14. The five new provincial railways voted last session, and bids to be opened in July. 15. New national-bank building 16. Catalina wharf... 17. Port Wise tram-way 18. Ensenada port works. 19. Suburban roads... 20. New prison... 21. New lazaretto 22. Belgrano gas and water works. 23. Independencia tram-way 24. Extension Western Railway to Boca.. Number of hands. 5,000 200 200 100 300 500 200 200 200 100 100 15,800 At the period of this almost magic progress there is a similar increased demand for articles of North American production. The imports of lumber, kerosene, and starch have apparently doubled, while there is springing up a very promising commerce in American furniture, carriages, street-cars, glass-ware, and many other articles of manufac ture. The obstructions to the development of this commerce with the States, to which I wish to ask attention, are, not to speak of the waut of direct steam communication First, the necessity that all freight sent by steamer from New York to the river Plate must be landed at Rio, pay various custom-house charges, and pass a tedious custom house process. Even those houses of business that have responsible agents at Rio have their goods delayed there from two to four months. Six months is not an unusual delay for packages of valuable articles that had been shipped by steamer in hope of a quick arrival. I know a merchant who has been for fifteen months endeavoring to obtain a package of pictures that came by steamer from New York. The expense on merchandise in the Rio custom-house is often greater than the total freight from New York to Buenos Ayres. Could not an arrangement be made by the intervention of our diplomatic or consular representatives by which this delay and expense could be avoided? The second obstruction is the neglect and refusal of the United States mail line of steamers from New York to Rio to encourage the quick passage of freight and mails to the river Plate. As an instance of this, as it seems to me, gross neglect by that company to do what it can to foster the commercial and manufacturing interests of the country from which it is receiving a large subsidy, an American merchant, doing business in this city, was in Rio during the month of June last. He called on the agent of the company and proposed to place a man on board each steamer, when it arrived, to take charge of packages as they came out of the hold, and remove them to a steamer bound for the river Plate; all this at his own expense, he also proposing himself to obtain permission for this arrangement from the Brazilian authorities. Mr. Carrire, the agent, promptly refused to grant the privilege. My informant then said, "But, Mr. Carrire, you ought to do this to encourage commercial intercourse between the States and the river, and you would also augment largely thereby your carrying-trade." To this Mr. Carrire replied: "We do not want to encourage intercourse. We have all the business we want." I am informed, though I know not as to its correctness, that this company is engaged largely in the coffee trade. If this is so, it would seem that the company is using the gratuity of the Government for its own commercial benefit, to the neglect of our general commerce and manufacturing interests. When the steamer from New York arrived at Rio on the 20th day of January last with the United States mail, the steamer Galatea, bound for Buenos Ayres, was there at anchor, and it remained for eighteen hours after the arrival of the American steamer. Passengers for this city were transshipped. The naval mail was taken on shore by the naval agent, overhauled, and the package for Rear-Admiral Taylor was forwarded, arriving here on January 26; but the United States mail, with that of the Department of State, was neglected, and did not reach Buenos Ayres until February 5. It is true that the Galatea is not a regular mail-steamer, but it is also true that it belongs to a line, Lamport & Holt's, the steamers of which always carry the mails free of charge, both for the English and other governments. This is a fact generally known. The agent of the line in this city assures me that they are always glad to bring the mails from Rio without charge. A very little trouble on the part of our mail-agent on board the American steamer would have avoided this very unfortunate delay. Mr. Andrew Spring, a very prominent merchant of Portland, Maine, came to Rio on the American steamer Merrimack, leaving New York in October. He informs me that the favorite subject of conversation of the mailagent, who is also an officer of the boat, was his disgust at having to take charge of the United States mail, habitually cursing the mails and the Government. I mention these points to show the spirit with which the company performs the Government mail-service in return for its bounty. This unreasonable and unnecessary delay of the mail is not a solitary instance, but has become a custom, and is a subject of frequent and disagreeable paragraphs in the papers of this city. I will not speak of the extreme annoyance and possible serious loss which this delay causes to all persons living here who are interested in the United States mail, but respectfully ask attention to the certain injury to American commerce and manufactures. If the mail could arrive regularly and promptly, it would enable merchants to place a greater confidence in their transactions with their correspondents in the States, and consequently increase the amount of those transactions. If small packages of merchandise, and especially samples, could be sent by steamer without delay at Rio, it would cause a very large increase of orders for certain classes of goods, and create a market for many articles that are now