

MEXICO. 



538 



A more recent but evidently inaccurate 

 table, though published in Mexico (1876), with 

 a semi-official character, gives the entire popu- 

 lation at 8,743,000, made up as follows : 



Pure whites.... 2,881.000 



Pure-blooded natives 1,750,000 



Hybrids 4,662,000* 



The population of the principal towns is ap- 

 proximately as in the annexed table : 



TOWNS. Population. 



Guanajuato 68,000 



Morelia 87,000 



8an Luis Potosi 84,000 



Zacatecas 81,000 



TOWNS. Population. 



Mexico 250,000 



Nnevo Leon 100,000 



Guad:ilajura. 71,000 



Puebla 67,000 



The Mexican Government is desirous of in- 

 creasing the population of the country by im- 

 migration, for the encouragement of which the 

 following decree was issued in May, 1876 : 



Sebastian Lerdo de Tejada, constitutional Presi- 

 dent of the United States of Mexico, to the inhabi- 

 tants thereof. Know 



That Congress has issued the following decree : 



Congress resolves : 



ARTICLE I. That, pending the enactment of a law 

 for the determination and regulation of all matters 

 concerning colonization, the Executive is hereby 

 authorized to enforce this law, either by direct action 

 or by contract with private organizations, upon the 

 following bases : 



In M far u may depend upon the contractor*, UM prlrtkfM 

 granted by this law. 



8. To grant to the ettln Mexican naturalization MM! citi- 

 zenship In the proper caaea; the amount of traveling ex- 

 Knses In advance : meant of living for one year after th-r 

 vo settled, and forming Implements, and budding-materials 

 for their dwellings; the right to a determinate tract of land 

 for tillage, and building, at a low price, payable in convenient 

 annual installment*, commencing from the second year after 

 settlement; exemption from military service and all kinds 

 of Imposts, and some municipal taxes ; exemption from all 

 kinds of import and Inland duties on such articles as (arming 

 urn! workshop implements and tools, machines, chattels, 

 ImiMinp-inuterlals, household furniture, and beasts of burden 

 and breeding-animals ; exemption, personal and not transfer- 

 al >!<>. from export duties, on their crops, and free letter-post- 

 ai.'e, through the ministerial department of foreign affairs or 

 by means of special postage-stamps, to their native country 

 or former residence ; premiums and special protection for the 

 production of new culture or Industry. 



4. To demand of the settlers the fulfillment of their con- 

 tracts, in accordance with the common laws of the country. 



5. To appoint and send out the examining committees 

 authorized by section 26 of the present budget, to select the 

 lands suitable for colonization, with the due requisites for 

 measurement, marking boundaries, valuation, and descrip- 

 tion. 



6. To see that any person occupying a tract of public land, 

 according to the requirements indicated In No. 5, shall have 

 one-third of said land or the value thereof, provided said per- 

 son bo duly authorized. 



7. This power of authorization shall belong exclusively to 

 the Executive, wLo shall not deny the same to any State ap- 

 plying for it, for lands within its boundaries. The authoriza- 

 tion granted as above, to States or to private citizens, shall be 

 null and void In case the operations therein stipulated shall 

 not have been commenced within three months after the date 

 of said authorization. 



8. To secure, if deemed expedient, by purchase or by con- 

 tract, in accordance with terms of No. 6, lands belonging to 

 private citizens and adapted for colonization. 



9. To settle upon lands the property of private citizens, at 

 the request of the owners, immigrants already under con- 

 tract with the Executive. 



10. Bald colonies shall be considered as such, and shall en- 

 joy the privileges herein enumerated, for a period of ten years, 

 at the expiration of which period said privileges shall cease. 



ART. II. The Executive is also hereby authorized 

 to appropriate, in the course of the next fiscal year, 

 the sum of $250,000 Cor the defrayal of the expenses 

 prescribed by this law, including those of surveying 

 commissions. 



JULIO Z ABATE. Presiding Representative. 

 ANTONIO GOMEZ, Secretary Representative. 

 J. N. VILLADA, Secretary Representative. 

 LEGISLATIVE PALACE, MEXICO, Jfuy 1876. 

 I, therefore, order the above law to be printed, 

 published, circulated, and complied with. 



SEBASTIAN LERDO DE TEJADA, etc., etc. 

 EXECUTIVE PALACE, MEXICO, May 81, 1676. 



The President of the Republic is General 

 Porfirio Diaz; the Chief-Justice of the Su- 

 preme Court (virtually the Vice-President of the 

 Republic), Seflor Antonio Vallarta; the Minis- 

 ter of the Interior (minittro de gobernacion) is 

 Licentiate Protasio Tagle, late Imperialist, now 

 moderately Ultramontane; Minister ot Foreign 

 Affairs, Licentiate Ignacio Vallarta, late Gov- 

 ernor of the State of Jalisco; Minister of 



1. To grant to each organization a subsidy for each family Finance,* Dr. Jos6 M. Mata, late Deputy to the 



Constituent Assembly, and former minister 

 to Washington (1858-'61); Minister of War, 

 Licentiate and General Pedro Ogazon, formerly 

 Governor of Jalisco, and member of the Sn- 



dntlos to evcrv vessel hrincmg ton or more minutes ; a prenii- %. . /> T,, D *:/% !>,) 1; . \\' ... 



nm for each Mexican family that shall sett],- in an immigrant preme Court ; Minister of Justice, Public Wor- 

 colony ; and a premium for each Mexican family settling in a ship, and Public Instruction, Licentiate IgnaciO 



Ramirez, formerly intrusted with the same 

 portfolio under Juarez (1861), member of the . 



arriving in the republic ; an advance of not over 50 per cent, 

 of said subsidy at a reasonable percentage of Interest ; lands 

 suitable for colonization after measurement, survey, and 

 valuation, at a moderate price, payable by installments ; a 

 premium for each,family of immigrants ; exemption from 

 duties to every vessel bringing ten or more fhmilles ; a premi- 





frontier colony. 



2. To require of said organizations a sufficient guarantee 

 for the fulfillment of their contracts, stating the cause of for- 

 feiture and of fine ; a security that the colonists shall enjoy, 



* Reference should be made to the statistics concerning 

 population, etc., on page 551 of the ANNUAL 

 for 1874. 



* Licentiate Justo Benltez, for a long time private secre- 

 tary to General Diaz, was first appointed to this portfolio, but 

 resigned it to take the direction of the political aflairs of UM 

 country. 



