492 



MEXICO. 



MICHIGAN. 



down these late rebellions, fighting like true repub- 

 lican soldiers, it is also proper to observe that they 

 have been efficaciously approved by the good spirit 

 of the people. We should congratulate ourselves 

 much, wondering at the active and unanimous inspi- 

 ration of all the people of the Republic for the main- 

 tenance of peace and the enjoying of benefits under 

 the shelter of the Constitution and the laws. 



The disturbance in Tamaulipas, referred to 

 by the President, resulted from alleged irregu- 

 larities in the election of the Governor of that 

 State. Juan J. de la Garza was declared elected, 

 but the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court in- 

 sisted upon continuing to exercise the functions 

 of Governor, on the ground that the election of 

 Garza was void ; and an organized opposition 

 to the State government soon formed under 

 the lead of General Maria Ciiesta, and Colonel 

 Branlio Vargas. These disorders were not en- 

 tirely suppressed at the end of the year, but, it 

 appeared to be only a question of bringing a 

 force to bear from the capital, to restore order 

 in Tamaulipas. An insurrectionary movement 

 broke out also in Vera Cruz in the course of 

 the autumn, but was speedily suppressed by the 

 State authorities. In the kingdom of Tepic, 

 which forms a part of the State of Jalisco, the 

 Indian military chieftain Lozada has for some 

 time held almost supreme sway, in defiance of 

 any authority of the Government of Mexico. 

 Toward the end of the year intelligence was 

 brought to the capital that Lozada was plot- 

 ting a revolution and inviting various leaders 

 of insurrection to join him in overthrowing the 

 authority of Juarez. Measures were immedi- 

 ately set on foot to suppress this incipient re- 

 bellion, and to assert the authority of the Re- 

 public in the kingdom of Tepic. These were 

 the principal civil disorders which disturbed 

 the peace of Mexico during the latter part of 

 the year, but local discontents are still very 

 common, and not unfrequently break forth in- 

 to hostile opposition to the legally-constituted 

 authorities. Santa Anna is still afflicted with 

 a mania for revolution in Mexico, and another 

 of his numerous "plans" was published by his 

 agents in September. He has not himself 

 been in the country during this year. 



Although considerable progress has been 

 made toward asserting and maintaining the 

 authority of the Republic and its present ad- 

 ministration in all parts of the country, and 

 keeping down the restless spirit of rebellion, 

 there exists an urgent necessity for a vigorous 

 enforcement of civil laws for the repression and 

 punishment of crime. Robbery, kidnapping, 

 murder, and outrageous assassinations are of 

 alarming frequency, and in many districts seem 

 to go utterly unpunished. Tepic is popularly 

 known as the hell of Mexico, on account of the 

 total disregard for all laws, human or divine, 

 which prevails there. 



The financial condition of the country is 

 more promising than heretofore, and the last 

 session of Congress devoted much of its atten- 

 tion to plans for the amelioration of the na- 

 tional credit, and measures intended to promote 



the development of the resources of the coun- 

 try. Many plans for the construction of rail- 

 roads have been brought forward for the favor 

 of the Administration, but only the English 

 Mexico and Yera Cruz Railroad Company has 

 so far attained its object as to be able to continue 

 its work with safety. At the beginning of the 

 year 1869 about 1,000 men were at work on 

 the Puebla branch, and it is confidently ex- 

 pected that at an early day the capital of the 

 Republic will be connected with its principal 

 seaport by a railroad built on the thorough 

 plan usually adopted by English capitalists. 

 Something more than one. hundred miles of 

 this road has been in operation for a year, but 

 the assistance of the Government was found 

 necessary to its completion. Concessions were 

 also granted to Mr. La Lire, who represented 

 certain New York capitalists, for the construc- 

 tion of a railroad across the Isthmus of Te- 

 huantepec. Several other schemes have been 

 brought to the attention of the Government, 

 most of which are set on foot by foreign cor- 

 porations. 



This session of Congress, which assembled 

 on the 16th of September, continued until the 

 25th of January, 1869. Two of the treaties 

 signed by Minister Romero and Secretary Sew- 

 ard, in July, were ratified, but that which re- 

 lated to the regulation of the consulates of the 

 two countries met with strong opposition, and 

 failed of ratification. . Besides the encourage- 

 ment shown to railroad enterprises, an appro- 

 priation was made to test the feasibility of nav- 

 igating the lakes in the valley of Mexico. A 

 law passed on the 13th of November, provid- 

 ing for a new census, which is very much 

 needed. 



General Rosecrans, minister from the United 

 States, arrived in Mexico about the 1st of De- 

 cember, and was very cordially received. 



MICHIGAN. The receipts of the treasury 

 from all sources, during the year, amounted to 

 $2,222,627.47. Amount in the treasury at the 

 close of the previous year, $582,113.96. Expen- 

 ditures during the year, $1,674,511,76, leaving 

 balance in the treasurer's hands of $1,130,- 

 229.67, from which are to be deducted various 

 items of indebtedness due on demand, amounting 

 to $485,296.68. The total funded and fundable 

 debt, at the close of the fiscal year, was $3,614,- 

 078.49, which is $287,164.21 less than at the 

 beginning. The following is a statement of the 

 bonded indebtedness of the State at the end of 

 each year since 1859 : 



I860.... $2,388,842 79 



1861 .... 2,836,264 24 Increase for the year, $447,421 45 ' 



144,774 31 



1863., 

 1864.. 

 1865.. 

 1866.. 

 1867. 



2,836,264 24 

 2,931,038 55 

 2,993,299 80 

 3,541,149 80 

 3,880,399 80 

 3,979,921 25 

 3,901,242 70 



1868.... 3,614,078 49 



12,261 25 

 547,850 

 339,250 00 

 99,521 45 

 Decrease for the year, 78,678 55 

 " ' 287,1&4 21 



The Auditor - General estimates that the 

 debt of the State can and ought to be reduced, 

 within the next fiscal year, $900,000 to 

 $1,000,000, from means already at hand or 



