1822 March 24

Rid Yourselves

Letter 3 Ultramaria Submissive

They are to contribute a mark a day. In what is your benefit?

Submission has place in Ultramaria has place [...?] in every Province

and in every part of every Province. Such is the supposition, to the admission of

which I stand bound.

But, submission - for what length of time? to no length of time do I

stand bound. I say [...?] for the first moment, but no longer. For, granting that

they had never /the matter had never been/ looked at before, the second moment I have

a right to suppose them looking into the Constitutional Code: that Code which

according to the framers of it, as stated in the very first Article belongs as much

to them the Ultramarians as to you the Peninsula Spaniards. Looking forwards in the

Code, they have not to look any further than Article 8, before they find these words

/stands obliged every/ Spaniard without any distinction whatsoever, obliged without

any distinction to contribute in proportion to his possession, to the expences of the

State. Well then under this Article, in each Ultramarian Province, each Spaniard -

each inhabitant suppose - contributes to the expences of that portion of the State,

in exact proportion to his possessions. To this, under the Article in question, no

reasonable objection can be made. But when a contribution to this amount has been

made by him, no further contribution consistently with this Article can your rulers

call upon him for. For, in an Ultramarian Province suppose the Article in so far

fulfilled that towards the incumbrances of Government in that Province - or if you

please say towards the incumbrances of government in all Ultramarian Provinces taken

together every man has been contributed in proportion to his means: in addition to

this will he be called upon to send any money or moneys worth to Spain for your use?

If so, then is this Article violated. Unless an equal sum is sent to Ultramaria from

the Peninsula: and in this case there is no gain from the receipt: on the contrary,

there is loss by the expence and trouble of importation and exportation: so much real

loss.

In vain would any one say - in addition to the expence of government in Ultramaria,

a sum will under this Article be requisite, as the quota of the Ultramarian Province

for the common defence of the two Spains. To prove that under this Article any such

contribution is required, one thing necessary would be necessary to be proved and

proved to their satisfaction is - that the common defence of both be more effectually

and advantageously provided for by their sending money from Ultramarian Spain to

Peninsula Spain than it would be either by sending money from Peninsula Spain to

Ultramarian Spain or by leaving to be employed in Ultramarian Spain the money

necessary to the defence of Ultramarian Spain and in Peninsula Spain the money

necessary to the defence of Peninsula Spain of this argument. But if the money is to

stay in Ultramarian Spain till this proof has been made, the arrival of any such

money among you in Peninsula Spain does not promise to be a very speedy one