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Rh hundred pesos was ordained throughout the country, to cover the budget for six months; also an impost on goods entering San Luis Potosí, the actual headquarters of the republican government. Another source was the severe sequestration decree of August 16th, applied to all adherents of the empire, and directing the immediate sale of their property to the best bidder, the product to be divided between the republican treasury and those injured in body and estate by the war, as well as active adherents of the cause.

The imperialists sought to counteract this by declaring annulled any sales or gifts by the Juarists, and by affirming a former decree of confiscation, yet explaining that it would be applied only against those bearing arms against the empire, other seizures being provisional, to withdraw resources from the enemy. This was certainly a less exacting measure than that of Juarez, at least on the face; and a still more effective order was the suppression of forced levies, which was intended to conciliate the Indians and lower classes. Yet contributions, fixed and casual, had to be continued, although they were less burdensome than those enforced by the other side, owing to the flow of funds from France; and retaliations, often most terrible, were exacted by either side upon towns and districts which had, under pressure, yielded allegiance to the other.