Page:Mexico in 1827 Vol 1.djvu/410

380 Vice-regal Government; because the profits are now divided amongst nineteen States, instead of being concentrated, as before, in one focus: but the effect upon the general interests of the country is the same, as these profits enable the States, in part, to cover their Contingent, and thus tend, though by a more circuitous route, to increase the Public Revenue.

Some little time is required for the proper organization of so extensive a department in all its branches; but as the quantity of tobacco in the Government magazines has increased enormously during the last three years, and was valued, in January 1827, at ten millions of dollars, regular remittances to the States may henceforward be made, and regular returns expected, until the consumption of the country equals that of 1808, when the net produce was 4,447,486 dollars.

Of the revenue to be derived from Gunpowder, Salt, the Post-office, and the Lottery, it is unnecessary to say more, than that all these branches are susceptible of great improvement. The progress made by each since 1824, will be subsequently shown; but in 1827, great reforms were still requisite. For instance, the supply of Gunpowder, to my certain knowledge, bore no sort of proportion to the demand, more than half the powder consumed in the Mining districts being contraband. There were only three powder-mills in the whole territory of the Republic; two in the immediate vicinity of the Capital, (at Chapoltepec and Santa Fē,) and one at