Page:Guatimala or the United Provinces of Central America in 1827-8.pdf/198

Rh possible to say what amount of money might have been received by the states. The federal government therefore, anxious to fulfil its duties, established custom houses in the different ports, and appointed officers to receive the rents of the nation. The goverment laments its inability to meet the just claims of many creditors, and states its desire to remedy these evils as speedily as possible. The low state of the finances is principally attributed to the quantity of goods clandestinely admitted, owing to the carelessness or corruption of the persons destined to prevent it. In Omoa and Truxillo, the civil force is stated tn be altogether unequal to the protection of commerce; and on the banks, and at the mouths of the rivers Chamelecon, Ullua and Leanes, which disembogue themselves between these two places, many families we are told find support by this illicit traffic. To remedy in some degree this growing evil the report recommends the removal of the port of Yzabal to El Refugio, which point it is thought, would not only be more convenient for the transportation of goods to Gualan, but would considerably impede the proceedings of the smugglers.

To Realexo, Conchagua, Acajutla and La Libertad, on the south, and San Juan on the north, receivers of customs are said to have been appointed, but at that time the government had not