7S ANNUAL REGIS TER, 1818. [June. 



o« the 13th of January, in the 

 last year, I carried into operation 

 the duties on imports which are 

 now imposed, adopting the ge- 

 neral system, as to their collec- 

 tion, which has been resorted to 

 by the most polished nations of 

 Europe, and incorporating with 

 the arrangements the judicious 

 provisions of the decree of the 

 29th of March, of the same year, 

 as to public bills, and the 8 per 

 cent reduction in the 8th article 

 of that decree; (this diminution 

 is in favour of American mer- 

 chants, by whose assistance the 

 public bills were put in circula- 

 tion). Notwithstanding these 

 prudent and moderate regula- 

 tions, conformable with equity 

 and justice, considerable clamour 

 has been raised against the exor- 

 bitancy of the duties, the com- 

 plainants not attending to the 

 urgent necessity which required 

 them, in the form of an indirect 

 contribution, extending to all 

 classes of consumers, and under 

 this false pretext of exorbitancy, 

 a contraband trade has been car- 

 ried on, in defiance of all the 

 precautions that have been in- 

 troduced to prevent it. 



Under these circumstances, to 

 promote the increase and pros- 

 perity of commerce, and to re- 

 move every obstacle to its success, 

 I have determined on a very large 

 reduction in the duties of imports, 

 and have informed the Custom- 

 house of the capital of the same, 

 which is to take effect from the 

 present time, under the subse- 

 quent conditions : — 



1. The payment of the duties 

 is to be made, two-third parts in 

 money, and ore-third part in 

 public bills; modifying this pay- 



ment by the first article of the 

 decree of the 29th of March, 

 1817. 



2. The Custom-house is to 

 receive for these two-third parts 

 of the duty, all such of the public 

 bills as have been issued by the 

 Supreme Government, on which 

 is expressed on the face of them 

 that they are to be current in- 

 stead of cash. 



3. Credit for the duties is to 

 be given to the importers, on 

 taking possession of the goods, 

 20 days for the half amount, and 

 40 days for the remainder. 



4. For the security of the 

 state, the Custom-house officers 

 are to have a guarantee, satis- 

 factory to them, which is to be 

 required without distinction of 

 persons. 



5. This article provides for the 

 mode of payment, when the im- 

 porter neglects the discharge of 

 the duties. 



6. The 8 per cent granted 

 under the 8th article of the 

 decree of the 29th of March, in 

 favour of the natives of South 

 America, is reduced to 4 per 

 cent; and also with respect to 

 others to whom the same favour 

 was extended. 



(A true copy) 

 Juan Martin de Puyrredon. 



ESTEVAN AUGUSTIN GaSCON. 



Bueiios Ayres, June 1. 



The reduction adverted to in 

 the second paragraph of the 

 preceding decree is to the amount 

 of 25 per cent upon all the 

 existing duties. 



The following letter, dated 

 Gibraltar, June 4, relating to the 

 plague at Oran, has been trans- 

 mitted from the Council OflBce 

 to the Commissioners of Cus- 

 toms, 



