nations since the 1st of January, 1889, shall pay the following
specific duties:
Kilogs.
Red Indian dwarf pepper $ 09
" " in powder 14
Almonds 06
" without the shell 11
Canary seed 05
Filberts 04
Prussian blue, for laundresses 01
Car riggings and cordages, indian cane 06
Cocoa 12
" in powder 16
Coffee, grain 08
" powder 24
Chicory 06
Chocolate 30
Indian rockets 40
Preserved vegetables 16
Preserved eatables of all sorts 25
Kerseymere 28
Baize 31
Dry fruits, dainties 40
Fruit syrups 25
Pickled fruits 10
"Farina" 01
Vermicelli, in general 08
Flannel and wool cloth 75
Wool and cotton flannel 62
Cotton flannel 28
Brandy fruits 10
Cotton sail-cloth 25
Iron, bars, plates, joists and rails 01
Galvanized iron, _idem_ 15
Cakes, pastry 16
Lard 14
Soap, in general 08
Hams 24
Cotton white cloth 15-1/2
Butter 35
Nuts 03
Preserved peaches 05
Oysters, lobsters 16
Brown waste paper 05
Raisins. 05
Pickled fish 07
" in bottles or tin boxes. 10
Pickled dry fish, in casks 05
" in bottles or tin boxes 08
Red cayenne pepper 08
Pepper 10
" in powder 16
Cheeses 25
Sausage 40
Tea 25
Candles 14
Vinegar 03
Yerba mate, from Paraguay 5-1/2
Glazed cotton 28
Dry vegetables, beans, French beans,
lentils, etc. 05
Art. 2. The specific duties on common wines, in casks, will be 6 per
cent. the litre. Etc., etc.
New Laws on Specific Duties.
ARTICLE 1.
Per kilog.
Havana cigars. $6.00
Cigars of all sorts 3.00
Cigarettes 6.00
Tobacco, black or chewing tobacco 50
Tobacco, in general 1.00
Bitters, brandy, whiskey, etc., that are
not over 20 degrees, per litre 37
The same, in bottles, from 51 centilitres
to 1 litre, per bottle 37
Spirits, in casks, per litre 37
The same, in bottles, from 51 centilitres
to 1 litre, per bottle 37
The same, in larger or smaller bottles, in
proportion with the capacity
Vermouth, fernet, in casks, per litre 37
The same, in bottles, etc., per bottle 37
The same, in larger or smaller bottles,
etc., etc.
Beer, in casks, per litre 16
The same, in bottles, etc., per bottle 16
The same, in larger or smaller bottles, etc.
Per kilog.
Matches $1.30
Preserved vegetables, fish and meat 30
Refined sugar 6
Sugar, without refining 5
Cheese, in general 38
ARTICLE 2.
Per litre.
Artificial wines, besides the duty already
existing on common wines in casks 3
According to another law, January 19, 1891, the following goods pay
specific duties:
Per 100 kilogs.
Wheat $ .80
Corn 1.35
Corn flour 2.70
Lucerne, forage 1.00
According to the same law (Article 3) the sulphate of copper,
destined to agriculture, is free from all duty.
* * * * *
The law of August 27, 1891, says:
Article 1. The specific duty charged on all foreign brandy, when
its alcoholic strength is not over 20 degrees, shall be $13.60
per litre. If the alcoholic strength be over 20 degrees, each
additional degree shall pay 68.1000.
The duty on the brandy manufactured in the country is raised to
$13.20 per litre, whatever may be its strength.
Article 2. The duty on vermouth, brandy, bitters, artificial
wines (3 and 12 cents per litre) is abolished.
Bitters, whiskey, vermouth (not being over 20 degree), shall be
31 cents per litre.
The same, in bottles from 51 centilitres to 1 litre, also 31
cents per litre.
The same, in larger or smaller bottles, in proportion.
Spirits, in casks, per litre 31
The same, in bottles, per bottle 31
The same, in larger or smaller bottles, in proportion.
Vermouth, fernet, in casks, per litre 31
The same, in bottles, etc., per bottle 31
The same, in larger or smaller bottles, in proportion.
* * * * *
Article 3. The Executive Power may oblige the brandy manufacturers to
employ the Tiermen-Halske counters, or others.
Article 4. Are free from duty the liquors the grocers make themselves
with peaches or cherries.
Exports.
The law of January 30, 1888, says:
Article 1. All natural products, fruits and goods manufactured in the
country are free of all export duty.
Article 2. Are excepted undressed stone, sand and live-stock.
* * * * *
Another law of October 4, 1890, has created the following export
duties:
ARTICLE 2.
Per 100 kilogs.
