MEXICO. 



MICHIGAN. 



591 



work itself. On Nov. 4 the Opposition went 

 a step further, and endeavored to get through 

 a resolution abrogating the financial decrees of 

 June, one of which recognized the English 

 debt, while the other suspended all subsidies. 

 The resolution was put to a test, and defeated 

 by an overwhelming vote. 



Railroads. By the beginning of the year the 

 railroad service between the northern cities of 

 the United States and the city of Mexico had 

 been so perfected that four heavy locomotives 

 shipped from Philadelphia on Dec. 15, 1884, 

 reached the city on Jan. 1, 1885. On Jan. 18 

 the Mexican Central Railroad Company was 

 making arrangements to establish a custom- 

 house commission agency at Paso del Norte, 

 to enable the merchants, at a moderate outlay, 

 to pass their goods promptly through the Mexi- 

 can custom-house. 



The extent of the diversion from the ocean 

 to the railroads of American exports to Mexico 

 is becoming apparent on examining the customs 

 revenue reported from El Paso. The amount 

 realized in April was $98,145, as against $34,- 

 482 in the same month of 1884. 



The Tehnantepee Ship-Railroad. In December 

 Judge Alexander Cochrane returned to New 

 York from Mexico, which city he had visited 

 in behalf of the Tehuantepec Ship-Railroad. 

 He had obtained from President Diaz several 

 valuable extensions and concessions to the 

 original charter of that company. The Mexi- 

 can Government gives 2,500,000 acres of land, 

 and guarantees one third of the net revenues 

 of the railway for fifteen years after comple- 

 tion, which will amount to $1,250,000 per an- 

 num, and also allows the company to secure 

 from the United States or any other nation a 

 guarantee of the other two thirds, and also the 

 right to make rebates to the merchant marine 

 of any other nation joining in the guarantee. 



Steamships. In March the Government grant- 

 ed a concession to the Mexican South Atlantic 

 Colonization and Mail Steamship Company to 

 establish a line of steamers between Vera Cruz 

 and Buenos Ayres, touching at St. Thomas, 

 Rio de Janeiro, and points in Uruguay and 

 Paraguay. The steamers will make monthly 

 round trips, and the company will receive a 

 subsidy for each trip of $8,000 for the first ten 

 years, $16,000 for the second ten years, and 

 $14,000 for the third ten years, carrying the 

 mails free, and Government employes half 

 1 free. The company will be allowed to bring 

 three hundred colonists monthly, and will be 

 compelled to bring at least five hundred yearly. 

 Post-Office. The Government recently pub- 

 ' lished its postal code, according to which let- 

 ' ters weighing 15 grammes or less pay 10 cents 

 for any distance within the republic except in 

 ', cities, where the postage is 4 cents, postal- 

 \ cards paying half the rate. The postage to 

 countries belonging to the Postal Union is re- 

 spectively 6 and 3 cents to the island of Cuba 



and United States, and 12 and 5 cents to all 



the other countries. 



Mining. In June the discovery of gold-dig- 

 gings was reported from the Santa Rosa mount- 

 ains in Chihuahua, and a good many advent- 

 urers left for that locality from Eagle Pass, 

 New Mexico. 



In August, Mormon colonists recently settled 

 at Corralitas reported the discovery of rich 

 silver-ore there. In September a similar re- 

 port reached Paso del Norte from the Sabral 

 mountains, in the Sierra Madre, 110 miles from 

 there, and GO miles from the nearest station on 

 the Mexican Central Railway line. 



In March, Prof. Norton, of the Massachu- 

 setts Institute of Technology, analyzed the sur- 

 face specimens of coal recently discovered on 

 the line of the Mexican Central Railroad. He 

 reported it to be of a rather poor quality, but 

 available for fuel. He found its heating power 

 to be between one third and one half that of 

 Pennsylvania anthracite. The lack of fuel is 

 one of the most serious hindrances to Mexican 

 progress. The mountains have been denuded 

 of timber, and brushwood gathered by persons 

 at a shilling a day commands $30 a cord, while 

 a better grade of wood runs up to $80 a cord. 



Cotton- Weaving. An important move was re- 

 solved upon by the Quequechan mill corpora- 

 tion of Fall River early in the year, which in- 

 cluded the transfer of the entire plant to Mexi- 

 co, the object being to erect a mill there, equip 

 it with the machinery in the Fall River mill, 

 add $ few printing-machines, and enter upon 

 the complete manufacture of certain classes of 

 printed goods of that country. In Mexico it 

 will employ Mexican help. 



MICHIGAN. State Government The following 

 were the State officers during the year : Gov- 

 ernor, Russell A. Alger, Republican ; Lieuten- 

 ant-Go vernor, A. Buttars ; Secretary of State, 

 H. A. Conant; Treasurer, E. H. Butler; Au- 

 ditor, W. C. Stevens; Attorney-General, M. 

 Taggart ; Land Commissioner, M. S. Newell ; 

 Superintendent of Public Instruction, H. R. 

 Gass; Railroad Commissioner, William Mc- 

 Pherson, Jr. ; Insurance Commissioner, H. S. 

 Raymond. Judiciary, Supreme Court : Chief- 

 Justice, Thomas M. Cooley ; Associate Justices, 

 James V. Campbell, Thomas R. Sherwood, and 

 John W. Champlin. Judge Cooley's term ex- 

 pired during the year. He was succeeded on 

 the bench by Allen B. Morse. 



Legislative Session. The Legislature met on 

 Jan. 7, and adjourned on June 20. The follow- 

 ing were among the acts passed : 



Art, cultivation of, act to provide for. 



Alger, county of, organized. 



Agricultural College, providing for the publication 

 of experiments, etc. 



Actions, survival of, act amended. 



Administration of estates, with will annexed, act 

 amended. 



Alienation, by deed, act amended. 



Boundary-line between Houghton and Baraga coun- 

 ties changed. 



Board of Fish Commissioners, act to establish. 



Blooded stock, incorporation of companies for breed- 

 ing; authorized. 



Bonds, act to facilitate the giving of. 



