1853................ 332,000 Tons. 1854................ 374,000 " 1855................ 392,000 " 1856................ 348,000 " 1857................ 355,000 " 1858................ 385,000 " 1859................ 536,000 " 1860................ 447,000 " 1861................ 466,000 " 1862................ 525,000 " 1863................ 507,000 " 1864................ 575,000 " 1865................ 620,000 " 1866................ 612,000 " 1867................ 597,000 " 1868................ 749,000 " This period of sixteen years was really the so-called Golden Age of Cuba. The Cuban budgets, although heavy at that time, were easily covered, and on this account extra taxes were imposed upon the Cuban people in excess of what the budgets called for and remitted to the mother country; such extra sums reaching as high as $5,000,000 per annum,--an erroneous and fatal system, the consequence of a mistaken policy, which then, as ever, led Spain to consider her colony as a source of income, forgetting that such excessive calls, constantly resulting in a deficit, clearly indicate bad administration. Cuba was overtaxed and nothing was done to help the growing of our fertile Island. In vain did the Cubans lay their claims for better administration. The mother country was deaf. Commissioners went to Madrid to represent, but they had to return, bringing back only many promises that were never fulfilled. No hope was left to the Cubans, and all these obstinate errors brought on the outbreak of October 10, 1868, which resulted in a civil war that lasted ten years, ending in 1878 with the so-called agreement of Zanjon. The war at first was not a drawback to sugar production, and the crops gathered during the Ten Years' War were: Called the { 1869 726,000 Tons. twin crops. { 1870 726,000 " 1871[15] 547,000 " 1872 690,000 " 1873 775,000 " 1874 681,000 " 1875 718,000 " 1876 590,000 " 1877 520,000 " 1878 533,000 " It is to be noticed that during the period of war the sugar production continued to increase at first, say from 1869 to 1875. Highly remunerative prices were then obtained for sugar; besides, from 1869 to 1870, $70,000,000 in paper money were issued, and money was easy. From 1876 to 1878, the production rapidly decreased. Mismanagement, enormous taxes to attend war expenses, and depreciation of paper money brought on national distrust and financial troubles. And with all this, the emancipation of slaves was carried through at that time, moreover, without any compensation of any kind to owners.