No. 110.
Mr. Williamson to Mr. Fish.
Guatemala, May 29, 1874. (Received July 6.)
Sir: I have the honor to give you the following information in regard to the population and indebtedness of the states of Central America, derived from Mr. R. Toledo, postmaster-general of Guatemala, who was kind enough to furnish the facts from the manuscript copy of an American geography he is just about to publish. As no general census has been taken in any of the states for several years, Mr. Toledo has made up the sum total of the population of each state from the aggregate of the several departments or political subdivisions. From the best estimate I have been able to make his numeration seems to be correct, except as to Salvador, which I think has a population many thousands more than he gives.
| Guatemala population | 1,200,000 | |
| Foreign debt | $3,000,000 00 | |
| Home debt | 1,363,237 23 | |
| Total debt | 4,363,237 23 | |
| Salvador population | 400,000 | |
| Floating debt | $314,832 80 | |
| Consolidate debt | 574,704 20 | |
| Total debt: none foreign | 889,537 00 | |
| Hondrus population | 350,000 | |
| Foreign debt | $27,000,000 00 | |
| Home debt (unknown) supposed to be | 150,000 00 | |
| Total debt | 27,150,000 00 | |
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 00 | |
| Total debt | 3,250,000 00 | |
| Costa Rica population | 160,000 | |
| Foreign debt in bonds issued (not known how many have been negociated 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 to enable me to send you a statement of the exports and imports of each of the live 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.,