ARGENTINE REPUBLIC. 



and considerable sums saved the national Treasury. 

 But a great deal still remains to be accomplished, for, 

 to place the administration on a firm footing of order 

 and economy is not the work of a single presidential 

 period, but of long years of peace. 



The current of immigration has continued weak, as 

 compared with the inducements and advantages of- 

 fered by our country. During the past year 32,817 

 immigrants have landed on our shores.* The num- 

 ber, without doubt, is not flattering; but we are to 

 bear in mind that this increase of population was alto- 

 gether spontaneous, and came without either effort or 

 sacrifice on the part of the nation. We are also to con- 

 sider that these immigrants are for the most part farm- 

 ers who came provided with means to settle and get 

 to work without any assistance from the public fund, 

 and that, consequently, they have not remained in 

 the cities as did others before them. 



Although the tide of emigration from Europe is 

 daily growing, we shall see but a slow increase, or, 

 perhaps, rather a diminution in the number of people 

 seeking our shores, unless we hasten to make sacri- 

 fices by cheapening the passage, placing lands within 

 the reach of all on easy terms, and aiding the settlers 

 for the first few months after their arrival. Besides 

 the United States, where European immigration has 

 reached surprising proportions, other countries of 

 America open their doors to these fecund and vivify- 

 ing currents. Mexico, with her dazzling traditions, 

 lightens their expenses by sea and land, and makes 

 them generous grants. 



Brazil continues to follow the same plan, and as 

 soon as the Isthmus of Panama shall have been opened 

 up, new lands, vast and fertile, and at half the distance 

 or ours, will be offered to the immigrant. 



These facts point to the necessity for us of foster- 

 ing by all available means that element of power and 

 wealth. 



It is with genuine satisfaction that I am enabled 

 here to repeat the words of my last year's message. 

 The republic continues in peace and friendship with 

 all the foreign powers, and cultivates its relations 

 therewith in accordance with the principles of recip- 

 rocal kindness. 



In regard to our foreign policy, the rectitude of our 

 conduct becomes more and more marked, and the 

 name of the republic is gaining in consideration in the 

 eyes of other nations. 



The boundary question with Chili, so long a sub- 

 ject of anxiety in the public mind, has been amicably 

 settled, as you know, and our relations with that 

 country are now completely harmonious. But on call- 

 ing to your mind an event of such paramount impor- 

 tance for our country, I must not omit to remind you 

 of the names of the distinguished ministers plenipo- 

 tentiary of the United States in Chili and the Argen- 

 tine Republic. As you are aware, the question was 

 at the worst when these gentlemen interposed their 

 influence for the opening up of new channels of nego- 

 tiation, and continued using it until the final solution. 



It is painful to me to have to announce that the 

 question of the Pacific, in which three friendly na- 

 tions are involved, still presents a character of hostil- 

 ity, and is enveloped in so much uncertainty as to ren- 

 der it impossible to foresee the issue. 



In the mean time, the voice and interests of America 

 call for peace as a supreme necessity for the common 

 progress and prosperity. Bloodshed must not con- 

 tinue forever. Humanity and civilization cry aloud 

 for the mitigation of the evils of warfare, and more 

 particularly in the case of peoples between whom no 

 real grounds for antagonism exist. The Argentine 

 Government, animated by a spirit of friendship to- 

 ward the contending nations, had taken steps to offer 

 its mediation conjointly with the Government of Bra- 

 zil and of the United States, should these accept the 

 proposal, with the aim of a solution of the conflict on 

 equitable and fitting terms. The general tenor of our 



* See p. 23. 



communication on the subject met the approval of the 

 Brazilian Government. Just then, however, the Unit- 

 ed States interposed, and it was deemed prudent on 

 our part to suspend further action in order not to in- 

 terrupt the course of the negotiations set on foot. 



The Argentine Government, desirous of entering 

 into closer relations with Colombia and Venezuela, 

 sent a minister resident to their respective govern- 

 ments, both of whom received him with marks of true 

 sympathy and friendship toward our country. 



We have received an invitation from the United 

 States to the Congress which is to assemble at Wash- 

 ington in November of the present year ; composed of 

 two representatives from each of the nations or Amer- 

 ica, and in which will be discussed questions of the 

 greatest moment to all those peoples. 



The Continental 'Exhibition, due to the initiative of 

 the Industrial Club, dnd which you aided with a sub- 

 sidy, was solemnly inaugurated on March 15th, and 

 I believe I may say. with genuine satisfaction, that 

 its success has exceeded the most sanguine hopes of 

 all concerned. The opinion of natives and foreign- 

 ers has done ample justice to the indefatigable efforts 

 of all those persons who contributed to the realiza- 

 tion ot that important competitive display ; and our 

 country may look with honest pride on the rapid im- 

 provement achieved in all branches of industry. 

 Every country of America and many of those of Eu- 

 rope have been represented here in the department of 

 machinery, and it is only to be regretted that the 

 brief space of time allotted for the organization of 

 the exposition did not permit of their bringing a 

 larger number of exhibits. Nevertheless, we owe a 

 debt of gratitude to those who so willingly, and spite 

 of every difficulty, came forward on our invitation. 



Thanks to the uninterrupted development of the 

 country's wealth, legitimate confidence in the public 

 tranquillity, and the faithful collection of imposts, the 

 national income goes on progressively increasing. 

 The revenue for 1881 was upward of twenty-three 

 and one-half millions of hard dollars ; and the re- 

 ceipts for the first quarter of the present year bespeak 

 an approximation to twenty-six millions for 1882. 



Our foreign trade has increased 15 per cent as 

 compared with that for 1880, the imports having been 

 of the value of $54,t74,204, and the exports $56,896,- 

 194. The trade in tramitu was of the value of 

 $5,360,609. Thus our foreign trade for 1881 was of 

 the aggregate value of $116,431,007, or $14,245,169 in 

 excess of that for 1880. 



Eleven thousand six hundred and ninety vessels 

 entered at our ports gave place to a movement of 

 2,579,361 tons of merchandise between exports and 

 imports ; and the traffic shows an increase of 336,779 

 tons as compared with that for 1880. 



In the present year our commerce has begun under 

 still more favorable auspices, the dutiable exports for 

 the first quarter having been of the value of $22,- 

 355,091, and the dutiable imports of the value of 

 $13,243,965. Hence, the foreign trade for the period 

 first named has been of the aggregate value of $35,- 

 599,056, exclusive of transit trade and commodity free 

 of duty. For the continuance and permanence of such 

 a flattering state of things, all that is necessary is a 

 well-organized administration governed by prudent 

 laws. I can not but express regret that the budget 

 for the present year has been approved with a no- 

 table deficit as compared with the estimated amount 

 of the revenue. For this reason, all my endeavors 

 have tended to reduce the expenditures, without pre- 

 judice to the public service, in order that they may 

 not be in excess of the income at the end of the fiscal 

 year. 



The foreign branch of the national debt increased 

 by $25,000,000 in 1881, owing to the loan negotiated 

 for the extension of the government railways, and the 

 two provincial loans of Buenos Ayres passed to the 

 debit of the nation in virtue of the Ley de la Capital. 

 Yet the total national debt on the 31st of last Decem- 

 ber only reached the sum of $79,401,141, payments on 



