SALVADOR. (REPÚBLICA DEL SALVADOR.) Constitution and Government. IN 1839 the Central American Federation, which had comprised the States of Guatemala, Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica, was dissolved, and Salvador became an independent Republic. The Constitution, proclaimed in 1824 under the Federation, and modified in 1859, 1864, 1871, 1872, 1880, 1883, and 1886, vests the legislative power in a Congress of 70 Deputies, 42 of whom are proprietors. The election is for one year, and by universal suffrage. The executive is in the hands of a President, whose tenure of office is limited to four years. President of the Republic.-Señor P. José Escalon. The administrative affairs of the Republic are carried on, under the President, by a ministry of four members, having charge of the departments of: The Exterior, Justice, Worship, and Instruction; War and Marine; Interior and Government; Finance, Fomento, and Beneficence. The army numbers 3,000 men, and the militia 18,000. In case of war, military service is compulsory from 18 to 50 years of age. There is one custom-house cruiser. Area and Population. The area of the Republic is estimated at 7,225 English square miles, divided into 14 departments. The population, according to a census of March 1, 1901, was 1,006,848 (493,893 males and 512,955 females), giving an average of 139 inhabitants to the square mile. Aboriginal and mixed races constitute the bulk of the population, Ladinos or Mestizos being returned as numbering 772,200, and Indians 234,648. The capital is San Salvador, with 59,540 inhabitants. Other towns are Santa Ana, population 48,120; San Miguel, 24,768; Nueva San Salvador, 18,770; San Vicente, 17,832 ; Sonsonate, 17,016. Instruction and Justice. Education is free and obligatory. There are in Salvador about 600 primary schools, with 30,177 enrolled pupils, 20 higher schools (including 2 normal and 3 technical schools) and a national university with faculties of jurisprudence, medicine, natural sciences, and engineering. In the capital is a national library and museum, and in the Republic 28 newspapers are published. Justice is administered by the Supreme Court of Justice, by several sub. ordinate courts, and by local justices. In 1901 the total number of persons convicted of crime was 4,084, of whom 297 were women. For 1905-06 the revenue is estimated at 9,012,520 dollars, and the expen diture at 9,179,119 dollars. The revenue is derived mainly from taxes or imports and exports, amounting to 5,387,500 dollars. Ŏther sources of revenue are the liquor taxes, licenses, &c., 2, 143,000 dollars; the excise, stamps, and the post office. The chief branches of expenditure are the public debt, 2,420,025 dollars; war and marine, 2,214,270 dollars; internal administration, 1,360,849 dollars; and Fomento, 650,610 dollars. The outstanding foreign debt of the Republic in 1899 amounted to 726,4207. In the year 1899-1900 this debt was converted into securities of the Salvador Railway Company, which receives from the Government a subsidy of 24,000l. per annum for 18 years from 1899. The internal debt amounted at the beginning of 1905 to 8,401,690 dollars. Production and Commerce. The population of Salvador is largely engaged in agriculture. The chief produce is coffee, under which there are about 50,000 hectares. The coffee exports in 1904 amounted to 75,314,008 lbs. Other products are indigo of which 565,360 lbs. was exported in 1904; balance, 151,907 lbs. exported: sugar, 8,886,781 lbs. exported in 1904. The Government is encouraging cotton-growing by offering a bounty of 1 silver dollar on each centner of cotton exported. The mineral wealth of the Republic includes gold, silver, copper, iron, mercury. The only mines worked are gold and silver mines, yielding chiefly gold. Operations are carried on by Salvadorian, United States, and British companies. Full statistics of output are not published, but the export of minerals in 1904 amounted to 68,674 lbs. (chiefly gold and silver). The imports There are no complete statistics of Salvadorian commerce. subject to duty and the exports have been as follows (in silver dollars, gold being at a premium of 150 per cent. ; or 1 gold dollar 48., 1 silver dollar about 19d.) for the years named : = Imports 6,537,876 6,868,463 7,721,192 10,030,942 | 9,132,958 11,047,914 10,278,152 14,173,863 16,588,612 In 1904 the import duties amounted to 4,274,068 dollars, and the export duties to 850,017 dollars. The trade is chiefly with the United States, Great Britain, Germany and France. The chief imports are cottons, spirits, iron goods, flour, silk goods and yarn. The chief exports in 1904 were coffee, 13,470,697 silver dollars; indigo, 439,264 dollars; balsam, 225,784 dollars; minerals, 1,632,136 dollars; sugar, 448,604 dollars. The treaty of commerce of 1862 between the United Kingdom and the Republic of Salvador provides for "the most favoured nation treatment in respect of trade navigation, manufactures, mining and the holding of property. The trade of the United Kingdom with Salvador (according to the Board of Trade Returns) in five years was : : In 1904 the imports into the United Kingdom from Salvador included : Coffee, 202,5261.; dye-stuffs, 20,4211; gold ore, 27,0771.; silver ore, 24,0467.; sugar, 19,0377. Among the exports to Salvador were :-Cottons, 191,700.; cotton yarn, 25, 2627.; iron, 10, 6397.; woollens, 13,1377. ; sacks, 16,4177. The imports into and exports from the United States from and to Salvador in 5 years ending June 30, according to the U.S. statistics, were as follows (in U.S. dollars) In 1904 the chief article of import was coffee, 844,240 dollars; the chief exports to Salvador were breadstuffs, 187,972 dollars, and cotton manufactures, 236,005 dollars. Shipping and Communications. In 1902, 445 vessels entered at the ports of the Republic, and as many cleared. A railway connects the port of Acajutla with Santa Anna and La Ceiba ; with this system San Salvador, the capital, was brought into connection in April, 1900. At Acajutla, the railway company is building a pier and warehouses. Another railway