on an establishment like that of the King of Spain. He cannot leave his palace without being preceded by his guards on horseback; he is served by pages; and in the town of Mexico he is only permitted to dine with his wife and children. This excess of etiquette becomes a means of saving; and a viceroy who wishes to quit his retirement and enjoy society; must remain for some time in the country, either at San Augustin de las Cuevas, or at Chapoltepec, or at Tacubaya. Some of the viceroys of New Spain have had an increase of salary; instead of 60,000 piastres, the Chevalier de Croix, Don Antonio Buccarelli, and the Marquis de Branciforte, had an annual revenue of 80,000 piastres*; but this court favour was not extended to the successors of the three above named viceroys.

A governor who chooses to renounce all delicacy of sentiment, and considers himself as having come to America for the purpose of enriching his family, finds means for accomplishing his end, by favouring the richest individuals of the country in the distribution of places, in the dealing out of the mercury, in privileges granted in time of war to carry on a free trade with the colonies of neutral powers. For some years past, the ministry of Madrid have deemed it for their interest to

* 16,800 Sterling. Trans.

name even to the smallest situations in the Colonies. However the recommendation of the viceroy is still of great importance to the person who solicits, especially if the object solicited be a military charge, or a title of nobility (titulo de Castilla), which the Spanish Americans are in general much more eager for, than the European Spaniards. A viceroy it is true has no right to make any commercial regulations, but he may interpret the orders of the court; he may open a door to neutrals, by informing the king of the urgent circumstances which have determined him to have recourse to that step; he may protest against a reiterated order, and accumulate memoirs and informes; and if he is rich, adroit, and supported in America by a courageous assessor, and at Madrid by powerful friends he may govern arbitrarily without fearing the residencia, that is to say the account which he must render of his administration to every superior (Chef) who has occupied a place in the Colonies.

There have been viceroys who secure of their impunity, have extorted in a few years nearly eight millions of livres tournois*; and with pleasure we add that there have been others who far from increasing their fortune by unlawful means, have displayed a noble and generous disinterestedness. Among the latter,

* Upwards of s 326,000 Sterling. Trans.

the Mexicans will long remember with gratitude the Count de Revillagigedo, and the Chevalier d'Asanza, two statesmen equally distinguished for their private and their public virtues, whose administration would have been productive of still more good, if their exterior position had allowed them freely to follow the career which they had marked out.

II. Three millions and a half of piastres, nearly a sixth part of the whole revenue of Mexico, annually pass to the other Spanish Colonies, as an indispensable supply for their interior administration. These situados according to averages drawn from the years between 1788 and 1792, were distributed in the following manner:

Although since the period when this table was drawn up, Spain has lost Louisiana, and the Islands of Trinidad and Saint Domingo, the situados have not been diminished to the amount of 1,031,000 piastres, as might be sup

posed. The administration of the Philippine Islands, Cuba, and Porto Rico, has been so expensive during the last war, especially from the squadrons stationed there under admirals Alava and Aristizabal, that the sum sent to the eastern and western Colonies, has never been less than three millions of piastres. We cannot help being surprized to see that the Havanah requires an assistance of 1,400,000 piastres, when we recollect that the receivers of royal duties pay into the treasury of the Colony, more than two millions of piastres per annum. Although in the Philippine Islands, the tribute on the natives amounts to 573,000 piastres, and the excise on tobacco to 600,000 piastres, the royal treasuries of Manilla, have constantly required of late, a situado of 500,000 piastres.

III. The net revenue (sobrante, liquido remisible), drawn by the Mother Country from Mexico, scarcely amounted to a million of piastres before the introduction of the tobacco farm. At present it amounts to five or six millions of piastres, according as greater or smaller situados are required by the other Colonies. This liquido or sobrante is composed of the net produce of the tobacco and powder farms, which pretty uniformly amounts to three millions and a half of piastres, and the variable surplus of the masa commun. I must observe that in the