30 



ARGENTINE REPUBLIC. 



Dwlhwtloni. EXPORTS. Valuw. 



Beljfium ... f 18,S9,000 



Brazil I,!:M,OIH) 



Chili U'7-.ooo 



France . . 15,588,000 



Germany 2,4t;o,otK) 



Great Britain 6,169,000 



Italy 2,058,000 



ParuiruuY 46,000 



Snuiu ' 1,189,000 



UniU-d States 4,1)61,000 



Uruguay l,79;i,000 



West Indies'. 1,479,000 



Other countries 776,000 



In transitu 8,925,000 



Total $56,497,000 



On comparing these two tables, the balance 

 of trade in favor of the republic in 1880 is 

 observed to have been $12,431,000, against 

 $2,898,000 in 1879. To the usual list of Ar- 

 gentine export staples * have been added some 

 new articles, as, for instance, ostrich-feathers, 

 of which 72,229 kilogrammes were shipped in 



1880, of the value of $156,000. 



The shipping movements at the various ports 

 were as follows in 1880 : 



Number of vessels. Aggregate tonnage. 



v . , (Steamers... . 2,517 902.290 



* a 1 Sailing-vessels 2.147 808J1 67 



r-io. i . J Steamers 2,112 822,882 



M 1 Sailing-vessels 1,022 281,946 



Of railways there were ten in operation in 



1881, of an aggregate length of 1,545 miles; 

 and in course of construction three other lines, 

 aggregating 190 miles. Of telegraph lines 

 there were, in 1877, 4,848 miles (3,365 miles of 

 which were the property of the state), with 

 an aggregate of 9,887 miles of wires. The 

 number of dispatches in 1879 was 242,259, of 

 which 42,636 were official ; the receipts having 

 been $165,266, and the expenditures $169,266. 



In 1879 the number of letters that passed 

 through the post-office was 6,696,328, of which 

 1,494,854 were official; and that of packages 

 of printed matter 11,152,089, of which 457,913 

 were to or from foreign countries. 



On the occasion of the opening of Congress, 

 May 8, 1881, President Roca, in a long but 

 unusually interesting message, presented an 

 elaborate sketch of the country under its va- 

 rious aspects political, financial, commercial, 

 industrial, and intellectual. Here follow a few 

 brief extracts from that document : 



MESSRS. SENATORS AND DEPUTIES : As you are aware, 

 peace, order, and complete liberty, with every pros- 

 pect of a long duration, prevail all over the republic, 

 and our credit has reached every country and market 

 in Europe, where they are at last beginning to believe 

 that we nave reached the years of discretion and com- 

 mon sense. The uncertainty in which we were living, 

 even in times which were apparently the most tran- 

 quil, has been succeeded by a most boundless con- 

 fidence in the future. Life, movement, a spirit of 

 progress, and a love of work, have sprung up in all 

 parts. The provinces are no longer armed in defense 

 of their autonomy or against revolution, but are occu- 

 pied in political, social, and economic reorganization, 

 improved administration, agriculture, irrigation, roads, 

 banks, and all kinds of improvements. 



The session before you is full of work to be done. 

 It is as if we were a people newly born, as you will 



* See "Annual Cyclopaedia" for 1880, p. 21. 



have to legislate on the attributes, means, and author- 

 ity of the nation so great was the want of a perma- 

 nent capital for the republic. Now you may make 

 laws in lull liberty, knowing that they will be obeyed, 

 and without consulting anything but common sense, 

 justice, and expediency, or fearing that any provincial 

 governor should enter these halls to protest against or 

 dictate your measures. 



The Executive is in perfect accord with the authori- 

 ties of all the provinces, and not even the slightest hitch 

 has occurred in the working of the liberal and com- 

 plicated laws of our political system. The law order- 

 ing national intervention in Eioja resulted in a speedy 

 and satisfactory solution, thanks to the clear terms in 

 which the orders of Congress were expressed, and the 

 tact and prudence of the commissioner appointed. 



I feel pleasure in telling you that the republic is 

 on the best terms with all foreign powers. "We can 

 easily keep so, as the fundamental principle of our 

 foreign policy is a determination to defend our rights 

 and to respect those of others. 



The Executive and the whole country have wit- 

 nessed with profound sorrow the horrible drama on 

 the Pacific, the ruin of two sister republics, and the 

 gulf dug between three nations of the same blood, 

 who should be united for mutual advancement, in- 

 stead of tearing each other to pieces. For this reason 

 the mediation of the United States Government in 

 October last was so joyfully hailed by public opinion. 

 We had a right to hope that such a powerful and re- 

 spected nation would be able to bring about peace be- 

 tween the belligerents, and only when it iafled did I 

 deem it right to make a fresh attempt at conciliation, 

 with the aid of a South American state which, being 

 on the best of terms with the republics of this con- 

 tinent, and for other reasons, I considered the best 

 wherewith to initiate a fresh attempt at friendly in- 

 terference. The Minister of Foreign Affairs will re- 

 port to you the result of this negotiation. The 

 Governments of Peru and Bolivia addressed that of 

 this country, denouncing the bitter character of the 

 strife, and protesting against the terms ot peace pro- 

 posed by Chili. In its turn the Chilian Government 

 sent us the protocols of the conferences at Arica, ex- 

 plaining its line of action, and declaring that it sought 

 no conquest. I trust that, after the recent battles 2 de- 

 corous and satisfactory bases of peace may be arrived 

 at. The reclamations made by the legations of the 

 belligerents here have been impartially attended to. 

 with due regard to the exigencies of those at war and 

 the rights of those who, in peace and tranquillity, re- 

 main strictly neutral. 



The Colombian Government asked us to send a 

 representative to the conference at Panama, to intro- 

 duce the principle of arbitration into American inter- 

 national law. Our relations with Brazil are perfect. 

 The treaties which guarantee them are strictly ob- 

 served, and the efforts of some uneasy spirits fail be- 

 fore the circumspection and foresight of both Govern- 

 ments. We must definitely settle our boundaries with 

 the empire. It is a joint work, and, once the divid- 

 ing line, through mysterious and deserted forests, is 

 traced, the science and civilization of both countries 

 will soon break in on their solitude. In more peace- 

 ful days for Bolivia we can also settle our boundaries 

 with her. We maintain with Uruguay the good rela- 

 tions natural between nations whose blood and inter- 

 ests are identical, and any differences that arise are 

 promptly settled with good-will on both sides. Para- 

 guay nas broken off her commercial treaty with this 

 country and Brazil, but this shall not alter our wishes 

 for her prosperity. 



The Holy See, and the American and European 

 Governments, send us frequent proofs of friendship. 

 I will lay before you this year several conventions 

 which will consolidate our good relations with those 

 powers. 



I have the utmost confidence in the rectitude of our 

 foreign policy. Nothing shall divert us from the prin- 

 ciple of peace abroad and the firm assertion ot our 