Wool, in general $1.80
Woolly skins 80
Hair 1.79
Fat, tallow, oils 50
Corned meat 40
Preserved meat and tongues 1.00
Clutches 25
Ashes and bones, per 1,000 kilogs 60
Artificial manure, per 1,000 kilogs. 60
Salted hides (oxen and cows), each 25
Dry " " " " 12
Salted hides (horses), each 12
Dry " " " 6
" " (calves), per 100 kilogs. 1.00
Hides (seals), each 16
Horns, per 1,000 2.50
Extract of meat, per kilog. 10
Law on Immigration.
Among other articles the law on immigration of June 12th, 1890, says:
Article 2. The consular agents must give all the information, notices
and references, the immigrants, agents of navigation companies, or
other persons whoever, may ask them about legislation, statistics and
general situation of the Republic.
Art. 3. The agents shall not receive, on pain of being destituted,
any particular retribution for the services the present law imposes
on them, or those that any future law may impose on them.
Art. 7. Is considered as an immigrant every honest workman who comes
to the Republic on board any steamer or vessel, with a second or
third class passage, with the intention of fixing here his residence.
Art. 8. Every immigrant on his landing will enjoy the following
favors:
1. Introduction, free from all duty, of his luggage, linen,
furniture, tools or agricultural machines.
2. Disembarking of all his luggage without anything to pay.
3. All the necessary information is gratuitously taken for him, so as
to provide him with the kind of work he has chosen.
The immigrants with their passage paid by the Government have a right:
1. To be lodged and fed during the first eight days.
2. To be taken over gratuitously with his luggage to the place in the
national territory he has chosen for his residence.
These last benefits may also be granted by the executive power to the
spontaneous immigration.
Art. 10. The immigrant will prove his good conduct and aptness to
work by a certificate gratuitously given to him by the consular agent
of the port from which he sailed, and duly legalized by the consular
authority of his own country.
Art. 24. All ships coming here with immigrants will enjoy all the
possible exemptions of taxes.
Art. 25. As a compensation to the anterior article, the immigrants
bound for the Oriental Republic will enjoy on board the ships the
very same treatment, as regards the food, lodging and comfort, as the
immigrants going to other ports in the River Plate.
Art 33. A special inspector shall look carefully over the gratuitous
disembarking of the immigrants and their luggage.
Art. 34. He will accompany them until they be put into possession
of their luggage, taking good care lest any one should ask them any
retribution in the "Immigrants' Hotel."
Art. 36. In case of serious illness, contracted during the journey,
their lodging, maintenance and medical assistance shall be at the
expenses of the State, even if the eight days granted by the law have
passed.
Articles 37, 38 and 40, inclusive, stipulate that the Immigration
and Agricultural Board shall attend to all the necessities of the
national industry by placing all the immigrants who will submit
themselves to this law: That it will note down in a special register
the names of all workmen, ploughmen, etc., in search of work; that
it will by all means try to place them advantageously; that it will
mediate, if it be required, in all contracts, and take good care lest
the patrons should not observe them faithfully.
In no case at all shall the Immigration and Agricultural Board
receive any commission or retribution whatever.
In case it be necessary to send the immigrant over to some other
department the travel would be at the expense of the State.
Historical Sketch.
(A COMPILATION.)
Four years after the River Plate was discovered by Juan Diaz de
Solis, Hernando de Magallanes, following the same route as the
former, went up the River Plate and discovered part of the rivers
Uruguay, Guazu and Parana. But as he could not find the channel,
which, he thought, ought to lead him to the East Indies, he soon came
back and sailed southward, discovering afterwards the strait.
In the year 1527, Sebastian Gaboto who had travelled over the Rivers
Uruguay, Parana and Paraguay, built the first fort on the coast of
the River San Salvador at a short distance from the Uruguay, so as to
defend himself against the Indians who peopled the territory that now
belongs to the Republic.
Then began the first essays of colonization made by the Spaniards,
notwithstanding all kinds of difficulties and fights against the
Indians who, with great constance and heroism, went on defending the
land that was theirs.
In the year 1550, Irala sends from the Asuncion a few people over to
the Oriental territory; and the first settlement is there founded, on
the banks of the river San Juan, with the name of San Juan Bautista.
Two years after the settlers gave up the place and went away, on
account of the increasing attacks of the Indians which they could not
resist.
In the year 1574, Zarate had a new fort built in the very same place
where Gaboto in 1527 had already built one and gave it the name of
San Salvador. Two years later, the settlers had to go away for want
of resources and on account of the continuous wars with the natives.
In the year 1624, Fray Bernardo de Guzman began founding a new
settlement, the most ancient one in the Republic, called Santo
Domingo de Soriano, two leagues distant from the mouth of the Black
River, Rio Negro.
