Pictures of life in Mexico/Volume 2/Chapter 38

 

 

CHAPTER XXXVIII.

 

COMMERCE OF MEXICO.

 

Causes of its decline.—Revenues.—Imports and exports.—Average commercial returns for one year from Vera Craz, Tampico, Matamoras, San Bias, and Mazatlan.—Statement of charges on foreign shipping.—Example of tonnage duty.

The commerce of this country has been decreasing for the last twenty years—a result attributable to continual revolutionary disturbances, 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 by unfortunate investments.

In 1832 and 1833, the revenue of the custom-house amounted to about 12,000,000 dollars, per annum; in 1839, on account of the French blockade, it fell to nearly 3,000,000 dollars; in 1840, it rose again to 7,000,000 dollars; and in the following year fell to little more than 5,000,000, which is about its present average. This sum may be divided among the different ports as follows:—

	Dollars.
Vera Cruz	3,329,802
Tampico	883,039
Matamoras	312,403
Mazatlan	383,159
Guyamas	55,814
Monterey	96,853
Acapulco	17,182
San Blas	208,845
	5,287,097

This corresponds to about 12,300,000 dollars' value of importation annually, divided (according to an estimate) in the following manner:—

		Dollars.
From	England	4,500,000
"	France	3,000,000
"	Hamburgh.	1,500,000
"	China	1,000,000
"	United States.	800,000
"	Spain	500,000
"	Genoa, and other ports.	1,000,000
		12,300,000

The expense to the government, for the collection of this revenue, is about 348,290 dollars.

These statements are exclusive of the contraband trade from the United States by Santa Fé, and by the English and Americans on the sea-coasts.

The exports from the whole republic (chiefly its own productions) may be rated as follows:—

Exports.
Dollars.⁠
Precious Metals	$\scriptstyle {\left\{{\begin{matrix}\ \\\\\ \\\ \ \end{matrix}}\right.}$	Specie, through Vera Cruz	4,000,000
		Mazatlan and San Blas	2,500,000
		Silver and gold, through other ports	5,000,000
		Silver, through Tampico.	7,000,000
Cochineal, jalap, vanilla, sarsaparilla, and hides			1,000,000
Sundries			500,000
			—————
		Total	20,000,000

From this estimate about 18,500,000 dollars in the precious metals are exported annually from Mexico. The mines produce nearly 22,000,000 dollars of silver of which it is calculated that 12,000,000 are coined in the seven mints of the republic per annum. There is a difference of about 8,000,000 dollars between the imports and exports—a large proportion—all which is estimated to be covered by smuggling.

The following is an Average Gross Return of British and Foreign Trade, at the Port of Vera Cruz, for one Year:—

arrived.

Nations.	Vessels.	Tons.	Crews.	Invoice value of cargoes in pounds sterling.
				£
English	17	2,438	124	468,200
Mexican	164	11,480	984	Not to be ascertained.
American	35	7,315	235	"
French	17	3,764	204	"
Spanish	16	2,216	128	"
Hanseatic	6	1,015	62	"
Danish	6	793	47	"
Belgians	3	542	27	"
Prussians	2	376	23	"
Sardinians	2	366	24	"
Venezuela	1	110	7	"
Total arrived	268	30,416	1,865

 

departed.

Nations.	Vessels.	Tons.	Crews.	Value.
				£
English	18	2,676	138	Unknown.
Mexican	163	11,573	976	"
American	34	7,104	226	"
French	20	4,493	241	"
Spanish	15	2,107	121	"
Hanseatic	6	1,016	62	"
Danish	4	612	37	"
Belgians	3	542	27	"
Prussians	2	376	23	"
Sardinians	5	631	53	"
Venezuela	1	110	7	"
Total demanded	271	31,229	1,911

Gross Return of British and Foreign Trade at the Port of Tampico, for one Year:—

arrived.

Nations.	Vessels.	Tons.	Crews.	Invoice value of cargoes.
				Dollars.
British	9	923	70	198,000
French	14	1,582	135	84,000
Spanish
American	15	1,626	104	21,000
Bremen	1	160	10	5,000
Total arrived	39	4,291	319	208,000

 

departed.

