i 5 4 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



and probably to a considerable extent uncertain. Some came from the 

 old Spanish Government, through its viceroys ; some from Mexico, 

 through its governors or political chiefs ; while over a not inconsider- 

 able part of all the good land of the country, the titles of the Church, 

 although not recognized by the Government, are still, to a certain ex- 

 tent, respected. Added to all this, there is a marked indisposition on 

 the part of the large owners of real estate in Mexico to divest them- 

 selves of such property ; and this for various reasons. Thus, in the 

 heretofore almost permanently revolutionary condition of the country, 

 the tenure of movable or personal property was subject to embarrass- 

 ments from which real estate, or immovable property, was exempt. 

 Under the system of taxation which has long prevailed in Mexico, 

 land also is very lightly burdened. And, finally, from what is proba- 

 bly an inherited tradition from Old Spain, the wealthy Mexican seems 

 to be prejudiced against investing in co-operative (stock) or financial 

 enterprises the railways, banks, and mines, in both Old Spain and 

 Mexico, for example, being to-day mainly owned and controlled by 

 English or other foreign capitalists. Under such circumstances, there 

 is no influx of immigrants into Mexico with a view to agriculture, and 

 settlements, such as spring up and flourish in the United States almost 

 contemporaneously with the construction of the " land-grant " and 

 other railroads, are unknown, and are not at present to be expected ; 

 all of which clearly works to the great disadvantage of all Mexican 

 railway enterprise and construction. It is also interesting to note, in 

 connection with this subject, that it is the immobility and uncertainty 

 of these same old Spanish or Mexican land-grants, which cover a vast 

 portion of New Mexico, that constitute at present the greatest obstacle 

 in the way of the growth and development of that Territory. 



Statutes offering great inducements for permanent immigration 

 such as a bonus to each immigrant, the right to purchase public lands 

 at moderate prices and on long terms, the right to naturalization and 

 citizenship, and the like were enacted by the Mexican Congress as 

 far back as 1875, but as yet do not appear to have been productive 

 of any marked results. 



On the other hand, the Mexican land laws discriminate very rigor- 

 ously against the acquirement of land by foreigners who do not pro- 

 pose to become Mexican citizens, and seem to be especially framed to 

 prevent any encroachments on the part of the United States. Thus, 

 no foreigner may, without previous permission of the President of 

 the Republic, acquire real estate in any of the border States, within 

 twenty leagues (sixty miles) of the frontier ; but such permission has 

 of late been freely given to citizens of the United States for the ac- 

 quirement of ranching property on the northern frontier. The owner- 

 ship of real estate by a foreigner in either country or city, within 

 fifteen miles of the coast, is, however, absolutely forbidden, except 

 on the condition of a special act of Congress granting it. It is only, 