practically excluded from these countries. It would immediately be the means of causing a large subscription to North American periodicals and books, and, by means of their advertisement, bring our productions before the large English-speaking community here. American periodicals are, as a rule, much better adapted to the wants and tastes of this community than those of any other nation; but several efforts of news agents here to establish a subscription for them have failed, solely through the delay and failure of reception. I am, &c., DEXTER E. CLAPP, NOTE. I regret that I have not been able to give the above dispatch a careful revision. The press of regular work in both the consulate and legation have prevented my giving any time to it except late night hours. No. 34.] No. 8. Mr. Clapp to Mr. Hunter. UNITED STATES LEGATION, Buenos Ayres, April 15, 1873. (Received May 21.) SIR: I have the honor to report that General Bartolomé Mitre, haring returned from his mission to Brazil, in which it appears that he has been entirely successful in placing the delicate questions between the two countries, arising out of the Paraguayan alliance, on a satisfactory basis, has been dispatched to Paraguay, with full powers to negotiate the treaty which the above-mentioned alliance contemplates. The Brazilian minister to this country, Baron de Magallaens, has also gone to Paraguay to represent Brazilian interests. I am, &c., No. 9. DEXTER E. CLAPP. No. 10.] Mr. White to Mr. Fish. LEGATION TO THE ARGENTINE REPUBLIC, Buenos Ayres, May 14, 1873. (Received June 21.) SIR: I have the honor to inform the Department that a part of the people of Entre Rios, a state or province of the Argentine Confederation, are in arms against the constituted authorities. In the absence of official information, it is not practicable to state, with certainty, the reasons for this rebellion or outbreak, but public opinion here would indicate that it is directed against the state authorities rather than the federal, and that it is by no means formidable. Troops have been sent to operate against the insurgents, and accounts have been received, stating that a considerable number of them had been attacked and dispersed. From the fact that the President in his annual message to Congress only alluded to the disturbance, to say that it would be made the subject of a special communication, which has not yet been made, it would appear that the government does not deem it of pressing importance. I am, &c., JULIUS WHITE. No. 13.] No. 10. Mr. White to Mr. Fish. LEGATION TO THE ARGENTINE REPUBLIC, Buenos Ayres, June 8, 1873. (Received July 22.) SIR: I respectfully transmit herewith a copy of the message of President Sarmiento to the Congress of this republic at the opening of its present session, and have marked such passages as are deemed noteworthy as showing the advancement of this people in modern civiliza While commentary upon any of the subjects thus designated may be unnecessary, I trust it will not be deemed improper to call the special attention of the Department to the following paragraph of the message: A discussion is pending with Chili upon the Straits of Magellan, and a recent circumstance which might have endangered a peaceable solution of the question was amicably disposed of the very moment it assumed a disagreeable character. Whatever importance may be given to this subject, the governments of Chili and of this Republic, in prevision of any serious difficulty, have established by treaty that the question of boundaries should be submitted to arbitration in the event of a failure by diplomatic means. This honorable method of settling international disputes was adopted only a short time ago by two of the most powerful nations of the earth, and should be imitated, as it was applauded, by all others. This seems to furnish a striking proof of the wisdom which dictated the establishment of the principle that war, with its long train of concomitant evils, may be honorably avoided in most, if not all cases, by reference of disputed questions between nations to the award of disinterested parties. The history of the Spanish-American states exhibits among their peoples a keen sensitiveness upon all questions affecting their national honor, or the integrity of their territory, and a strongly marked tendency to belligerency as the proper method of settling them. The prompt adoption of the precedent established by Great Britain and the United States, by people with such tendencies, is, to say the least, a gratifying evidence of the progress of anti-war sentiment, and warrants the hope that this, or similar methods of adjusting differences between civilized nations, may become general. The realization of this hope would constitute at once an era in the history of civilization, and one of the most glorious pages in that of the great nations by whose agency it was accomplished. I have, &c., JULIUS WHITE. [Inclosure.