Page:A Life of Matthew Fontaine Maury.pdf/247

Rh A Decree was drawn up, offering the following liberal terms to Southern sufferers from the American civil war who would emigrate to Mexico:—

"We, Maximilian, Emperor of Mexico, in consideration of the sparseness of the population in the Mexican territory, in proportion to its extent, desiring to give to immigrants all possible security for property and liberty and having heard the opinion of our Board of Colonization, do decree as follows:—

"Article 1. Mexico is open to immigrants of all nations.

"Article 2. Immigration agents shall be appointed, whose duty it will be to protect the arrival of immigrants, install them on the lands assigned them, and assist them in every possible way in establishing themselves. These agents will receive the orders of the Imperial Commissioner of Immigration, specially appointed by us, and to whom all the communications relative to immigration shall be addressed.

"Article 3. Each immigrant shall receive a duly executed title, incommutable, of landed estate, and a certificate that it is free of mortgages.

"Article 4. Such property shall be free from taxes for the first year, and also from duties on transfers of property, but only on the first sale.

"Article 5. The immigrants may be naturalized as soon as they shall have established themselves as settlers.

"Article 6. Immigrants who may desire to bring labourers with them, or induce them to come in considerable numbers, of any race whatever, are authorized to do so; but those labourers will be subject to special protective regulations.

"Article 7. The effects of immigrants, their working and brood animals, seeds, agricultural implements, machines, and working tools, will enter free of custom-house and transit duties.