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[Inclosure A.]
Mr. Nelson to Mr.
Lafragua.
Legation of the United States, Mexico, September 4,
1872.
Sir: I have the honor to inclose, for the
information of the Mexican government, a copy of a letter from Dr.
A. M. Boyd, one of the American colonists at Tuxpan, dated
[Page 459]
the 5th of April last, in
which he states facts connected with the progress of American
immigration and enterprise in that region, which will, I doubt not,
be read with interest by your excellency. I would respectfully call
the attention of your excellency to the statements contained in this
letter concerning the high duties on machinery imported from the
United States for the sugar-plantations near Tuxpan, and the
depressing effect of said high duties upon that important and
rapidly increasing branch of industry.
It would be very satisfactory to me could a remedy be found for this
impediment to the prosperity of the American colony at Tuxpan.
I am, &c,
[Inclosure B.]
Mr. Boyd to Mr.
Nelson.
My Dear Sir: Again I take the liberty to
address you on a subject of much importance to our countrymen
settled in this valley as emigrants.
For the past three or four years emigration to this place has been of
little importance, from the fact that nearly all were poor, and
consequently not able to import anything of importance into the
country, but now a better class of people and men of capital are
coming, who desire to bring machinery and implements of industry,
for the purpose of cultivating, manufacturing, and exporting sugar.
I am agent for a large manufactory of cane-machinery in Buffalo, New
York, also for the only American vessels making regular trips from
here to the United States, and will soon have another and more
important and extensive agency for importing and exporting from this
port to New York.
What our people complain of is the high rate of duty collected by the
federal government of Mexico on machinery and implements of
industry, intended to advance the agricultural as well as the
commercial interests of the country. A case which I will relate to
you will illustrate the fact.
Judge M. Munson, of Houston, Texas, some time since purchased on the
Tuxpan River a tract of land, and shipped out a fine engine and
machinery for a sugar-farm; the duties which he paid to the
custom-house were upwards of $400, the machinery being second-hand.
By the last trip of his schooner he sent out an engineer to put the
mill up, and the latter brought with him some old tools, on which I
have paid a duty of over $50. This is very discouraging to
emigration in a country where there are no facilities for making
implements of industry, and what our people desire is, through you
as minister, to lay the facts before the proper authorities, and see
if some more liberal terms cannot be granted to emigrants who design
settling and engaging in the cultivation of sugar. On articles of
luxury it makes no difference; it is only on articles of prime
necessity that we ask the favor of the government. The port of
Tuxpan is destined, at no distant day, to be of importance.
This year not less than 300,000 pounds of sugar will be manufactured
by the Americans in this valley, nearly all of which must be
exported; and more than three times that quantity will be made
another year; besides this, three large firms from New York are
established here, trading in the products of the country and
exporting them to the United States. Don Manuel G. Tello, our
custom-house collector, has shown me a letter from Mr. Romero,
minister of hacienda of Mexico, stating that liberal provisions were
pending before congress in favor of emigration. Mr. Tello is a
gentleman of liberal and progressive ideas, and is doing all in his
power to aid emigration and procure, if possible, some easier and
more permanent system of procuring land, which is another serious
obstacle, all the available lands being in the hands of a company
who refuse to sell or give any permanent guarantee. Capitalists are
unwilling to invest their means on such lands.
By every mail I receive letters from parties making inquiry for lands
in the Tuxpan Valley, to which I can give no satisfactory answer.
These obstructions removed, with liberal emigration laws, we should
have a port second to none in the republic in a few years.
By referring these requests to Mr. Romero, or to the authorities to
whom it properly belongs, you will confer another solid favor on
many Americans laboring under difficulties.
For many former favors at your hands,
I am, &c,
