General, in like manner, will be responsible to the Commander-in-Chief for the specific duties of his post, and subject to the War Office in financial matters. The Military Secretary will, as before, control promotions and appointments. On the civil side of the War Office the chief official next to the Secretary of State will be the Financial Secretary, who, with his permanent financial assistants, will undertake the financial responsibility for all the departments of the War Office, including the examination and audit of accounts. It is intended that this official shall exercise greater responsibility and greater power than heretofore, and, being less overweighted with detail, he will find more time to grapple with questions of expenditure. The other chief officials of the civil branch will be the Director of Contracts, with functions not materially changed, though with a more open system of tenders, and the chiefs of the manufacturing and clothing departments. In order to secure joint action between all branches of the War Office, and full discussion of all matters of importance, it is proposed that the heads of the military and civil departments should, when necessary, meet as a council under the Secretary of State. REPUBLICS. ANDORRA. THE Republic of Andorra is situated in a valley of the Pyrenees, and is under the co-suzerainty of France and the Bishop of Urgel, in Spain. It claims to have enjoyed independence since the time of Charlemagne, and to have received a charter from Louis le Débonnaire; but this instrument, if existing, has not been committed to print. The First Republic abandoned its suzerainty as a relic of feudalism, but in 1806 the former state of things was restored. In 1882 the French Government placed the exercise of its powers of supervision in the hands of the préfet of the Department of Pyrénées-Orientales, with the préfet of Prades as its ex-officio representative in the Republican Council. Andorra is divided into six communes or parishes, which are represented in a Council of twenty-four members, charged with the general administration of affairs, and with the maintenance of the local laws and customs. The Council is elected every four years, and chooses its own. president or syndic. France and the Bishop alternately nominate a civil Judge, who is assisted in his judicial functions by two vicars, on the same nomination. Area, 180 square miles; population, about 6,000. ARGENTINE REPUBLIC. The Argentine Republic or Confederation (Republica Argentina; capital, Buenos Aires) was formerly a part of the vice-royalty of Peru, and afterwards of the Provincias Unidas del Rio de la Plata, including Paraguay and Uruguay. It has been independent since 1816, and has had wars with Brazil (1826-8), France (1838-40), and Paraguay (1865-70), as well as sundry civil commotions. The country lies to the east of Chili, having Bolivia and Paraguay on the north, Brazil and Uruguay on the east, and extending its sovereignty to the southern extremity of the continent. Area of the self-governed Provinces, 515,700 square miles, and of the Territories, 609,614 square miles. Population-Provinces, about 3,250,000; Territories, 3,000,000. GOVERNMENT. A Federal Constitution was adopted in 1853, after which the Province of Buenos Aires, being dissatisfied with its position, and espousing the cause of Rosas against the Dictator Urquisa, seceded from the Confederation, and established itself as an independent State. After a war between the Province and the Confederation, in which the former was finally successful, the country was re-united, and a revised Constitution was drawn up in 1860. The President and Vice-President (who must be Roman Catholics, and of Argentine birth) are elected for six years, cach constituency returning for that purpose twice the number of its ordinary representatives. The President (with a salary of £6,000) is incapable of re-election for a second term. The powers of the President are in many respects similar to those of the United States President. |