MEXICO. 



MICHIGAN. 



539 



Mexico and Germany, based, so far as the for- 

 mer is concerned, on the " most favored na- 

 tion " clause. Negotiations have since been 

 set on foot between Mexico on the one hand, 

 and England and France respectively on the 

 other, for the conclusion of similar agreements. 

 The only advantages which the United States 

 would possess over those nations, by the ratifi- 

 cation of the pending reciprocity treaty, would 

 be proximity of market and a lower freight- 

 rate which the competition between railroads 

 and ocean-steamers will secure. The amount 

 of duties collected by the. Mexican custom- 

 houses from 1878 to 1882 was $65,513,932. 

 The ensuing table shows the increase of the 

 average annual exportation from Mexico : 



It will be noticed that while the export of 

 the precious metals has decreased, that of other 

 products has been on the increase. The aver- 

 age import in the fiscal years 1880-'81 and 

 1881-'82 was: 



From the United States $5,044,085 



From the United Kingdom 4.921,990 



From France 8,547,740 



From last two countries via Belgium and Ger- 

 many 4,447,705 



From Germany, Spain, and other countries 1,796,145 



Total $19,757,665 



"While the imports of English and French 

 dry goods have decreased somewhat, those of 

 American have quadrupled. 



The Mexican exports during the first quarter 

 of the fiscal year 1882-'83 were as follow : 



To England $3,941,755 



To the United States 2,702,738 



France 1,009.740 



Spain 292,085 



Germany 271 ,980 



Colombia 98,478 



Guatemala 88,800 



Ecuador 200 



San Salvador 180 



Total $8,855,956 



Of which the precious metals ... ... $0,004,807 



Sisal hemp 794,967 



Cabinet and dye-woods 378,989 



Coffee 835,536 



Hides and skins 1 95.815 



Istle 154,793 



Vanilla .. 4 1,888 



Tobacco 86,129 



Sugar 49.077 



Honey 89.4-20 



Live animals 87,720 



Other goods 



Total $8,355,956 



The United States imported from Mexico 

 during the fiscal year 1883, $8,177,123 worth 

 of merchandise, against $8,461,899 the previ- 

 ous year; and the domestic export from the 

 United States to Mexico was $14,370,992 in 

 1883, against $13,324,505 in 1882. The im- 

 port of specie from Mexico into the United 

 States was $9,782,986 in 1883, against $6,631,- 

 938 in 1882. 



The chief articles imported into the United 

 States in the fiscal year 1882 from Mexico 

 were: Coffee, 17,020,669 pounds; Sisal hemp, 

 19,233 tons ; hides and skins, $1,525,107 worth ; 

 lead, 1,132,064 pounds; and sugar, 2,931.649 

 pounds. The principal articles exported from 

 the United States to Mexico in the same year 

 were: Manufactures of iron and steel, $3,861,- 

 514 worth; 838 railroad-cars, worth $579,- 

 421 ; 12,537,650 pounds of cotton ; 10,584,486 

 yards of cotton goods; and $1,426,411 worth 

 of lumber, furniture, and wooden-ware. 



Inter-State Trade. The Federal Constitution 

 of Mexico was amended in 1883, to enable the 

 individual States to abolish the collection of 

 interstate duties, which had been one of the 

 greatest obstacles to commercial intercourse, 

 and had become a positive nuisance since the 

 introduction of railroads. In response to a 

 circular issued by the Minister of Finance, the 

 various States sent delegates to the capital, 

 October 1st, and the necessary steps were 

 taken, in conformity with the amendment, 

 leaving the States to indemnify themselves by 

 imposing each some State tax or taxes in lieu 

 of the duties thus abolished. 



Reduction of Duties. In December, 1883, the 

 duty on all goods imported under the Mexican 

 flag was reduced by 10 per cent. 



MICHIGAN. The biennial session of the Legis- 

 lature began on January 3d, and continued 157 

 days, adjourning June 9th. The result was 197 

 public acts, 24 joint resolutions, and 341 local 

 acts. Among the public acts of more general 

 interest are: 



An act authorizing a father to appoint in his last 

 will and testament a guardian or guardians for his 

 minor children, born or unborn at the time of making 

 the will, subject to objection by the surviving mother 

 when the will shall be offered for probate. The same 

 power is given to the mother of a minor child whose 

 father may have died without appointing a guardian. 

 In the same line is an act " to provide for the estab- 

 lishment of wills during the lifetime of testators." 

 As introduced, the bill provided for proving the will 

 without making its contents known to heirs, legatees, 

 or officials ; but, as the law passed, the contents of 

 the will become public at the time of the hearing 

 thereon, thus defeating the real object. 



An act to authorize the general laws of this State, 

 collected, arranged, and annotated by Andrew How- 

 ell (or Howell's Annotated Statutes), to " be received 



