LETTER XXX.
COMMERCE AND MANUFACTURES OF MEXICO.
The Commerce of Mexico has been sensibly diminishing for the last ten years. This is attributable to the continual revolutionary disturbances of the country, the decrease of the wealth of the people, and the pecuniary embarrassments to which most of the inhabitants have been subjected, by the non-payment of Government loans and unfortunate investments.
In 1882 and 1833, the products of the Custom House amounted to about twelve millions per annum. In 1839, on account of the French blockade, they fell to near three millions; in 1840, they rose again to seven millions; and, in the following year, fell to little more than five, which sum may be divided among the different ports as follows, to wit:
| Vera Cruz, | - - - - | $3,329,803 |
| Tampico, | - - - - | 883,039 |
| Matamoras, | - - - - | 312,403 |
| Marattan, | - - - - | 383,159 |
| Guyamas, | - - - - | 55,814 |
| Monterrey, | - - - - | 96,853 |
| Acapulco, | - - - - | 17,182 |
| San Blas, | - - - - | 208,845 |
| $5,387,097 |
This corresponds to about twelve millions three hundred thousand dollars of importation annually, divided (according to an estimate,) in the following manner:
| From | England, | - - - - | $4,500,000 |
| " | France, | - - - - | 3,000,000 |
| " | Hamburg, | - - - - | 1,500,000 |
| " | China, | - - - - | 1,000,000 |
| " | United States, | - - - - | 800,000 |
| " | Spain, | - - - - | 500,000 |
| " | Genoa, and other ports. | 1,000,000 | |
| $12,300,080 | |||
