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Rh, upon Strangers, who had taken into account, in all their calculations, the late reduction of Mining duties." (Pages 46 and 49.)

Mr. Esteva calculated the produce of these branches of the Revenue upon that of the years of 1795 and 1799, and assured the Congress that, "if his suggestions were adopted, an addition of 6,649,563 dollars might be reckoned upon in the year, 1825, by which means the Deficit would be covered, and time left for the Government to reflect upon those reductions, which it so anxiously desired to effect." (Page 51.)

Fortunately for Mexico, the fallacy of this calculation, (by which the produce of the most flourishing period of the Vice-regal government was taken as the standard of that of a period of comparative disorder and distress,) and the narrow policy by which a return to the beaten path (la senda yà trillada) of the old Spanish Prohibitive System was recommended as the only road to salvation, did not escape the penetration of the Congress. The Committee appointed to analyze the Minister's Report, animadverted with great severity upon his confined and antisocial views, (proyectos mezquinos y antisociales;) they demonstrated the absurdity of supposing that the Contraband trade could be reduced by reducing the number of ports; (as if harbours did not remain harbours, whether the Government kept up an establishment there or not;) and the illiberality of recommending an increase in the Mining duties, (which