fixed proportions upon the States, in order to cover the deficit, which it was supposed might result, during the first years, at least, from the dilapidated state of many of the branches of the Revenue assigned to the Federation; and regular statistical returns were ordered to be made to the General Congress, from every part of the country, in order to enable the Chambers to form a new scale of Contingent, better adapted to the resources of the States, than that adopted in the first instance.
This Decree was followed by a second, dated the 21st of the same month, (September, 1824,) abolishing all the complicated offices, which, under the denomination of Intendencias, Direcciones, Contadurias, Cajas, &c. &c., had so much impeded the action of the machine under the Vice-regal government; and creating in their place a single Commissary-General in each of the principal States, who, assisted by a moderate number of clerks, and under the immediate orders of the Minister of Finance, was directed to take charge in person of every thing connected with the revenues of the Federation in his district; to receive the Contingent of the States, and the Custom-house duties; to pay the troops, and to superintend the Post-office, and all inferior departments.
This wise regulation may be considered as the first step towards the cleansing of that Augean Stable, in which the abuses of three centuries had accumulated. It simplified the whole system of Finance;
