CENTRAL AMERICAN STATES.


Honduras population-...---------------------------------------------. 350,
00(0
Foreign debt-.-..... ...----- .--- - - ............ .-..........  $27, 000,000
 00
Home debt (unknown) supposed to be-.................------------ 150, 000
0O
     Total debt...------------------------------------------27,150,1000 0&
  It is also unknown what amount of the $27,000,000 of bonds issued
has been negotiated. Probably the real indebtedness of this state will
fall far short of the above sum, after a thorough investigation of its
financial affairs in connection with the railroad.
  Nicaragua population, 236,000.    Interior debt amounts to about
$3,000,000, which,, owing to its origin, is so depreciated, its evidences
sell for about three per cent. of face value.
Foreign debt..................................................$250, 000 0C_
Total debt .......... .........................................3,250,  00

Costa Rica population............................................. 160, 000,
Foreign debt in bonds issued (not known how many have been nego-
  ciated or hypothecated) -...............                 $17, 000, 000,
Home debt unknown but supposed to be small, say-................... 100,
000
      Total debt.........................................-17,100, 000
  I am now awaiting official reports from Salvador and Guatemala toĆ½
enable me to send you a statement of the exports and imports of each
of the five states during the year 1873.
  The official data now in my possession indicate the total volume of
the trade of all the states (exports and imports) amounts to over
$20,000,000.
      I have, &c.,
             1                               GEO. WILLIAMSO.N



                               No. 111.

                     Mr. Williamson to Mr. Fish.

No. 167.]    UNITED STATES LEGATION IN CENTRAL AMERICA,
                        Guatemala, June 5, 1874. (Received July 6.)
   Sip: I have the honor now to inclose you the answer of the constitu-
ent assembly of Costa Rica to the message of the President, of which a
translated copy was sent you with my No. 159.
  The short reply forwarded with that dispatch was, it seems, only
provisional. This one is published in the official journal of the 16th of
May, just received.

  The terms which the assembly employs in regard to the revolutionary
attempts to overthrow the government of President Guardia might be
considered sufficiently mild in any country.
   When they are used by a constituent assembly which is supposed to,
be indebted for its existence to the will of the executive chief rather-
than that of the people, they seem to indicate a moderation of temper.

  On page 3 you will notice the expressions used with reference to "1
the
basis of a future union in one single people" of the Central American
Sta tes.
  This ideU of the eventual union of the five states under one govern-
ment, is put forward in nearly all of the public documents of these count-


0 T,


109