Page:Mexico, Aztec, Spanish and Republican, Vol 1.djvu/285

 

CHAPTER XVI.

1794—1808.

 

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BRANCIFORTE VICEROY — HIS GRASPING AND AVARICIOUS CHARACTER — CORRUPTION TOLERATED. — PERSECUTION OF FRENCHMEN — ENCAMPMENTS. — BRANCIFORTE'S CHARACTER. — AZANZA VICEROY. — EFFECT OF EUROPEAN WARS ON COLONIAL TRADE AND MANUFACTURES. — THREATENED REVOLT. — MARQUINA VICEROY — REVOLT IN JALISCO. — ITURRIGARAY VICEROY. — GODOY'S CORRUPTION WAR. — DEFENCES AGAINST THE UNITED STATES — MIRANDA — HUMBOLDT. — MEXICO TAXED FOR EUROPEAN WARS — FERDINAND VII. — NAPOLEON IN SPAIN — KING JOSEPH BONAPARTE. — ITURRIGARAY ARRESTED. — GARIBAY VICEROY.

 

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The Marques de Branciforte,
LIII. Viceroy of New Spain.
1794—1798.

The Marques Branciforte, who reached Mexico on the 11th of July, 1794, contrasts unfavorably, in history, with his illustrious predecessor Revilla-Gigedo. Partaking of the avaricious qualities of this personage's father, he seems to have possessed but few of his virtues, and probably accepted the viceroyalty of New Spain with no purpose but that of plunder.

Scarcely had he begun to reign, when his rapacity was signally exhibited. It is said that his first essay in extortion, was the sale of the sub-delegation of Villa-Alta to a certain Don Francisco Ruiz de Conejares, for the sum of forty thousand dollars, and the bestowal of the office of apoderado on the Count de Contramina, the offices of whose subordinates were bought and sold in the political market like ordinary merchandise.

At this epoch the warlike hostility to France was excessive, and orders had been received to exercise the strictest vigilance over the subjects of that nation who resided in Mexico. Their number, however, was small, for Spanish America was almost as closely