Page:Mexico in 1827 Vol 2.djvu/72

58 The efforts of the Spanish Government to alleviate this distress were unavailing; although, in justice to Spain, it must be said, that whatever may have been the faults of her Colonial System in general, with regard to the Mines, she has always adopted a more liberal policy. This liberality commenced soon after the War of Succession, when, in order to conciliate the Mexicans, the King's Fifth was reduced to a Tenth, by a Decree dated the 30th of December, 1716. In 1769, the price of the Quintal of Quicksilver, (a Royal Monopoly,) was reduced from eighty to sixty dollars, and in 1777, to forty-one dollars including the freight to Mexico. In 1780, Gunpowder, (another monopoly,) was ordered to be sold at 4½ reals per pound, instead of six reals; and an exemption from Alcavalas was granted in favour of all articles consumed in the Mines; which exemption was so rigorously observed, that Don Jose Galvez, when establishing a small tax upon Maize, at Guănăjūātŏ, in order to improve the present entrance into the town, allowed the Maize for the consumption of the Mines to pass duty free.

By order of the same Count Galvez, in 1785, during a year of scarcity, the Miners were supplied with Maize from the Royal Stores, at the usual price. In 1793, the Government declared its intention not to raise the price of Quicksilver, even in time of war; and as recently as 1814, (8th August,) an order was issued, again exempting from the tax of Alcavalas, every article of ordinary consumption