Religion. The Government contributes 9,000l. for religious purposes. The State is divided into 36 parochial districts for ecclesiastical purposes. There are about 80 churches. The principal body is the Dutch Reformed Church with 68,940 adherents; of Wesleyans there are 753; English Episcopalians 1,353; Lutherans 312; Roman Catholics 466; Jews 113. Instruction. The system of education is national. Small grants are also made to the Episcopal and Roman Catholic Churches. The Government schools are managed by elected local boards, which choose the teachers, who are appointed by the President, if he is satisfied with their qualifications. Education is not compulsory nor free except for very poor children. In 1892-93 34,5007. was allotted to education, a portion of which consisted of interest on a capital of 200,0007. set apart by the Volksraad for this purpose. Besides this amount a considerable sum was spent upon school buildings under the Public Works Department. There are no foundations, properly so called, for education. In 1892-93 there were 137 Government schools, inclusive of the two higher schools and the infant school at Bloemfontein, with 4,088 pupils and 181 teachers. Grants are made to private schools on certain conditions. In 1892-93 there were 43 such schools, with 717 pupils. The Grey College, the highest school for boys, prepares candidates for the matriculation examination of the Cape University; there is a similar school for girls. At the census of 1890 45,015 of the white population could read and write. 2,721 only read, 23,722 (of whom 19,508 were under 7 years of age) could neither read nor write, while 6,258 were not specified. There is a good public library in Bloemfontein, and small libraries in several villages. There is a Government Gazette, one daily and two bi-weekly papers. Justice and Crime. The Roman Dutch law prevails. The superior courts of the country are the High Courts of Justice, with three judges, and the circuit courts. The inferior courts are the court of the Landdrost and the court of Landdrost and Heemraden. The circuit courts, at which the judges of the High Court preside in turn, are held twice a year in the chief town of every district. In these courts criminal cases are tried before a jury. The court of Landdrost and Heemraden consists of the Landdrost (a stipendiary magistrate) and two assessors. The Landdrost's court thus has both civil and criminal jurisdiction. There are also justices of the peace who try minor offences and settle minor disputes. There are no statistics of crime. There are police-constables in every town, and mounted police patrol the country. Finance. The following is a statement of revenue and expenditure for the five years 1888-89 to 1892-93 (ending February) : The estimated ordinary revenue for 1893-94 is 271,000l. (or with balance of former years, 386,6487.), and expenditure 385,6561., leaving a balance of 9921. Out of this amount 8 bridges are to be built or completed for 19,0877. Among the items of revenue are quit rents, 15,500l. ; transfer dues, 20,000l.; posts and telegraphs, 22,0007.; import dues, 99,000l.; stamps, 43,0007.; native poll-tax, 13,0007.; and of expenditure, salaries, 47,7827.; police, 11,2497.; education, 41,0407.; posts and telegraphs, 26,6127.; public works, 79,2371.; artillery, 4,9077. The Republic has a debt of 55,000l. (1893), but possesses considerable public property in land, buildings, bridges, telegraphs, &c. (valued at 417,000.), and in its share in the National Bank, amounting to 70,0007. Bloemfontein has a municipal debt of 7,0007. Defence. Frontier measures about 900 miles; of this 400 miles marches with Cape Colony, 200 Basutoland, 100 Natal, and S. A. Republic 200 miles. There are no fortifications on the frontier. Every able-bodied man in the State above 16 and under 60 years of age is compelled to take arms when called upon by his Field Cornet (equal to the rank of a captain), when necessity demands it. The number of burghers available is 17,381. A battery of artillery is stationed at the capital, Bloemfontein; 57 officers and men, with 300 passed artillerists, as a reserve. Production and Industry. The State consists of undulating plains, affording