In 1680 was founded Colonia del Sacramento, by Don Manuel de Lobo,
the governor of Janeiro.
In 1724 the field-marshal, Don Bruno Mauricio de Zabala, founded the
town of Montevideo.
From that time many more towns and important settlements went on
being founded. In 1762, Villa de San Carlos, in 1763, the town of
Maldonado, in 1778, Villa de San Juan Bautista, now Santa Lucia,
1782, the settlement of Paysandu, in 1783, Minas and in 1793, Rocha.
Early in the nineteenth century, the question of dominion was finally
settled in favor of the Spaniards; and in the mean time, in spite of
wars, the Banda Oriental was being peopled and civilization continued
to advance. In the central districts, as well as on the coasts of
the Atlantic and of the large rivers, the Spaniards had founded many
small towns and ports, the most important of which was Montevideo.
In the early days of the Spanish settlements in these regions, the
whole of the River Plate district was included in the Viceroyalty
of Peru. Subsequently a separate viceroyalty was created in Buenos
Ayres and the Banda Oriental, which had been subject to the Colonial
Government of Paraguay, was transferred to that of Buenos Ayres. At
the beginning of the century, Montevideo was ruled by a military and
political governor appointed by the Crown of Spain. Since the year
1730, Montevideo had a _Cabildo_ or Municipality.
Soriano, Maldonado, Colonia and other places were subject to
military commands and also had their own cabildos. The population
of Montevideo was then about 15,000 inhabitants; the same number of
people existed in the interior of the province.
At the beginning of the century Montevideo already possessed a
gratuitous school, paid by private persons, and also primary schools,
under the care of friars of the Order of St. Francis; it had a
comedy hall, had finished giving names to all its streets, and
established the light service in the principal ones; and its cabildo
or municipality, listening to the proposals made by the Governor
Bustamante y Guerra, was already thinking of providing the town
with a good hygiene service, with pavement, with causeways, with a
regular drinkable water service, with a public washing place, with
a complete service for the cleaning and conservation of the port,
with the building of bridges over the Miguelete, Paso del Molino and
Arroyo Seco, designing for the public municipal service the amount
of $47,600, which would be taken from the product of the cattle
outbidding sales for the slaughterhouses during the years 5th and 6th.
Undoubtedly the administration of the Governors Bustamante y Guerra
and Ruiz Huidobio was an era of prosperity for Montevideo (1797 to
1807). Uruguay had lived under despotism until those governors came
and raised it to the very rank it deserved by its topographical
position and natural riches.
Such was the situation of Montevideo when took place the English
invasions in the River Plate.
On the 27th of June, 1806, Buenos Ayres fell to the power of the
expedition commanded by Berresford and Popham.
Montevideo, with all its war elements and all the popular elements
enrolled in the very moment, succeeded in reconquering Buenos Ayres.
The first English invasion was repelled. A new attack of the English
gave as a result the taking of Montevideo after a furious fight on
the 3d of February, 1807.
Seven months later the English had to withdraw from Montevideo after
the defeat suffered in Buenos Ayres by General Whitelock, who, on
capitulating, had to surrender Montevideo and all other places
occupied by his troops.
On the 25th of May, 1810, the people in Buenos Ayres gave the
first decisive step for the conquering of the independence of this
continent.
The Governor and Municipality of Montevideo did not join then the
movement.
The Junta or Revolutionary Committee, established in Buenos Ayres,
sends regular troops to the Banda Oriental. General Don Jose G.
Artigas commands the Oriental troops.
After various encounters and fights that were all favorable to the
Revolution, the Spanish power was forever destroyed in the River
Plate, on the 23d of June, 1814.
General Artigas does all he can that the Banda Oriental be one of the
confederate provinces among the united ones of the River Plate. There
occur some difficulties and the general government is obliged to
surrender Montevideo, and the troops retire on the 23d of February,
1815.
The Portuguese, who greedily sought after possessing this territory,
invades it then with a powerful army. Fortune is first favorable
to them; and, on the 20th of January, 1817, General Lecor takes
possession of Montevideo and other places, giving to the Banda
Oriental the name of Cisplatine State (Estado Cisplatino).
The Brazilians part from the crown of Portugal, and after they have
declared themselves independent the new Cisplatine state becomes a
dependence of the Brazilian empire, the troops of which enter into
Montevideo on the 28th of February, 1824, and take possession of the
whole land.
Some emigrated Orientals, residing in Buenos Ayres, do all that they
possibly can so as to conquer again their independence and native
country.