Nations.	Vessels.	Tons.	Crews.	Invoice value of cargoes.
				Dollars.
British	8	829	70	2,910
French	14	1,582	135	25,000[1]
Spanish
American	15	1,362	99	24,000[2]
Bremen	1	160	10	500
Total departed	38	3,933	314	52,410

Gross Return of the Trade of the Port of Matamoras, for one Year:—

arrived.

Nations.	Vessels.	Tons.	Crews.	Invoice value of cargoes in pounds sterling.
				£
Mexican	18	933	104	13,264
French	1	110	8	5,400
Hanseatic	1	83	7	6,000
United States	13	928	84	40,650
Total arrived	33	2,054	203	65,314

 

departed.

Nations.	Vessels.	Tons.	Crews.	Invoice value of cargoes in pounds sterling.
				£
Mexican	17	835	95	10,915
French	1	110	8	3,380
Hanseatic	1	83	7	Unknown
United States	11	849	77	46,675
Total departed	30	1,877	187	63,970

Gross Return of the British and Foreign Trade OF the Port of San Blas, for one Year:—

arrived.

Nations.	Vessels.	Tons.	Crews.	Invoice value of cargo.
				Dollars.
British	4	1,125	59	Unknown
Danish	1	101	8	135,000
Peruvian	1	61	8	Unknown
American	1	382	8	110,000
Total arrived	7	1,669	83	245,000

 

departed.

Nations.	Vessels.	Tons.	Crews.	Invoice value of cargo.
				Dollars.
British	4	1,125	59	44,000
Danish	1	101	8	8,000
Peruvian	1	61	8	Unknown
American	1	382	8	7,000
Total departed	7	1,669	83	59,000

Gross Return of the British and Foreign Trade AT the Port of Mazatlan, for one Year:—

arrived.

Nations.	Vessels.		Tons.	Crews.	Invoice value of cargoes.
					Dollars.
British	4		1,115	59	274,000
Hamburg	4		940	51	118,000
American	1		175	11	Unknown
Chilian	4		500	37	72,500
Bremen	2		390	24	123,000
Danish	1		220	12	60,000
Ecuador	1		206	14	24,000
Spanish	1		225	14	30,000
Peruvian	1		210	16	Unknown
Swedish	2		700	32	202,000
French	1		210	14	40,000
Total arrived including the neighbouring port of San Blas	$\scriptstyle {\left.{\begin{matrix}\ \\\\\ \\\ \ \end{matrix}}\right\}\,}$	29	6,560	367	1,188,500

departed.

Nations.	Vessels.		Tons.	Crews.	Invoice value of cargoes.
					Dollars.
British	4		1,165	68	381,500
Hamburg	5		1,310	69	160,600
American	2		421	22	250,000
Chilian	1		128	9	3,000
Bremen	2		390	24	84,000
Danish	1		220	12	34,500
Ecuador	1		206	14	300,000
Spanish	1		225	14	Unknown.
Peruvian	1		210	16	"
Swedish	2		700	32	50,000
French	Unknown		Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
Total departed including the neighbouring port of San Blas	$\scriptstyle {\left.{\begin{matrix}\ \\\\\ \\\ \ \end{matrix}}\right\}\,}$	27	6,644	363	1,323,100

Statement of all Port Dues and other Charges on Foreign Shipping at the Principal Ports of the Mexican Republic:—

 

 

Example of Charges on British Shipping by the Authorities of Tampico: Brig, 125 tons register.

 

PILOTAGE.		Dollars.	Cents.	s.	£	s.	d.
125 tons at 1 dollar		125	0	4	25	0	0
Drafts, 9 feet at 2 dollars	$\scriptstyle {\left.{\begin{matrix}\ \end{matrix}}\right\}\,}$	18	0	4	3	12	0
To the pilot		6	50	4	1	6	0
Voucher given		149	50		29	18	0
———
tonnage duty.
135 tons, Mexican measurement, no voucher given at 1½ collar	$\scriptstyle {\left.{\begin{matrix}\ \\\\\ \ \end{matrix}}\right\}\,}$	202	50	4	40	10	0
———
bill of health.
Report in the bill		10	0	4	2	0	0
Captain of the port fees, no voucher	$\scriptstyle {\left.{\begin{matrix}\ \\\ \end{matrix}}\right\}\,}$	10	0	4	3	0	0
Stamps		8	50	4	1	14	0
Total		380	50		76	2	0

 

1. Chiefly specie.
2. Including ditto.