excellent grazing. A comparatively small portion of the country is suited for agriculture, but a considerable quantity of grain is produced. The number of farms in 1890 was 6,000, with a total of 24,675,800 acres, of which 250,600 were cultivated. There were in the same year 248,878 horses, 276,073 oxen, 619,026 other cattle (burthen), 6,619,992 sheep, 858,155 goats, and 1,461 ostriches. The diamond production in 1890 was 99,255 carats, valued at 223,9607.; in 1891, 108,311 carats, valued at 202,551. Garnets and other precious stones are found, and there are rich coal-mines; gold has also been found. Commerce. As the exports and imports pass through the Cape and Natal ports, and are included in the returns for these colonies, it is impossible to give any statement of the value of the commerce. In 1890 the imports were estimated at 1,487,4507.; in 1891 at 1,620,6607. The principal export is wool, as also hides, diamonds, and ostrich feathers; considerable quantities of British produce are imported. Communications. The capital, Bloemfontein, is connected with Natal and the Cape Colony by telegraph; 1,500 miles of telegraph have been constructed. A railway constructed by the State connects the Orange River with Bloemfontein, 120 miles. Lines are also in construction from Harrismith to connect with the Natal railways, and from Bloemfontein to Vaalriver and other parts of the republic. There are roads throughout the districts, ox-waggons being the principal means of conveyance. Consul-General in London.-P. T. Blyth. The money, weights, and measures are English. The land measure, the Morgen, is equal to about 2 acres. Statistical and other Books of Reference. Census van den Oranje-Vrijstaat, opgenomen op 31 Maart, 1890. Bloemfontein, 1891. Jeppe's Transvaal Almanac and Directory for 1890. Cape Town, 1890. Johnston (Keith), Africa. London, 1884. Noble (J.), Illustrated Official Handbook of the Cape and South Africa. Cape Town, Johannesburg, and London, 1893. Norris-Newman (C. L.), With the Boers in the Transvaal and Orange Free State. London 1882. Report on the Trade of Bloemfontein in "Deutsches Handels-Archiv." for August, 1892 Berlin. London, 1880. Sandeman (E. F.), Eight Months in an Ox-Wagon. Paris, 1882. PARAGUAY. (REPÚBLICA DEL PARAGUAY.) Constitution and Government. THE Republic of Paraguay gained its independence from Spanish rule in 1811, and after a short government by two consuls, the supreme power was seized, in 1815, by Dr. José Gaspar Rodriguez Francia, who exercised autocratic sway as dictator till his death, September 20, 1840. Dr. Francia's reign was followed by an interregnum, which lasted till 1842, when a National Congress, meeting at the capital Asuncion, elected two nephews of the Dictator, Don Mariano Roque Alonso and Don Carlos Antonio Lopez, joint consuls of the Republic. Another Congress voted, March 13, 1844, a new Constitution, and, March 14, elected Don Carlos Antonio Lopez sole President; he was continued by another election, March 14, 1857. At the death of Don Carlos, September 10, 1862, his son, Don Francisco Solano Lopez, born 1827, succeeded to the supreme power. President Lopez, in 1864, began a dispute with the Government of Brazil, the consequence of which was the entry of a Brazilian army, united with forces of the Argentine Confederation and Uruguay, into the Republic, June 1865. After a struggle of five years, Lopez was defeated and killed at the battle of Aquidaban, March 1, 1870. A new Constitution was proclaimed on November 25, 1870. The legisla tive authority is vested in a Congress of two Houses, a Senate and a House of Deputies, the executive being entrusted to a President, elected for the term of four years, with a non-active Vice-President at his side. The Senate and Chamber of Deputies are elected directly by the people, the former in the ratio of one representative to 12,000 inhabitants, and the latter one to 6,000 inhabitants, though in the case of the sparsely populated divisions a greater ratio is permitted. The Senators and Deputies receive each 2007. per annum. President of the Republic.