I. AMERICA.

ARGENTINE REPUBLIC.

(REPÚBLICA ARgentina.)

Constitution and Government.

THE Constitution of the Argentine Republic, a group of states formerly known by the name of 'Provincias Unidas del Rio de la Plata,' bears date May 15, 1853, with modifications in 1860, when Buenos Ayres joined the confederacy. By its provisions, the executive power is left to a president, elected for six years by representatives of the fourteen provinces, equal to double the number of senators and deputies combined; while the legislative authority is vested in a National Congress, consisting of a Senate and a House of Deputies, the former numbering 30, two from the capital and from each province, elected by a special body of electors in the capital, and by the legislatures in the provinces; and the latter 86 members elected by the people. By the constitution there should be one deputy for every 20,000 inhabitants. A deputy must be 25 years of age, and have been a citizen for four years. The deputies are elected for four years, but one half of the House must retire every two years. Senators must be thirty years of age, have been citizens for six years, and have an annual income of 100l. One-third of the Senate is renewed every three years. The two chambers meet annually from May 1 to September 30. The members of both the Senate and the House of Deputies are paid for their services, each receiving 1,000l. per annum. A vice-president, elected in the same manner, and at the same time as the president, fills the office of chairman of the Senate, but has otherwise no political power. The president is commander-in-chief of the troops, and appoints to all civil, military, and judicial offices, and has the right of presentation to bishoprics: he is responsible with the Ministry for the acts of the executive; both president and vice-president must be Roman Catholics, Argentine by birth, and cannot be re-elected.

President of the Republic.-Dr. Miguel Juarez Celman, elected President August 1886, and installed in office October 12, 1886. Vice-President.-Dr. Carlos Pellegrini.

The Ministry, appointed by and acting under the orders of the President, consists of five Secretaries of State-namely, of the Interior, Foreign Affairs, Finance, War, and Justice. The Minister of Foreign Affairs is Dr. Norberto Quirno Costa and of Finance, Dr. W. Pacheco.

The president has a salary of 36,000 dollars, the vice-president of 18,000 dollars, and each of the five ministers of 16,800 dollars each per annum.

ment.

The Constitution, with certain small exceptions, is identical with that of the United States. Such matters as affect the Republic as a whole are under the superintendence of the Central GovernThe governors of the various provinces are invested with very extensive powers, and in their constitutional functions are independent of the central executive. They are not appointed by the President of the Republic, but elected by the people of each province for a term of three years. The provinces elect their own legislatures, and have complete control over their own affairs.

Justice is exercised by a supreme court of five judges and an Attorney-General, which is also a court of appeal, and by a number of inferior and local courts, trial by jury being established by the Constitution for criminal cases.

Religion and Education.

Although the constitution recognises the Roman Catholic religion as that of the State, all other creeds are tolerated. In 1888, 369,940 dollars were set down in the budget for public worship. There are one archbishop and 7 suffragan bishops. For the instruction of the clergy there are 5 seminaries.

Great attention is paid in the Argentine Republic to the development of public education. It is divided into three forms or classes -namely, primary; secondary, or preparatory; and scientific, or superior. The primary instruction in the capital and the 9 territories is under the charge of a council of education, appointed by the general government according to the terms of the Education Act of July 8, 1884; and in the 14 provinces under their respective governments. The elementary schools are supported in the capital and each province by the taxes established in their education acts. In 1886 the sums contributed by the general government and the 14 provinces to the support of the elementary education in the Republic amounted to 3,467,240 dollars. In 1887, there were 3,028 elementary schools, with 6,241 teachers, and were frequented by 227,450 pupils. Secondary or preparatory education is controlled by the general government, which maintains 15 lyceums (one in each province and the capital), with 369 professors, and fre

quented by 3,189 pupils in 1885. Scientific or superior education is given by 2 universities, comprising (1885) faculties of law (290) students) medicine (442 students), and engineering (148 students); a school of mines (30 students), 2 colleges of agriculture, a naval and a military school. There are 14 normal schools for females, with 185 professors and frequented by 3,596 students; 13 for males, and 7 for both sexes. There is a well-equipped national observatory at Cordoba, museums at Buenos Ayres and La Plata, and a meteoroLogical bureau.

Revenue and Public Debts.

The public revenue assigned to the central government is derived largely from customs duties, some of which are very heavy, and all other sources furnish a third of the public expenditure. Export duties were abolished in 1887.

The total receipts in 1887 amounted to 58,135,000 dollars, and total expenditure, 50,019,000 dollars.

The estimates of expenditure for 1888 are as follows:

:

The budget for 1887 was closed with a surplus of 6,210,000 dollars which were deposited in the National Bank.

The estimated revenue for 1889 is 60,224,000 dollars.

Each province and municipality has, besides, its own budget, involving an additional expenditure of 3 millions sterling; the total national and provincial expenditure amounting to about 31. per head. The budget of Buenos Ayres province for 1888 is 13,938,116 dollars revenue, and an equal expenditure. The estimates of revenue of all the provinces and municipalities for 1887 were 29,C35,884 dollars, and expenditure 29,019,190 dollars.

On March 31, 1888, the debt of the Republic was, according to

official statement :-Internal 47,100,000 dollars, Foreign 92,427,000 dollars, Floating Debt 7,997,880 dollars.

By Act of Congress of August 2, 1888, the Government was authorised to negotiate the conversion of the 6 per cent. Argentine external loans of 1870, 1871, 1873, and 1882 into a 43 per cent. loan, thus bringing a great reduction in the annual charges for services of loans. This operation, it is stated, will be carried out during 1889. Besides, in July 1889, the 6 per cent. loan of 1868 will, it is stated, be totally extinguished by the natural operation of the sinking fund.

By Act of Congress of November 6, 1888, the Government was authorised to repay within the next year all the outstanding 6 per cent. internal currency bonds, known in the London market as hard dollars bonds. The amount of these bonds is 14,548,989 dollars.

On November 3, 1887, a law of National Banks similar to the Banking Law of the United States was promulgated. There are at present 26 banks in the Argentine Republic.

Army and Navy.

The army comprises 11 generals, 238 field-officers, and 880 subalterns, with 1,000 artillery, 2,500 horse and 3,500 foot, in all 7,000 combatants. The militia comprises 236,000 men, between 17 and 45 years, and 68,000 reserve, between 45 and 60 years.

There is a military school, with 125 cadets, and a school for noncommissioned officers, with 120 in 1886. The naval school has 60 cadets, and the school of gunners 80.

The

In 1887 the navy of the Republic included 1 sea-going armourclad, 2 armoured central battery ships (1 building), 2 coast-defence armour-clads (monitors), 1 deck-protected cruiser, 7 gunboats, 2 transports, 3 screw and 4 paddle despatch boats, 1 torpedo school ship, and 4 torpedo-boats. There are also a few sailing vessels. There are in all about 65 guns. The Patagonia, an unarmoured cruiser, was launched in July 1885, and was completed in 1886. sea-going armour-clad Almirante Brown is of 4,200 tons displacement, 5,400-horse power, and is protected by 9-inch steel-faced armour. In her central battery she carries 6 11-ton breech-loading guns of the Armstrong type, and has 2 other guns of the same calibre, mounted at the bow and stern respectively. She is also equipped with Whitehead torpedoes and the electric light. Her design was prepared by Mr. W. H. White, now Assistant-Controller and Director of Naval Construction, H.M. Navy, and she was built in 1881 by Messrs. Samuda. The 2 monitors were built in 1874-75 by Messrs. Laird. They are each of 1,535 tons displacement and 50-horse power; have 6-inch iron armour amidships and an arma