The History of Cuba, vol. 3Johnson, Willis Fletcher
History
The History of Cuba, vol. 3
Johnson, Willis Fletcher
Cuba -- Economic conditions; Cuba -- History
Spain was favored in other ways in these taxes. Spanish vessels were
taxed only one-seventh of one per cent. on imports, while foreign
vessels were taxed 1.1 per cent, on the same goods. Nor were these taxes
the only ones which the people had to undergo. One of the most
pernicious of all taxes was the 1/10 of all farm produce which was
given to the church. The result of this tax was indirectly bad as well
as unjust, for it fostered a kind of priest in Cuba who could do little
for the moral and spiritual welfare of the people.
The following table shows the revenue of the island in 1849-51:
Import Export Other
Duties Duties Revenues Total
1849 $5,844,783 $ 584,477 $4,782,226 $11,211,526
1850 5,639,225 757,071 3,655,149 10,051,443
1851 6,364,825 1,793,992 4,821,195 12,180,012
The currency of Cuba was gold and silver; and in 1842 she had a total
amount in her treasury of $12,000,000 in coin.
An official statement compiled in 1844 lists a few of the taxes, and
gives some interesting figures as to the amounts collected. The Cubans
were taxed six per cent. of the selling price, on all sales of real
estate, or slaves, and on sales at auction and in shop. They were also
taxed on Papal Bulls, and there were brokers' taxes, cattle taxes,
shopkeepers' taxes, tax on mortgages, tax on donations, tax on
cockfighting, taxes on grants of crosses, insignia or use of uniforms;
taxes on promissory notes or bills of exchange, taxes on municipal
taxes, taxes on the death of all non-insolvent persons, taxes on
investments in favor of the clergy; the church did not escape, for there
were taxes on the property of the Jesuits. There were also taxes on
sales of public lands, taxes on the establishments of auctioneers, and
taxes on everything sold, water canal taxes, and customhouse duties on
imports and exports and the tonnage of vessels. Cubans were not only
taxed on the sale of lands, but of course on the land itself, and there
were state and municipal taxes, and they were taxed on their cattle and
all animals whether they kept them or sold them. Passports were taxed,
and as Cuba had a large transient population this tax brought in a
goodly sum. Public offices were privately sold to the highest bidder.
There were taxes on the sale of archives to notaries for the recording
of deeds. Small fines were being constantly imposed by grafting
officials, and the Captain-General's tribunal exacted a special fee,
which brought in large sums. Fees were demanded for marriages, both by
the church and the state. There was an inheritance tax; there were tolls
imposed on bridges; and large amounts were extorted for the nomination
to office of captains of districts, city ward commissaries, and
watchmen; gambling was licensed; and there were the taxes on sugar, on
pastures, on coffee and tobacco, and on minerals exported. The tax on
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