigners residing in the Repub-
lie of Mexico may acquire all kinds OF
landed property, including mines of every
description, by the same titles that the civil
law establishes for Mexican citizens.
Second-The exceptions to this rule are :
ta) That TO acquire land situated twenty
leagues or less-sixty geographical miles
from any frontier Of the republic, for
eigner must first obtain the permission of
the President ~ No foreigner can acquire
real estate situated within five leagues or
less Fifteen miles) of the coast line of the
republic, not even with the Presidents per-
mission, unless by the enactment Of q Spe-
cial law. (c) No foreigner, born or natural
lied in a country bordering on the republic
(Which of course can mean only citizens Of
the United States can acquire public lands
by " announcement when said lands are
situated in a State or Territory bordering
on it.
Third-A foreigner loses all right to
landed properly he may have acquired in
the republic: (d) By absenting himself
with his family from the country for two
years without gubernamental permission;
except in the case of mines, which may be
retained, even in absence, by the observ-
ance of certain other laws. d. By resid
ing permanently out Of the republic even
when the owner leaves q representative or
attorney with full rights to act for him.
Mines are not included. tc) By transfer
ing the property-by inheritance, sale or
any other title-to any person not residing
i'll the republic. Mines are excepted. In
all of these cases the property must be
sold. and the product of the sale, minus
deduction of ten per cent, delivered to the
former owner. (d) By not maintaining on
territory acquired by announcements as
public land-which i'll no case must be
more than fifteen hundred hectares to each
least one inhabitant for each
two hun(r d hectares Of its extension, SO
that the land may be inhabited to that ex-
tent not less than for four months in every
year.
Fourth-The responsibilities of the
acquisition of real estate by foreigners in
Mexico are: (a) The obligation to subject
themselves to the laws in force, or which
may be enacted, respecting the holding,
transfer, use and improvement of property,
and submission to the judgments of the
Mexican tribunals in everything relating 10
it. ~ The obligation to pay all lawful
taxes. (c) To aid personally and with his
means in preserving order and security in
the place where he may reside. ca The
duties of Mexican citizen, which the for
eigner becomes on acquiring real estate
unless he expressly declares beforehand
his wish to preserve his nationality.
Many q son OF the Land of the Free has
settled himself here without being aware
of the latter clause, and has been aston
ished some fine day on finding that he has
forfeited all his rights as an American
citizen, without acquiring any real rights
in the land of his adoption which any
body feels bound to respect
Before being entitled to hold real estate
in Mexico, foreigners must either be actual
Of the Republic and be duly I'M
through the legations at The
Foreign Office (Ministerio de Relaciones),
or must have given power of attorney,
certified BY a Mexican Consul, to Il resident
Of Mexico.
The penalties for fraud and contraband
goods are very severe in this country, and
all cases are vigorously prosecuted; there
fore shippers will do well to be careful in
having their papers correctly executed.
The following penalties are imposed for
The confscation of all merchandise,
ships, cars and animals in or by which the
same have been brought.
Besides pecuniary punishment, the
of fraud in the fiscal
duties, as well as their accomplices
and receivers, and the employees who
connive with them, are punished
in the following ratio: If the duties amount
to more than $500 Imprisonment for five
years, and in other cases imprisonment
from two to six months. Yet smuggling
is constantly INDUCED in, not only as
means of earning a livelihood, but rs
pastime, the danger adding Zest to the ex
element of it. Church and State not only
take hand in it, naughty eubatieros (gen-
tlemen), too proud to work, and dainty
senoritaS Of the first society, but not infre-
qUently the Cu5tom-house officers them
selves are in caho0ts with regular bands of
Occasionally parties are
discovered and punished; but they are
clumsy Americans, or poor devils
who neglected to first see " the officials
with promise of half the spoils. Seldom,
indeed, are the high class Mexican snug
glerS exposed, the Custom-house officers
themselves with bulliragging
and diving into the depths of
their trunks for possible dutiable trinkets.
Many an innocent-looking load Of hay,
corn or straw that meanderS leisurely
through the streets of these northern Mex
lean cities in broad day, has some valuable
deposit concealed within it, and the clatter
Of horses hoofs that startles you in the
wee sma' hours may be some returning
band of respectable contrabandiSts.
FANNIE B. WARD.
V1zrzunz.xs-.r<unzzznzsuzsz1
Prompt Reform Of Bodily Evils.
The prompt reform of those bodily evils
digestion, incomplete assimila-
lion. INACTIVITY of the liver. kidnevs and