NOTICES OF PERU. 



351 



^^7th. From these general rules is only excepted official 

 correspondence, directed to any of the constituted authorities, 

 which may be delivered directly to them. So soon as the pre- 

 sent decree is inserted in the official gizette, it shall be con- 

 sidered as circulated to the administrators of the post office 

 revenue, to the director-general of marine, to the sub-delegates 

 of that direction, and to captains of ports, that each one re- 

 spectively may take care of the punctual observance of what 

 is in it ordered. 



Given in the palace of the Supreme Government in Lima 

 —4th of June 1822-3. 



(Signed) "Torre Tagle. 

 <^By order of His Excellence, 



"Bernardo Monte AGUDO. 



" Copy — Rio. 



"Arequipa, 1832." 



After reading the decree, I told the captain of the port that 

 such laws were hardly in accordance with the institutions that 

 should adorn a free republic, nor were the reasons set forth in 

 the preamble, very feasible to account for the diminution of 

 the revenue, since it was a natural consequence that corres- 

 pondence must diminish, when commerce was interrupted by 

 war and onerous duties. 



He answered, it was very true ; but, he continued, the object 

 of the decree was not revenue, as set forth, but to prevent the 

 introduction of any gazettes or papers containing articles 

 against General Gamarra or his administration. He stated, 

 that he was authorized to open any letter or packet containing 

 papers, and if they contained any thing that might be con- 

 strued as subversive of the government, to destroy them. He 

 added, that very lately he had burned a large number of papers 

 of that character, forwarded by General La Fuente from Chile, 

 to different persons in Peru. 



I told him how matters are managed in our country, and 

 how free was the expression of public opinion. 



He observed, in reply, You are a different people from us 

 — you are educated, and have been independent for fifty years 



