uestion was brought forward of granting
Government titles to all who could establish claims to land. Indeed,
for about a year, there was a certain enthusiasm displayed both by the
applicants and the officials in the matter of "Titulos Reales." But
the large majority of landholders--among whom the monastic element
conspicuously figured--could only show their title by actual
possession. [3] It might have been sufficient, but the fact is that
the clergy favoured neither the granting of "Titulos Reales" nor the
establishment of the projected Real Estate Registration Offices.

Agrarian disputes had been the cause of so many armed risings against
themselves in particular, during the nineteenth century, that they
opposed an investigation of the land question, which would only have
revived old animosities, without giving satisfaction to either native
or friar, seeing that both parties were intransigent. [4]

The fundamental laws, considered as a whole, were the wisest devisable
to suit the peculiar circumstances of the Colony; but whilst many of
them were disregarded or treated as a dead letter, so many loopholes
were invented by the dispensers of those in operation as to render
the whole system a wearisome, dilatory process. Up to the last every
possible impediment was placed in the way of trade expansion; and in
former times, when worldly majesty and sanctity were a joint idea,
the struggle with the King and his councillors for the right of
legitimate traffic was fierce.

So long as the Archipelago was a dependency of Mexico (up to 1819)
not one Spanish colonist in a thousand brought any cash capital to
this colony with which to develop its resources. During the first
two centuries and a quarter Spain's exclusive policy forbade the
establishment of any foreigner in the Islands; but after they did
settle there they were treated with such courteous consideration
by the Spanish officials that they could often secure favours with
greater ease than the Spanish colonists themselves.

Everywhere the white race urged activity like one who sits behind a
horse and goads it with the whip. But good advice without example
was lost to an ignorant class more apt to learn through the eye
than through the ear. The rougher class of colonist either forgot,
or did not know, that, to civilize a people, every act one performs,
or intelligible word one utters, carries an influence which pervades
and gives a colour to the future life and thought