CHAPTER XVI. 



1794 __ 1808. 



branciforte viceroy his grasping and avaricious char- 

 acter corruption tolerated. persecution of french- 

 men encampments. branciforte's character. azan- 



za viceroy. effect of european wars on colonial 



trade and manufactures. threatened revolt. mar- 



quina viceroy revolt in jalisco. iturrigaray vice- 

 roy. godoy's corruption war. defences against the 



united states miranda humboldt. mexico taxed 



for european wars ferdinand vii. napoleon in spain 



king joseph bonaparte. iturrigaray arrested. 



garibay viceroy. 



The Marques de Branciforte, 

 LIII. Viceroy of New Spain. 

 1794_1798. 



The Marques Branciforte, who reached Mexico on the 11th of 

 July, 1794, contrasts unfavorably, in history, with his illustrious 

 predecessor Revilla-Gigedo. Partaking of the avaricious qualities 

 of this personage's father, he seems to have possessed but few of 

 his virtues, and probably accepted the viceroyalty of New Spain 

 with no purpose but that of plunder. 



Scarcely had he begun to reign, when his rapacity was signally 

 exhibited. It is said that his first essay in extortion, was the sale 

 of the sub- delegation of Villa- Alta to a certain Don Francisco Ruiz 

 de Conejares, for the sum of forty thousand dollars, and the 

 bestowal of the office of apoderado on the Count de Contramina, 

 the offices of whose subordinates were bought and sold in the po- 

 litical market like ordinary merchandise. 



At this epoch the warlike hostility to France was excessive, and 

 orders had been received to exercise the strictest vigilance over the 

 subjects of that nation who resided in Mexico. Their number, 

 however, was small, for Spanish America was almost as closely 