connects the capital with Santa Tecla, and, in 1903, a concession was granted for the construction of a railway from Santa Tecla to the port of La Libertad. Total length of railway open, about 100 miles. There are over 2,000 miles of good road in the Republic. Salvador joined the postal union in 1879. In 1901 there were 83 receiving offices, and in the internal service 1,600,000 letters were transmitted. In 1902 there were in Salvador 135 telegraph stations and 1,920 miles of telegraph wire, over which passed 715,084 telegrams. There are 63 telephone offices and 1,010 miles of telephone line. Money, Weights, and Measures. MONEY. There are 3 banks of issue, the Banco Salvadoreño, (paid-up capital, 3,126,000 pesos silver), Banco Occidental (paid-up capital, 1,000,000 pesos silver), and Banco Agricola Commercial (paid-up capital, 922,500 pesos silver). The Dollar, of 100 centavos, nominal value 48., real value about 19d. In August, 1897, a law was passed adopting the gold standard. The import of debased silver coin is prohibited. In October, 1899, the Salvador mint, formerly the property of a company, was transferred to the Government. WEIGHTS AND MEASURES. In 1885 the metrical system of weights and measures was introduced. Diplomatic Representatives. 1. OF SALVADOR IN GREAT BRITAIN. Envoy and Minister. -Dr. Rafael Zaldivar. Consul-General.-M. J. Kelly. There are consular agents at London, Manchester, Liverpool, Southampton and Birmingham. 2. OF GREAT BRITAIN IN SALVADOR. Minister and Consul-General.-Lionel F. G. Carden. Consul.-W. E. Coldwell. Vice-Consul at La Union. Statistical and other Books of Reference concerning Salvador. Boletin de la Direccion General de Estadislica de la Republica de el Salvador. Monthly since December, 1900. Constitucion politica de la República del Salvador decretada por el Congreso Nacional Constituyente el 13 de Agosto de 1886. Directorio Postal de la Republica del Salvador, formado por la direccion General de Correos. San Salvador, 1896. Leyes, Ordenes y Resoluciones de los Poderes Legislativos y Ejecutivos en 1889. 8. San Salvador, 1892. American Consular Reports for February, August, September, and October, 1893. Washington. Foreign Office Reports. Annual Series. S. London. Annual Statement of the Trade of the United Kingdom. Imp. 4. London. Salvador. No. 58 of the Bulletins of the Bureau of the American Republics. Washington, 1892. Corporation of Foreign Bondholders. Annual Report of Council. London. Gonzalez (Dr. D.), Geografia de Centro-América. San Salvador, 1878.-Datos sobre la Republica de El Salvador. San Salvador, 1901. Guzman (D.), Apuntamientos sobre la topografia física de la rep. del Salvador. San Salvador, 1883. Laferrière (J.). De Paris à Guatemala. 8. Paris, 1877. Marr (Wilhelm), Reise nach Central-America. 2 vols. 8. Hamburg, 1863. Morelot (L.), Voyage dans l'Amérique centrale. 2 vols. 8. Paris, 1859. Reyes (Rafael), Nociones de história del Salvador. San Salvador, 1886. Scherzer (Karl Ritter von), Wanderungen durch die mittelamerikanischen Freistaaten Nicaragua, Honduras und Salvador. 8. Braunschweig, 1857. Squier (E. G.), The States of Central America 8. London, 1868. SANTO DOMINGO. (REPÚBLICA DOMINICANA.) Constitution and Government. THE Republic of Santo Domingo, founded in 1844, is governed under a Constitution bearing date November 18, 1844, re-proclaimed, with changes, November 14, 1865 (after a revolution which expelled the troops of Spain, who held possession of the country for the two previous years), and again in 1879, 1880, 1881, 1887 and 1896. By the terms of the Constitution the legisla tive power of the Republic is vested in a National Congress of 24 deputies. The members are chosen by indirect vote, in the ratio of two for each province and two for each district, for the term of four years. But the powers of the National Congress only embrace the general affairs of the Republic. The executive of the Republic is vested in a President chosen by an electoral college for the term of four years. During several years the country went on prosperously, but recently civil war has thrown everything into confusion. President of the Republic.-Carlos F. Morales. Vice-President.-Ramon Caceres. Civil war, however, is still raging and (April, 1906) it is uncertain who is President or Vice-President. The administrative affairs of the Republic are in charge of a ministry appointed by the President. The Ministry is composed of the heads of the departments of the Interior and Police, Finance and Commerce, Justice and Public Instruction, War and Marine, Public Works and Foreign Affairs. Each province and district is administered by a governor appointed by the President. The various communes, cantons, and sections are presided ever by prefects or magistrates appointed by the governors. The communes have municipal corporations elected by the inhabitants. Area and Population. The area of Santo Domingo, which embraces the eastern portion of the island of Haiti-the western division forming the Republic of Haiti-is estimated at 18,045 English square miles, with a population estimated at 416,000 inhabitants. The Republic is divided into six provinces and six maritime districts. The population, unlike that of the neighbouring Haiti, is mainly composed of a mixed race of the original Spanish inhabitants and the aborigines, of mulattoes and of negroes, the latter being less in number; the whites, or European-descended inhabitants, are comparatively numerous, and owing to their influence the Spanish language prevails, though in the towns both French and English are spoken. The capital of Santo Domingo, founded 1494, at the mouth of the river Ozama, has about 20,000 inhabitants; Puerto Plata, the chief port, has 4,500 inhabitants. Religion and Instruction. The religion of the State is Roman Catholic, other forms of religion being permitted under certain restrictions. Primary instruction is gratuitous and obligatory, being supported by the communes and by central aid. The public or state schools are primary, superior, technical schools, normal schools, and a professional school with |