232 CONTRIBUCION DE GUERRA. 



ment, it does not appear that any measures 

 of redress have yet been taken. 



With a view of oppressing our merchants, 

 Gov. Armijo had, as early as 1839, issued a de- 

 cree exempting all the natives from the tax 

 imposed on store-houses, shops, etc., throw- 

 ing the whole burden of impost upon foreign- 

 ers and naturalized citizens; a measure cleariy 

 and unequivocally at variance with the trea- 

 ties and stipulations entered into between the 

 United States and Mexico. A protest was 

 presented without eifect ; wlien our Consul, 

 finding all remonstrances useless, forwarded 

 a memorial to the American Minister at 

 Mexico, who, although tlie vital interests of 

 American citizens were at stake, deemed the 

 affair of too little importance, perhaps, and 

 therefore appears to have paid no attention to 

 it. . But this system of levying excessive taxes 

 upon foreigners, is by no means an original 

 invention of Gov. Armijo. In 1835, the gov- 

 ernment of Chihuahua having levied a con- 

 tribucion de guerra for raising means to make 

 war upon the savages, who were laying waste 

 the surrounding country, foreign merchants, 

 ■with an equal disregard' for their risrhts and 



J-, ^ *V^i .,A*^^il ^Xq 



the obhgations of treaties, were taxed twenty- 

 five dollars each per month ; while the native 

 merchants, many of whom possessed large 

 haciendas, with thousands of stock, for the 

 especial protection of which these taxes were 

 chiefly imposed, paid only from five to ten 

 doUars each. Remonstrances were presented 

 to the governor, but in vain. In his official 



