Consular Representative

OF BOLIVIA IN GREAT BRITAIN.

Consul-General.-José Maria Artola.

Great Britain has no representative in Bolivia.

Statistical and other Books of Reference concerning Bolivia.

1. OFFICIAL PUBLICATIONS.

Report on the Trade, &c., of Bolivia in 1884-85, in Reports from the Consul of the Unite States, January 1886. Washington, 1886.

Report on the Trade of Bolivia in 1887, in 'Deutsches Handels-Archiv,' August, and on a Projected Railway, October 1888. Berlin, 1888.

Trade of Bolivia with Great Britain, in Annual Statement of the Trade of the United Kingdom with Foreign Countries in the year 1888.' Imp. 4. Lordon, 1889.

2. NON-OFFICIAL PUBLICATIONS.

Bolivia, a paper in the Deutsche Kolonial-Zeitung,' Heft 18, 1886, p. 548. Berlin, 1886. Bonelli (L. H. de), Travels in Bolivia. 2 vols. London, 1854.

Church (Col. Geo. Earl), Papers and Documents relating to the Bolivian Loan, the National Bolivian Navigation Company, &c. 8. London, 1873.

Dalence (M.), Bosquejo estadístico de Bolivia. 8. Chuquisaca, 1878.

D'Orbigny, Descripción geográfica, histórica y estadistica de Bolivia. 1844.

D'Orbigny (A.), Voyage dans l'Amérique Méridionale. 9 vols. Paris, 1835-47.

Grandidier (P.), Voyage dans l'Amérique du Sud. 8. Paris, 1861.

Mathews (Edward D.), Up the Amazon and Madeira Rivers, through Bolivia and Peru & London, 1879.

Moreno (J. L.), Nociones de geografia de Bolivia. Sucre, 1889.

Reck (Hugo), Geographie und Statistik der Republik Bolivia. In Petermann's Mittheil gen.' Parts VII. and VIII. 4. Gotha, 1865.

Tschudi (J. J. von), Reisen durch Südamerika. 4 vols. 8. Leipzig, 1856.

Ursel (Comte C. d'), Sud Amérique: Séjours et voyages au Bresi, en Bolivie, &c. 12 Paris, 1879.

Weddell (H. A.), Voyage dans le Nord de la Bolivie, Paris, 1853.

Wiener (Charles), Pérou et Bolivie, Paris, 1880.

BRAZIL.

(ESTADOS UNIDOS DO BRAZIL.)

Constitution and Government.

IN 1807 the royal family of Portugal fled to Brazil; in 1815 the colony was declared a kingdom'; and the Portuguese Court having returned to Europe in 1821, a national congress assembled at Rio de Janeiro, and on May 13, 1822, Dom Pedro, eldest son of King João VI. of Portugal, was chosen 'Perpetual Defender' of Brazil. He proclaimed the independence of the country on September 7, 1822, and was chosen Constitutional Emperor and Perpetual Defender' on October 12 following. In 1831 he abdicated the crown in favour of his only son, Dom Pedro II., who reigned as Emperor until November 15, 1889, when by a revolution he was dethroned, and he and his family exiled, and Brazil declared a Republic under the title of the United States of Brazil.

President of the Republic.-Marshal Deodoro da Fonseca.

The new Constitution has not yet been proclaimed. According to the Constitution under the Emperor the legislative power was vested in a General Legislative Assembly. The General Legislative Assembly consisted of two Houses, the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies. The members of both Houses were elected by the people, but under different forms. Senators were chosen for life at electoral meetings expressly convened, each of which has to nominate three candidates, leaving the choice between them to the sovereign. A senator had to be forty years of age, a Brazilian citizen by birth or naturalisation, and possessing a clear annual income of 1,600 milreis. Senators receive a salary of 9,000 milreis each session. The Senate numbered 60 members.

The deputies were elected directly by the voters in districts for the term of four years. By the law of January 9, 1881, the election of senators and deputies was made direct instead of indirect, and the qualification for a voter was fixed at an annual income of 400 milreis. The deputies must have an income of 800 milreis each. Minors, monks, and servants were not allowed

a vote. Protestants are now eligible to the legislature. Deputies receive a salary of 6,000 milreis, or 600%., each session, besides travelling expenses. The Chamber of Deputies numbered 125 members, each representing an electoral district. The total number of electors according to the latest data is 220,000.

The annual session of the Legislative Assembly has to commence on May 3, and extends over four months. Each House nominates its own officers. The Chamber of Deputies has the initiative in the assessment of taxes, in matters concerning the army and navy. The Senate had the exclusive privilege of taking cognisance of offences committed by senators and deputies if committed during the session. It was also invested with the right of convoking the Legislative Assembly, should the head of the State fail to do so within two months after the period fixed by law.

