Page:Mexico (1829) Volumes 1 and 2.djvu/319

 MEXICO, yielded a net annual profit of four millions of dollars;* and although this was reduced to about half u million during the first part of the Civil war, the facility with which the disorder into which the establishment had fallen was remedied inl817> and the importance which it regained in the short interval of tranquillity that afterwards occurred, (from 1818 to 1820,) not unnaturally attracted the attention of the new Govern- ment after the establishment of the Independence. After much discussion it was resolved, that the old Royal Monopoly should be kept up under certain modifications, which the change of system seemed to require. The cultiva- tion of Tobacco was, therefore, prohibited "throughout the Federation, with the exception of the district in the imme- diate vicinity of Orizava and Cordova, where a certain quan- tity is raised annually, which the proprietors contract to deliver to the Government agents at three reals per pound. The Tobacco thus purchased is remitted in leaf, {en rama,) to Mexico, where there is an enormous manufactory of segars, in different shapes {puros y cigarros,) on the account of the Supreme Government. The States have the option of either purchasing their supply in leaf, and working it up them- selves, in which case they pay for their tobacco at eight reals (one dollar) per pound, (deducting all expenses of carriage, &c. which are defrayed by the Federation,) or of taking a stock of segars at once from the manufactory in the Capital, in which case the expense of labour and paper is added to the eight reals originally charged. Tobacco made up. 1801. 1802. Value of Tobacco made up at retail price Expenses. . . . . Pensions and Salaries .... Price of Tobacco .... Net Profit. . . . . 7,825.913 1,299,411 798,482 626,319 3,993,834 7,686,834 1,285,199 794,586 592,229 4,092,629
 * Humboldt gives the annexed table for the years 1801 and 1802: —