POLITICAL HISTORY OF PERU. 313 
Article 6. He may lay duties, if they should be necessary for the 
wants of the service or state. 
Article 7. He will have all the executive power which may be 
necessary for the security, order, and regulation of the state, in every 
thing that is not reserved by this present decree, notwithstanding, he 
cannot take the proper rights belonging to the executive power, 
neither give orders nor resolutions contrary to the existing legislation, 
nor to the decrees which may be in full force, but to facilitate, make 
clear, and do away with the difficulties which may impede their 
execution, and that they may be able to execute the intended reforms 
and mandates. 
Article 8. The Provisional President of South Peru will receive 
the honours and treatment which are due to a chief having executive 
power, and the Secretary-General those corresponding to a minister 
of the cabinet. 
My Secretary-General is charged with the execution of the present 
decree, who will have it printed and circulated. 
Given in the Protectoral Palace of Puno, 17th September, 1837. 
(Signed) Andres Santa Cruz. 
The Secretary-General, 
M. De la Cruz Mendez. 
Another decree followed this, of the same date, appointing General 
Herrera the Provisional President, and Colonel Don Juan Jose 
Lavrea Secretary-General. 
The results of my inquiries into the commerce and trade of Peru, 
are by no means satisfactory. The vacillating policy pursued towards 
the trade has been most extraordinary, and some of those engaged 
in commercial pursuits have frequently been enabled, through the 
necessities of the government, to reap many advantages. Much 
illicit trade was carried on, even before the revolution, under the 
Spanish rule. The restriction laid by its authority on commerce, 
kept the prices of imports high, whilst the low value of exports, 
left to the arbitrary demand of monopolists, prevented or diminished 
the means of these countries to pay for what they wanted from 
abroad. 
From this state of things resulted the limited trade and enormous 
profits under the colonial system. As soon as the ports were opened, 
an expansion took place, and the trade was entirely overdone. The 
markets became glutted with all kinds of foreign fabrics, and many 
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