-Translation.] Message of President Sarmiento to the Congress of the Argentine Republic. Messrs. SENATORS AND DEPUTIES: Upon opening the legislative chambers this year I feel much pleasure in saluting the members now present. The recent carrying out of the law relative to the census returns enables us to enter fully upon the representative system. The past year has been remarkable for the peace enjoyed by all nations, and more particularly our own. The benefits of peace may be judged by the increase of prosperity shown by the extraordinary value of land, the accumulation of capitals, the multitude and variety of enterprises set on foot, and the increase of income. It may be said without exaggeration that this is one of the countries which, as far as material progress is concerned, exceeds every other upon the face of the globe. In a separate message the executive purposes laying before the house the attempts at a revolution in Entre Rios, on the 1st of the present month, and the measures adopted to render those attempts abortive. FOREIGN AFFAIRS. Our relations with other governments continue on a footing of friendship, and in that conciliatory spirit which is characteristic of the institutions we enjoy. Various treaties and conventions have been entered into, or are pending your resolutions thereupon, in order that the reciprocal interests involved may obtain a more perfect solution. By means of a diplomatic mission the difficulties with Brazil relative to the practical mode of carrying out the treaty of alliance were satisfactorily terminated; and it is my duty to add that the government of that empire have fully justified our previous assertion, that the incidents which gave rise to the misunderstanding have in nowise diminished the cordiality between that country and the Argentine Confederation. A discussion is pending with Chili upon the Straits of Magellan, and a recent circumstance, which might have endangered a peaceable solution of the question, was amicably disposed of the very moment it assumed a disagreeable character. Whatever importance may be given to this subject the governments of Chili and of this republic, in prevision of any serious difficulty, have established by treaty that the question of boundaries should be submitted to arbitration, in the event of a failure by diplomatic means. This honorable method of settling international disputes was adopted only a short time ago by two of the most powerful nations of the earth, and should be imitated, as it was applauded, by all others. A minister plenipotentiary has been sent to Paraguay for concluding the treaties consequent upon the alliance, and a favorable result is confidently anticipated notwithstanding the revolutionary spirit observable in that republic. With Bolivia little has been done on account of the absence of the minister who commenced the negotiations. It may perhaps be necessary to appoint one to that republic in order that a definite arrangement may be arrived at, everything for the present remaining in statu quo. Quarantine arrangements are in course of discussion with the government of Montevideo, together with others, for the prevention of smuggling. The postal law is in operation with the United States, and that of extradition with Brazil; the postal law with the latter being yet pending, as also the treaty of friendship and commerce with Sweden and Norway for reforms introduced by congress. PUBLIC INSTRUCTIONS. Four thousand pupils are now being educated in what is generally termed primary instruction in the national school. Taking into account, also, the number of children under instruction in private colleges, great advancement in this respect may be said to have been made during the present year. Two of the provinces have claimed the premium of $10,000 accorded to those who succeeded in registering in their respective schools a number of pupils equal to the tenth part of their population. Various provinces have passed laws for the purpose of raising funds of their own in order to dispense with the national subvention, thus becoming independent of so precarious a situation. From an official census, taken with great care, it is shown that 97,549 pupils are under education at 1,645 schools, to which number Buenos Ayers contributes 32,000, and, if those who attend the university, the seminaries, and private colleges be taken into account, the number is then increased to 103,000 Argentines now receiving education. LIBRARIES. A great and pleasing effort, in which the administration has taken an active part, has been made for the purpose of circulating books, the truest and most important food for the mind. One hundred and twelve libraries have been established in various parts of the republic, some so obscure and remote that their very existence may be said to have been revealed thereby. And should this movement continue to increase as hitherto, it may be asserted that every book published in any and every part of the world in the Spanish language will be read three months afterward by the whole population of the republic. By these means we should succeed in bringing the people into direct and immediate contact with human thought in different parts of the world where the Spanish language was employed as the means of conveying it. If this system were generalized throughout Spanish America, it would be impossible to foresee the intellectual progress that would result, facilitating, by a large circulation, a knowledge of the daily advancement of other nations, thus contributing to the common fund of human knowledge. The government, to give an impulse to this system of diffusing instruction, would go so far as to make it a matter of diplomatic convention with the remainder of the Spanish-American republics. The Normal School of Preceptors in Parana has now been established two years, and everything leads to the belief (thanks to the zeal and professional capacities of its director) that, when the studies are terminated, there will be a number of theoretically practical men prepared to impart instruction, the only true basis that should be sought for all republican institutions. The Normal School at Tucuman is in course of construction, and many other public buildings are in preparation and under repair for the purpose of giving greater facility and a wider extension to education generally. The Astronomical Observatory, now terminated, is becoming of importance, having already been the means of furnishing science with new and interesting data. |