-Don Juan G. Gonzales, for the term 1890-94. The President exercises his functions through a cabinet of responsible ministers, five in number, presiding over the departments of the Interior, of Finance, of Worship and Justice, of War, and of Foreign Affairs. The President receives a salary of 1,9007., the Vice-President 9607., and each of the ministers 6007. a year; but the total administrative expenses are stated not to exceed 5,0007. The country is divided into 23 counties (partidos), which are governed by chiefs and justices of the peace, assisted by municipal councils. Area and Population. At The area of Paraguay is 98,000 square miles. An enumeration made by the Government in 1857 showed the population to number 1,337,439 souls. the beginning of 1873 the number of inhabitants, according to an official return (regarded as exaggerated), was reduced to 221,079, comprising 28,746 men and 106,254 women over fifteen years of age, with 86,079 children, the enormous disproportion between the sexes, as well as the vast decrease of the population, telling the results of the war. A very imperfect census of March 1, 1887, gives the population as 329,645-155,425 men and 174,220 women. There are besides 60,000 semi-civilised and 70,000 uncivilised Indians. 1893 the population was estimated at 480,000. Of foreigners in Paraguay in 1887, there were 5,000 Argentines, 2,000 Italians, 600 Brazilians, 740 Germans, 500 French, 400 Swiss, and 100 English. The country is divided into 23 electoral districts. The population of the capital, Asuncion, was In 24,838 in 1886; other towns are Villa Rica, 11,000; Concepcion, 11,000; San Pedro, 12,000; Luque, 8,000-including their districts. In 1887 there were 1,809 marriages, 9,365 births (65 per cent. illegitimate), and 4,463 deaths. In the eleven years 1881-1891 there were 5,957 immigrants of whom 1,657 were Italians, 1,342 Germans, 955 French, 850 Spaniards. The total number in 1891 was 448, and in 1892, 539. Nearly three-fourths of the territory was national property; but in recent years most of it has been sold, much of it in very large estates. Religion, Instruction, and Justice. The Roman Catholic Church is the established religion of the State, but the free exercise of other religions is permitted. Education is free and compulsory. In 1887 only 20 per cent. of the adult Paraguayans and 60 per cent. of adult foreigners could read and write. There were in 1891 292 public elementary schools, with 18,944 pupils and 448 teachers. There are, besides, over 100 schools subsidised by the Council of Education, and at Asuncion there is a National College, with 15 professors and 150 students. The amount spent by Government on public instruction in 1890-91 was 314,615 dollars. Asuncion has also a public library and five newspapers. A High Court of Justice, and various inferior tribunals, with local magistrates, exercise judicial functions. In 1887, 1,091 persons were tried for offences, 51 of them for serious crime. Finance. The revenue is derived from customs, stamps and other dues, and from the sale of land and yerbales. The revenue and expenditure for four years are officially given as follows: The external debt on January 1, 1893, amounted to 26,523,712 pesos, including the consolidated English debt. The Government failed to pay the interest due July 1, 1892, on the English debt. This debt stands at 831,1007 and the interest arrears up to January 1, 1893, at 25,000l. The internal debt in 1892 was 1,367,689 pesos. Defence. The army, comprising infantry, cavalry, and artillery, maintained chiefly to preserve internal order, consists of 82 officers and 1,345 men. Every citizen from 20 to 35 years of age is liable to military service. There is a screw steamer of 440 tons and 4 guns, and 2 small steamers on the river. Production and Industry. The number of horned cattle in Paraguay in 1891 was 861,954; horses 99,693, mules and asses 4,621, sheep 62,920, goats 14,656, pigs 10,778. Besides yerba mate, the chief products are:-maize, of which 8,229,823 acres were eultivated in 1890, manioc 7,015,862 acres, beans 2,574,962 acres, tobacco 1,980,611 acres, sugar cane 887,796 acres, mani 719,816 acres, potatoes and vegetables 540,894 acres, rice 371,492 acres, lucerne 192,736 acres, cotton 126,313 acres, coffee 69,970 acres. In 1890-91 public lands and yerbales were |