Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1913.djvu/1169

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MONEY, ETC. — DIPLOMATIC REPRESENTATIVES 1047

Money, Weights, and Measures.

By the mouetary law of December 9, 1904, and the Presidential Decree of March 25, 1905, the monetary unit is the silver peso or dollar, the legal value of which has been fixed at "75 gramme of pure gold. There are 10-peso and 5-peso gold coins, "900 fine and '100 copper, weighing respectively 8 "SSS^ and 4'166| grammes. The silver peso weighs 27 '073 grammes, "9027 fine and '0793 copper, and thus contains 24*438 grammes of fine silver. The peso is divided into 100 centavos ; 50-, 20-, and 10-centavo pieces are of silver, "800 fine and '200 copper. Bronze coins are 2- and 1-centavo pieces, 95 parts copper, 4 tin, and 1 zinc. There are 5-centavo nickel coins. The value of the gold peso or dollar is 24*58 pence.

Gold coins and 1-peso silver coins are legal tender to any amount. Frac- tional coin is legal tender for amounts up to 20 pesos ; nickel and bronze coins up to 1 peso. The right of coinage belongs exclusively to the Executive of the Union ; consequently the right of private persons to tender gold and silver bullion to the mints for the purpose of being coined is abrogated. The bank notes of the National Bank, the Bank of London and Mexico, and the State banks, are current throughout the Republic at their full nominal values, thus serving the pur^^ose of gold, which is practically never seen in circulation.

The weights and measures of the metric system were introduced in 1884 and their use is enforced bylaw of June 19, 1895, though the old Spanish measures are still occasionally referred to. The old weights and measure* were : —

fVeight. 1 libra = 0*46 kilogramme = 1*014 lb. avoirdupois.

1 arroba = 25 libras = 25*357 lbs. avoirdupois. For gold and silver. 1 marco = ^ libra = 4, 608 granos.

1 ochava = 6 tomines.

1 tomin = 12 granos.

20 granos = 1 French gramme. Length. 1 vara = 0*837 metre = 2 ft. 8fV Fnglish in.

1 legua comun = 6, 666| varas.

Diplomatic and Consular Representatives.

1, Of Mexico in Great Britain. Envoy and Minister. — Sefior Don Miguel Covarrubias. First Secretary. — Sefior Don Cayetano Romero. Second Secretary. — Sefior Don Julio W. Baz.

There are Consular representatives at Barrow-in-Furness, Birmingham, Belfast, Bristol, Cardiff, Dov^er, Dublin. Falmouth, Glasgow, Great Grimsby, Liverpool, Manchester, Maryport, Newcastle, Southampton.

2. Of Great Britain in Mexico.

Envoy and Minister. — Francis W. Stronge, Secretary. — Thomas B. Hohler. Consnl-General. — C. E. W. Stringer. Vice-Consul. — S. P. Smith.

There are Consuls at Progreso, Salina Cruz, Tampico, Vera Cruz, Manzanillo, and Colima, and Vice-Consuls at Acapulco, Chihuahua, Ensenada de Todos Santos, Frontera, Guadalajara, Guaymas and Santa Rosalia, Laguna de Terminos, La Paz, Mazatlan, Monterey, Tuxtla Gutierrez, Oaxaca, Saltillo, Soconusco, Tuxpan, Payo Obispo, and San Luis Potosi.