They join the few elements they can dispose of and on the 19th of
April, 1825, thirty-three fearless patriots, under the command of
the Oriental General D. Juan Antonio Lavalleja, tread the shore of
the Agraciada, near Nueva Palmira, and with the device, "_Libertad o
Muerte_" (Liberty or Death), written on the national flag, begin the
heroic campaign--the liberating expedition to which the whole country
joins.
The first encounters were favorable to the Oriental arms. General
Lavalleja convokes the people for the electing of Deputies, and in
the Villa de la Florida establishes itself the Deputy Chamber, which,
on the 25th of August, 1825, sanctions--giving the strength of a
law--the Declaration of the Independence of the River Plate Oriental
Province.
The Brazilians complain to the Argentine government on account of the
decided protection it had given to the Oriental Revolution, and a war
ensues between both nations that obliges the Argentines to send an
auxiliary army to this territory.
The struggle went on, being a series of victories for the united
republican arms: the Imperial power was defeated, the last encounter,
that put that memorable campaign to an end, taking place in Bacacay.
Negotiations of peace were undertaken, and on the 27th of August,
1828, the preliminary treaty was signed, by which the Oriental
Province of Uruguay was declared sovereign and independent.
A provisional government was appointed and, after the country had
recovered peace and quiet, a constituent and legislative Assembly was
elected which compiled and published the Constitution that nowadays
is still ruling, and that was solemnly sworn amid the greatest
popular joy on the 18th of July, 1830.
It was at this period that a man rose into note in the Argentine
Confederation who was destined to exercise an overshadowing and
pernicious influence on both sides of the River Plate. In 1829 Don
Juan Manuel Rosas became Governor of Buenos Ayres. Possessed of
great capacity he maintained tranquility in his native province and
extended his sway over the neighboring states of the Confederation;
but his system of government was despotic, and his rule was for some
years one of sanguinary terror. His intervention in the intestine
quarrels of the Republic of Uruguay, and his attempt to close the
River Parana to foreign vessels, led him into hostilities with
England and France, whose joint naval squadrons protected Montevideo
from his attacks by sea, whilst his troops and their Oriental allies,
under General Oribe, besieged the city. The siege of Montevideo by
the _Blancos_ or _Whites_, as the Oriental partizans of Oribe were
called, continued for nine years, and for that period, from 1843 to
1851, the history of the Republic of Uruguay is the history of the
defence of Montevideo.
The defence concluded with a treaty of peace on the 8th of October,
1851, in which it was declared that there were neither conquered or
conquerors.
On the 3rd of February in the following year, Rosas himself was
completely overthrown at Monte Caseros, near Buenos Ayres, by the
combined forces of Brazil, Oriental Republic and the Argentines in
revolt under the governor of Entre Rios General Justo Jose Urquiza,
the commander-in-chief of the allied army. From that date, when the
normal intercourse of Montevideo with Buenos Ayres and the riverain
ports of the Uruguay and Parana, as well as with the interior of
the Republic itself and with Brazil, was resumed, the Oriental
Republic may be said to have recommenced its national existence.
Whilst her material progress has continued with little intermission,
her political history during the last thirty or forty years has
been again chequered by many internal troubles and domestic events,
one too recent, the others too insignificant to be included in
the present historical sketch. But the old parties, _Blanco_ and
_Colorado_, have long since been transformed; and at the same time
that new rivalries and new parties were coming out, the hatreds and
exclusive passions of the ancient times have all disappeared; the
constant communication with Europe, and the general influence of a
newer education and of different ideas is permeating all classes
in the capital, and gradually extending to the rural districts,
where foreigners are introducing the habits and industrial methods
of European countries: all which, owing to the national culture
and civilization permits to count for the future with a complete
stability in the institutions and government of the country, this
stability being the strongest wish of all the parties, whilst it is
also the best and most solid warranty of the progress and increase of
the Oriental Republic of Uruguay.
[Illustration: CARTA GEOGRAFICA]
* * * * *
Transcriber's note:
"++ PLEASE NOTE MAP." The ++indicates the hand symbol with finger
pointing right.
Text enclosed by underscores is in italics (_italics_).
Small capital text has been replaced with all capitals.
Variations in spelling, punctuation and hyphenation have been
retained except in obvious cases of typographical error.
The cover for the eBook version of this book was created by the
transcriber and is placed in the public domain.
Page 16: "1891 104,945 8,74 291". There is a missing digit - the
transcriber has added "5" to make 8,745.
Page 25: The transcriber has supplied the closing round bracket in
the following: The plantations are 80 hectares, planted with vines
(the plants are 2 and 3 years old); three millions of vine-shoot ...
Page 25: The ^ followed by a number indicates a superscripted number.
Example: 1^m 80 high, by 0^m thick.