What will at a later period constitute incalculable wealth for Paraguay are its lands and forests: it will derive a very considerable revenue from them. More than half of the surface of the territory is public property, comprising immense forests of timber, of the most varied and valued kinds, within reach of navigable rivers. These lands at present are of little value; but they will speedily acquire a much greater, for the president has adopted a very wise system of disposing of them, viz., granting them to applicants at a perpetual ground-rent of five per cent. on the amount at which they are valued by competent persons. This plan will greatly facilitate their sale.
[115] The consular government opened the world to men who had been separated from it for thirty years, through the complete isolation in which Francia kept the country; internal communications and relations, which were limited to the most indispensable acts of material life, were relieved from the dangers and obstacles which tended to restrict and paralyse them. Access to Stapua was permitted to every one who desired to betake himself to that market, and navigation to all who desired to export the produce of the country. The idea and the hope of seeing commerce spring up anew, alone sufficed to reanimate the spirits and awaken the minds of men long benumbed under an oppressive yoke.
This renewal of hope and labour was, in a great measure, due to the encouragement given to the consular government. There were families fallen into a state of poverty bordering on utter destitution; the government came to their assistance by causing to be distributed amongst them more than three thousand head of cattle; and in goods, instruments, and tools, to the value of more than twenty-two thousand dollars. They were thus set up again, and enabled to resume their labours.
[116] The administration of justice at Paraguay is as simple as it naturally ought to be with a people whose civil relations are few in number and little complicated; but the increase of property and the complication of relations will require tribunals more learnedly organized. What the consular government did sufficed to create legal order, and put an end to the reign of force and arbitrary sway, which the Dictator had substituted for the rule of justice; but in criminal trials an innovation was introduced, which, although imperfect, will be perfected in time, when education has made greater advance, and which will incontestably serve as a basis for the institution of the jury, the source of so many benefits. It was ordained, that in order to pronounce criminal sentences, the judge should associate with himself two individuals, drawn by lot out of a list previously made. The confiscations under the Dictator, the enormous fines which he imposed, and which were equivalent to confiscation, had reduced a great number of families to misery; the consular government restored such property as yet existed, and adjudged some indemnities for those which had been disposed of; the rural estates which had been applied to the public service, and which it would not have been convenient to withdraw, were purchased from the former and legitimate possessors. This striking act of equity alone completed a revolution in the social and administrative order of Paraguay.
[117] The government which succeeded Francia’s despotism, and of which M. Lopez was the head, did not allow the least sign of blame or disapprobation of the Dictator’s conduct to transpire. It would indeed have been useless, and have set a bad example, to abuse his memory and awaken a remembrance of irreparable evils.
From the death of the Dictator to the installation of the consulate, all persecution, as well as the sanguinary executions and fusillades, so common during Francia’s tyrannical sway, had ceased. But the political prisoners, to the number of more than 600, had not been released, with four or five exceptions, and suffered the same evils in the dungeons and casemates. When the consuls, however, were elected, they released all these political prisoners, and sent them to their families. It was a significant act. It showed to all that the reign of cruelty and terror had given place in the counsels of the government to principles of mildness and sound policy. It was natural that the agents and employés of the Dictator should have inspired resentments and profound hatred by the pitiless way in which they had executed the orders they had received; and complaints did begin to be heard against some of the officials for the abuse they had made of their authority.
[118] From the crowd of rank and fashion, I had a good opportunity of observing the costumes. The limited intercourse between this part of South America and other lands has, of late years, degenerated to almost entire seclusion. It would, therefore, be unreasonable to expect the inhabitants could procure dresses of equal beauty to those of more favoured nations. But the country manufactures of which the garments were principally formed, though comparatively coarse, were very elaborately worked by hand, and, consequently, infinitely dearer than female attire of the same quality in Europe. For example, a small coarse towel, or napkin, embroidered or worked all round by hand, was worth a doubloon, or ounce of gold, equal, nearly, to four pounds sterling.—Robertson.
[119] The Pacific Steam Navigation Company under contract with Her Majesty’s Government for the conveyance of the mails semi-monthly between Panama and Valparaiso, in connection with the Royal Mail Steam Packet Company, have now on the West Coast of South America the following steam-ships, viz:—
| Lima | 1,100 | tons | and | 400 | horse power |
| Bogota | 1,100 | ” | ” | 400 | ” |
| Santiago | 1,000 | ” | ” | 400 | ” |
| Bolivia | 800 | ” | ” | 280 | ” |
| New Granada | 600 | ” | ” | 200 | ” |
| Valdivia | 700 | ” | ” | 180 | ” |
| Osprey | 300 | ” | ” | 100 | ” |
The distance steamed annually is about 200,000 miles, and the number of intermediate ports touched at on the coasts of New Granada, Equador, Peru, Bolivia, and Chili, between the termini, is about 13. The company have also a contract with the Government of Chili for the conveyance of mails monthly between Valparaiso and Chili, as mentioned in the text.