GUATEMALA. 



373 



elicited manifestations of profound indignation 

 from the clergy. 



The harvest of cochineal in the Department 

 of Sacatepeque was finished, with a result not 

 at all favorable, owing to the unusually heavy 

 rains, which had caused disease among the in- 

 sects. Prices of good cochineal ranged about 

 73 cents per pound, and inferior, 70 cents. As 

 the real origin of the disease among the cochi- 

 neal insects had not been satisfactorily cleared 

 up, farmers in this branch of agriculture felt 

 discouraged, and were inclined to abandon 

 cochineal for coffee, which, though not so 

 profitable, is less liable to accidents. In Ama- 

 titlan, where the nopaleros have suffered much 

 more than in Sacatepeque, the idea of aban- 

 doning cochineal was still more general, and 

 of devoting the land to the cultivation of the 

 sugar-cane. 



A free school was established at Quezalte- 

 nango; many of the citizens gave handsome 

 contributions to it, and the political chief of 

 the city his entire salary. 



The Government, in July, fixed the legal 

 rate of interest at five per cent., except in cases 

 of special loans. 



The press of Guatemala was declared free, 

 except in cases of the abuse of freedom. 



General Rufino Barrios refused to accept the 

 portfolio of the Department of War, in order 

 to take an active part in the war against Hon- 

 duras. 



No apprehensions were entertained of a 

 commercial crisis resulting from the war. 

 Money was abundant at eight per cent, inter- 

 est, and discounts at one per cent, for short 

 periods. 



Ex-President Medina was said to be among 

 the malcontents of Guatemala and San Salva- 

 dor, in a secluded corner of Omoa. The port 

 of Trujillo was occupied by the troops of the 

 provisional Government. 



The subject of the boundary-line with Mexi- 

 co was under discussion by the Governments 

 of both republics. 



The Government ordered the ex-Convent 

 of San Francisco to be prepared for the cus- 

 tom-house and other Government offices, re- 

 serving habitations for the parish curate, and 

 a school capable of containing 500 children. 



Government opened negotiations with Mr. 

 Stanley McNider, the constructor of part of the 

 telegraph-lines of San Salvador, for the pur- 

 pose of extending the system throughout the 

 Republic of Guatemala. Six lines were re- 

 quired, with 25 stations, and a total length of 

 about 500 miles, at the rate of $150 per mile, 

 or $75,000 for the whole, and give also instruc- 

 tions in telegraphy to 40 young men whom the 

 Government would name. The contract was 

 signed shortly afterward, and it was decided 

 that the first line should be from the capital to 

 the river Paz. 



The bad condition of the port of San Jose 

 gave rise to much murmuring, and was attrib- 

 uted to lack of energy on the part of the au- 



thorities, and the persistent refusal by the 

 Wharf Company to allow the custom-house 

 to be established on the mole, by which change 

 two important results would be gained : econ- 

 omy of expenditure for employes, and the 

 effectual prevention of contraband. Govern- 

 ment was disposed to purchase the mole, if 

 the consent of the shareholders could only be 

 obtained. 



The Constituent Assembly met on the night 

 of August 20th. A new party of malcontents 

 had formed in the Department of Santa Rosa. 



Diplomatic relations, suspended in 1865, be- 

 tween Guatemala and Costa Rica, were re- 

 sumed by decree. 



For the benefit of the commercial interests 

 of the Department of the Altos de Guatemala, 

 the port of Champerico was opened for ex- 

 ports and imports ; that place was deemed 

 preferable to all others, as being at once the 

 healthiest and most central in the department. 

 The custom-house will be at the town of Re- 

 taltinlen, until it can conveniently be estab- 

 lished at Champerico. The decree to the 

 above effect, and which was to go into force 

 three months after the 10th of June, 1871, was 

 by the President circulated and published on 

 the 1st of July of the same year. 



Two hundred Indians attacked Jalapa on the 

 17th of September. The battle lasted an hour, 

 and resulted in the defeat of the Indians, who 

 fled, and were pursued by 800 troops. 



On the 15th of September, the national an- 

 niversary was celebrated with much enthusi- 

 asm in the National Institute, at Quezalte- 

 nango. 



It is asserted that, in the forests of Veten, 

 there are mahogany-trees valued at $80 each, 

 and in sufficient abundance to discharge the 

 whole of the national indebtedness to England 

 in five years. 



A school of music was to be opened in the 

 capital, and placed under the management of 

 the director of the military bands. 



The governor of the bishopric excommuni- 

 cated, for the second time, a newspaper called 

 El Grepusculo. The proclamation to that 

 effect warned the faithful against reading 

 that journal, having it in their possession, sub- 

 scribing to, or circulating it, and was posted 

 on the doors of the churches and of the uni- 

 versity, but were immediately torn down by 

 the people. 



A report was current in Octob'er that a num- 

 ber of immigrants were assembled atBelize, and 

 were to be provided with arms for the purpose 

 of invading the republic, to destroy the present 

 Government, and restore the order of things 

 which had been overturned by the revolution 

 of 1871. The arms were, it appears, brought 

 from New York, and were to be distributed 

 among the conspirators by a Belize merchant, 

 who, however, did not deliver them, as the 

 conspirators were unable to pay for them, but 

 offered them on sale to the Government of 

 Guatemala. 



