right to prorogation, when the corresponding operations are not commenced in the three months following the date it is obtained.

VIII. To acquire of individuals, when proper, cultivable lands, either by purchase, cession, or any other kind of contract, in conformity with the rules established for public lands, in paragraph VI.

IX. To provide individuals properties when they apply for them, with the immigrants which can be disposed of, according to contracts in vigor.

X. To consider the colonies as such, and that, during a period of ten years, at the end of which all privileges to cease.

PATENTS-PRIVILEGIO DE INVENCIONES.

The law on patents in the Mexican Republic dates from the 7th May, 1832, but there is a serious project of modifying it to meet the wants of the present generation. The formalities to obtain the protection for an invention in Mexico are so complicated that it requires the assistance of a lawyer (abogado), there being no special patent agent (cost, about $40). There are three kinds of patents: 1st. Patente de Invencion, for ten years; 2d, Patente de Mejora, or perfeccionada, for six years; 3d. Patente de Introduccion, the term at the discretion of Congress.

A demand for a patent has to be published three times in the newspapers, and it is only two months after the first one, that the patent can be delivered, so as to give time for claims or oppositions to be made. The government has not to determine whether an invention or an improvement, or introduction, is useful or not, but only to ascertain if it be not contrary to public security and health, to good order, to the laws of the country, or to local decrees or rules. It can be granted for one or several States, or for the whole country.

When a patent for an improvement is granted to a second party, the original inventor retains all his personal rights and claims.

When patents for inventions or improvements have been obtained under false pretences, or if they be asked for as inventions or improvements whilst they are only introductions, they are null and void.

The reader will obtain a better idea of the extent of the great lines of railroad already built, as well as those now in course of construction, by reference to the map accompanying this work, than he could possibly obtain from any number of pages of mere verbal description.

PRESIDENT BENITO JUAREZ.-MAXIMILIAN'S ATTEMPT TO MAKE HIMSELF EMPEROR.-LOUIS NAPOLEON ATTEMPTS CONSOLIDATION OF LATIN RACE IN AMERICA; HIS SIGNAL FAILURE.-MAXIMILIAN'S DEATH.-CONCLUSION.

BOVE all other countries in the world emanating from a people claiming to be civilized, from the date of the revolution from Spain up to within a few years past, the government of Mexico may be designated as an established anarchy. Such a thing as an established government seemed to be impossible. Although claiming to be a republican government, founded by the people on a writ

ten constitution, in many things resembling that of the United States,

no sooner had one set of men been elected than the defeated partyleaders began to meditate its overthrow, and the assumption of the national authority by themselves; so that the political history of the country became nothing but the history of factions, who with arms in their hands immediately proceeded to put their plan into execution or to create an armed revolution for that purpose; yet strange to see, none of the revolutionary parties declared for an abolition of the republic. Although during some fifty years numerous revolutions became successful, these, of course, were produced by the continual wars of the factions.

It may be readily imagined that this condition of things was an absolute hindrance to the advancement of the country, whether in a political, social, or material point of view. This chronic condition of things in a country periodically thrown into a state of war by a set of adventurous military chieftains-first one and then another seizing the reins of power-continued until the year 1855, when a man of pure Indian blood, Benito Juarez, a lawyer by profession, a man of determined will, of lofty patriotism, and disinterested purity, without any of the vices so common amongst Mexican leaders generally, became elevated to the Presidency, determined to put an end to the anarchy then reigning in his native country, to suppress the exorbitant privileges assumed by the military chieftains of the clerical faction, who had accumulated from one-fourth to one-third of all the property of the republic into their own possession. This he proposed to confiscate to the State by an act of mortmain, as was done in England. He finally established a Constitution which tolerated all religions, the perfect civil equality of citizens, encouraged education, and suppressed the exceptional jurisdiction of the privileged classes.

The dissatisfied military chieftains and the clerical party united in an attempt at his overthrow at a single blow, and inaugurated a civil war, which continued during 1857 and 1858, during which time Juarez and the Mexican Congress retired from the capital, and established the government at the city of Loredo. Thereupon the revolutionary factions at the capital proclaimed Miramon as president of the country; but he, not being able to maintain himself either in the presidency or the country, went to Europe, whereupon Juarez and the Mexican Congress returned to the capital. To Europe also went a number of other military chiefs and aspirants, as well as a whole horde of the clerical party, all of whom immediately commenced preaching a crusade against Mexico as a country and people abandoned by God, and fallen into a complete state of anarchy.

INVASION OF 1861.

673

Unfortunately, while these things were being transacted in Europe, an event took place in Mexico, through the agency of Juarez and his cabinet, which led to great complications with the governments of Spain, England, and France, and finally to important results. Finding the Mexican treasury empty, and a great demand for money, and the only resource from which an immediate supply could be obtained, that of the revenue derived from the duties on imports and exports, collectable at the leading custom-houses of the country, and those pledged for the payment of the interest of the public debt, he and his cabinet felt themselves justified in suspending the payment of the interest for the term of two years, during which the duties which might be collected should be applied to the ordinary expenses of the government.

As was to be expected, this decree gave great dissatisfaction to the foreign bondholders. Thereupon the subjects of Spain, England, and France, who were the holders of Mexican bonds, became clamorous to their respective governments for redress by the enforcement of their claims. After an ineffectual attempt on the part of those governments at obtaining a settlement through the ordinary means of negotiation, they entered into a joint convention to compel the payment of their respective claims by force, agreeing that each should send to Mexico a sufficient naval and military force to compel a compliance with their demands. One of the articles by which the powers agreed to this action on their part was, we confess, somewhat equivocally drawn. It stipulated "that each power was to act in its own interest in enforcing its demands, and that neither of them should attempt to exercise its power so as in any way to influence the freedom of the Mexicans in the choice of the form of government they might choose to establish."

As each power was left free to act for itself, Spain, being impatient of delay, hastened to despatch a naval squadron, accompanied by six thousand land troops, from her ports in Cuba, in advance of expeditions set on foot by France and England. Her forces arrived at Vera Cruz on the eighth of December, 1861, and immediately took possession of and occupied that city without the formality of a declaration of war. One month later, twenty-four hundred French and one thousand English troops landed there. General Prim, who commanded the Spanish part of the expedition, was recognized by the others as commander-in-chief.

A manifesto was published in the name of the three powers, solemnly protesting that the allies entertained no ideas of conquest or intervention in the internal affairs of Mexico. "It is left to you Mexicans," it said, "to settle such a government as you may choose,

upon a solid and durable foundation, without any foreign intervention whatever."

As the yellow fever was then prevailing, by an agreement entered into between the commanders-in-chief of the allies and Mexicans, the combined armies were permitted to occupy the towns of Orizaba, Teluacan, and Cordova, where they were cantoned in a state of truce for some time, during which negotiations were carried on between the representatives of the three powers as well as of Mexico.

At the time the Mexican refugees were preaching over Europe for the re-establishment of monarchy in their country, Napoleon III. was very much inclined to give them a favorable hearing, as he had for some time entertained a dream of interposing in the affairs of the New World, and setting up and consolidating the Latin race thereon in opposition to the Anglo-Saxon. By establishing a monarchy in Mexico, he intended to place a limit to the further progress of the United States westward, as that indomitable nation had already got