50 



INCIDENTS OF TRAVEL. 



Kilgour, a British subject, refused to pay. The au^ 

 thorities had orders to give him his passport to leave the 

 state. Don Pedro Negrete, as vice-consul of France, 

 Encargado de la Ingelterra, presented a remonstrance. 

 The vice-president's answer (in part but too true), as it 

 contains the grounds of the law, and shows the state 

 of feeling existing at the time, I give in his own words : 



" Strangers in these barbarous countries, as they call 

 them, ought not to expect to have the advantage of be- 

 ing protected in their property without aiding the gov- 

 ernment in it. We are poor, and if, in any of the con- 

 vulsions which are so frequent in new countries that 

 have hardly begun their political career, strangers suf- 

 er losses, they at once have recourse to their govern- 

 ments, that the nations in which they come to speculate, 

 not without knowledge of the risks, pay them double or 

 treble of what they have lost. This is unjust in every 

 point of view, when they do not care with a slight loan 

 to aid the government in its most urgent necessities. 

 What ought the government to do ? to tell them, 6 Away 

 with you, I cannot secure your property ; or, lend me a 

 certain sum in order to enable me to secure it.' On the 

 other hand, if it happens that a strong party or faction, 

 as it is called, prevails, and falls upon your property the 

 same as upon the property of the sons of the country and 

 the public rents, and you complain to your nation, she 

 comes and blockades our ports, and makes the poor na- 

 tion pay a thousand per cent." 



Mr. Mercer, a French merchant, was absent at the 

 time of enforcing the contributions. Don Pedro was 

 his agent under a power of attorney, and had charge of 

 his goods, and refused to pay. The government insist- 

 ed ; Don Pedro was determined. The government 

 sent soldiers to his house. Don Pedro said he would 



