receipts are still more meagre than for preceding years.[1] There was little or no change in commercial regulations; but the governor showed a disposition to enforce the orders of 1828 making Monterey and — provisionally — San Diego the only ports free to foreign vessels; and allowing such vessels to trade at the other ports only by special license and under strict precautions; that is, in a few instances a trader might carry goods duly examined and listed at Monterey or San Diego to other ports for sale by paying the expense of a guard to remain on board and watch each transaction.[2] Something very like a custom-house was therefore maintained at Monterey and San Diego, each under a comisario subalterno, Osio and later Jimeno Casarin at the capital, and Juan Bandini in the south.[3] A treaty between Mexico and England, by which English and Mexican vessels were put upon terms of equality in respect of duties, was forwarded from San Blas in July; but I find no evidence that the document had any effect in California.[4]
- ↑ Custom-house records seem to make the total receipts at S. Diego $117,267 for the year. Dept. St. Pap., Ben. Cust.-H., MS., i. passim. Total revenue at S. Francisco to May 31st, $1,177; at San Diego, $2,000. In December for S. F., $1,264; for S. Diego in August, $826. Dept. St. Pap., Ben. Mil., lxix. 27-9. Gale states in a letter to Cooper, of May 10th, that the duties on the Brookline's cargo were $31,000, of which $26,000 have been paid. Vallejo, Doc., xxix. 354.
- ↑ Gov.'s instructions of various dates. Dept. Rec., MS., vii. 14, 81, 100-1, 116; Dept. St. Pap., MS., ii. 94-5. July 29th, min. of hacienda on the details of clearing national vessels for the coasting trade. Vallejo, Doc. Hist. Cal., MS., i. 180.
- ↑ St. Pap., Sac., MS., xix. 46-7. Rather strangely, Gen. Vallejo, not only in his Hist. Cal., but as early as 1837, Exposicion, MS., 5-6; Doc. Hist. Cal., MS., iv. 290, represents the regular custom-house as having been established at S. Diego, and not at Monterey; but there is abundant evidence to the contrary in contemporary documents. April 4, 1829, sup. govt allows state authorities to appoint customs visitadores at S4.50 per day on federal account. Arrillaga, Recop., 1829, 56-7 July 20th, Mex. custom-house regulations. Id., 1833, 562-6. Sept. 29th, regulations on ships' manifests, etc. Id., 1829, 245-9. Sept. 30th, decree ordering the establishment of a maritime custom-house in Alta California, under a visitador, subject to the com. gen. de Occidente. The president has appointed Rafael Gonzalez administrator; Jimeno Casarin as contador; Francisco Pacheco, comandante of the guard; and Mauricio Gonzalez, guarda, at salaries of $1,000, $800, and $450. Id., 1829, 249-51; Doblan and Lozano, Leg. Mex., ii. 175-6; Mexico, Mem. Hac., 1831, annex 9, p. 48.
- ↑ July 17, 1829, José María Lista, S. Blas, to captain of the port of Monterey. Dept. St. Pap., MS., ii. 94.