The executive power is exercised by the President, through his ministers. The ministers are responsible for treason, corruption, abuse of power, and all acts contrary to the Constitution, or the liberty, security, and property of the citizens. The executive functions consist in the convocation of the ordinary meetings of the Legislative Assembly; the nomination of bishops, governors of provinces, and magistrates; the declaration of peace or war; and the general execution and superintendence of all measures voted by the Legislature. The ministry is divided into seven departments:-Finance, Foreign Affairs, the Interior, Justice, Agriculture and Public Works, War, and Marine.

The ministers were assisted by a Council of State, consisting of twelve ordinary and twelve extraordinary members, all named by the head of the State for life, and consulted on matters of administration and international questions. Under the new Republic both the Senate and the Council of State are to be abolished.

LOCAL GOVERNMENT.

At the head of each State or province is a president appointed by the central Government. Each province has also its legislative assembly, elected by the voters for two years. The legislative assemblies of the States or provinces exercise jurisdiction on all matters of local interest, such as primary education, municipal budgets, police, local imposts, &c. There are 892 municipalities and 1,886 parishes.

Area and Population.

The census taken in 1872 was only a partial one, and its results are not regarded as trustworthy. The total population is given as 9,930,478-males, 5,123,869; females, 4,806,609. The subjoined table gives the area and population of each of the

provinces of the Empire in 1872, and according to an official esti

This shows an apparent increase of 41 per cent. in sixteen years, or at the rate of 2.56 per cent. per annum.

At the end of 1883 the population of Rio de Janeiro was estimated at 350,000 (357,332 in 1885); of Bahia, 140,000; of Pernambuco, 130,000; Pelotas, 45,000; Belem, 40,000; San Paulo, 40,000; Campos, 40,000; Campinas, 35,000; Maranhão, 35,000; Porto Alegre, 35,000; Careteba, 34,000; Ouro Preto, 20,000.

Brazil was the last country in America to abolish slavery. The number of slaves had greatly decreased since the year 1850, when they were estimated at two millions and a half. On March 30, 1887, the official return gave the number of slaves in Brazil as 723,419, of the legal value of 485,225,212 dollars. On May 13, 1888, the Crown Princess, as regent, gave the royal assent to a short measure of two clauses, the first declaring that slavery was abolished in Brazil from the day of the promulgation of the law, and the second repealing all former Acts on the subject. Both Chambers refused to consider the claim for compensation made by the slave-owners.

At the census of 1872 there were 3,787,289 whites, 3,801,787 métis, 1,954,452 negroes, and 386,955 Indians. In the northern provinces the Indian element preponderates, while in Pernambuco, Bahia, Rio de Janeiro, and Minas the negroes are numerous. At the seaports the chief part of the population is of European descent.

MOVEMENT OF THE POPULATION.

The returns of births, deaths, and marriages are incomplete, statistics being available for only 893 out of 1,805 parishes, or 60-80 of the whole republic; moreover, only those are recorded which have taken place in connection with ecclesiastical rites. On this basis we have the following return for 1884:-Marriages, 51,792; births (only of children baptised), 292,199 (67,275 illegitimate, 653 deserted); deaths, 113,954; excess of births, 178,245. The above do not include 698 still-born. Between 1871 and 1888, 500,000 immigrants are stated to have entered the ports of Rio and Santos alone. The annual rate into Southern Brazil alone during six years has been :

1883 28,670

:

1884 . 20,087

1888. 131,268

Of the immigrants in 1888 115,000 were Italians, the majority of the remainder being Portuguese, Spanish, and Germans.

Religion.

The established religion under the Empire was the Roman Catholic, but under the Republic the connection between Church and State has been abolished, and absolute equality declared among all forms of religion. The Federal Government continues to provide for the salaries and maintenance of the existing functionaries of the Catholic Church, and to support for one year the Chairs in the seminaries. Each State or province is at liberty to support the ministers of any religion.

Brazil constitutes an ecclesiastical province, with a metropolitan archbishopric, the seat of which is at Bahia, 11 suffragan bishops, 12 vicars general, and 2,000 curates. For the private instruction of the clergy there are 11 seminaries.

Instruction.

Public education is divided into three distinct forms or classes---namely, primary; secondary, or preparatory; and scientific, or superior. The higher education is controlled by the central Government, which maintains two schools of medicine, two of law, a military and a naval school, a school of mines, and a polytechnic. Secondary instruction is under the charge of the provincial governments, except in the capital. In most of the chief towns of the provinces there is a middle-class school and a normal school. There is a national college at Rio Janeiro, with twenty classes and 600 pupils. And with these and in the provinces are many private middleclass schools. Primary instruction in the capital is under the charge of the Government, and in the provinces under the municipalities and provincial assemblies. According to the Constitution primary education is gratuitous, and 'it will become compulsory as soon as the Government considers it opportune.' Compulsory education now exists in several provinces. In 1889 there were, it was officially stated, 7,500 public and private primary schools, attended by 300,000 pupils in all. In 1881, of the total population 1,902,455 were of school age (6 to 15). The number of illiterates is returned at 8,365,997, or 84 per cent. of the population.