The foreign trade of the Argentine Republic in 1886 was mainly with the following countries to the following values :— The transit trade in 1886 was valued at 11,155,398 dollars, of which 7,558,000 dollars worth was with Bolivia. The commercial intercourse between the Argentine Republic and the United Kingdom is shown in the subjoined tabular statement, according to the Board of Trade returns : The staple Argentine exports to the United Kingdom are as follows: tallow and stearine, 64,8397.; mutton, 10,000l. in 1883, 16,9297. in 1884, 289,6257. in 1885; and 370,3631. in 1886; skins, mainly sheep, 134,4237., bones, 40,3357.; hides, 103,8237. in 1886; wool, 213,8071.; and grain, 394,5397. The imports of British produce consist chiefly of cottons, 1,485,2191.; woollens, 646,2977.; iron, 982,3647.; and machinery, 369,3027., in 1885. In 1886 there entered at the ports of the country 11,015 vessels of 3,515,290 tons (6,288 being steamers), and cleared 8,243 of 3,153,389 tons (5,546 steamers). Of these vessels 30 per cent. of the tonnage was British, and the same proportion national, 16 French, and 7 Italian. The home or river navigation in 1886 comprised 24,801 vessels of 2,636,454 tons entered, and 25,464 of 2,587,902 tons cleared. An increasing area of the country is being devoted to agriculture, wheat, Indian corn, and flax being the leading products, the value of the corn, wheat, and flax exported in 1885 being officially returned at 7,302,000 dollars. In Santa Fé, Entre Rios, and Buenos Ayres are numerous 'agricultural colonies,' mostly of foreign nationalities. The total area under culture in 1887 was 54 million acres. Of this about 2 million acres are under wheat. The total value of the agricultural products of 1887 was estimated at 70 million dollars gold (14 millions sterling), and of products of pastural industry 120 million dollars (24 millions sterling). The wheat crop of 1887 was estimated to amount to 20 million bushels. Cattle and sheep-breeding is an important industry in the Argentine. At the end of 1885 it was estimated that the Confederation possessed 18,000,000 horned cattle, 80,000,000 sheep, 5,000,000 horses. Their chief products, wool, hides, tallow, horns, and bones, represent 55 per cent. of the total exports. There were 46,312 square miles of new land surveyed for settlement in 1886. The length of railway open for traffic in 1887 was 4,216 miles, which connect the principal cities of the republic with the capital. There were in addition 1,000 miles in construction. The total cost of construction of the lines open for traffic at the end of 1885 was 20,000,000l., being an average cost of 6,6661. per mile. In 1886 there were 13,645 miles of telegraph lines in operation, 11,360 miles belonging to the State, and the rest to private companies. The total length of telegraph wires at the same date was 4,410 miles. The number of telegraphic despatches was 658,461 in the year 1885; number of offices in 1886, 651. The post-office in the year 1885 carried 20,050,000 letters, and 15,425,000 newspapers &c. Diplomatic Representatives. 1. OF THE ARGENTINE REPUBLIC IN GREAT BRITAIN. Envoy and Minister.-Luis L. Dominguez. 2. OF GREAT BRITAIN IN THE ARGENTINE REPUBLIC. Envoy and Minister.—Hon. Francis J. Pakenham. Appointed February 1885. Secretaries.-George B. Jenner; G. D. B. Bland. Money, Weights, and Measures. The money, weights, and measures of the Argentine Republic, and the British equivalents, are as follows: MONEY. The Silver Peso fuerte, or Silver Dollar, of 100 centesimos.—Average rate of exchange, 4s. The forced paper currency since the beginning of 1885 has caused a great depreciation; £1 gold is worth (Nov. 1886) 64 paper dollars. Since January 1, 1887, the use of the French metric system is compulsory. Statistical and other Books of Reference concerning the Argentine Republic. 1. OFFICIAL PUBLICATIONS. Ley de Educacion. Buenos Aires. 8 de Julio de 1884. Censo Escolar Nacional, 1884-85. Buenos Aires, 1885. 4 vols. Datos trimestriales del Commercio Exterior de la República Argentina. Año 6°. Buenos Ayres, 1887. Estadística General del comercio esterior de la República Argentina. 1886. Fol. vol. 17. Buenos Aires, 1887. Informe presentado á la Oficina de Estadistica de Buenos Aires. 8. Buenos Aires, 1887. Informe sobre el Estado de la Educacion Comun, durante el Año de 1885. By Dr. Benjamin Zorrilla. Buenos Ayres, 1886. Ley de inmigracion y colonizacion de la República Argentina sancionada por el Congreso nacional de 1876. Buenos Aires, 1882. Mission of Viscount San Januario to the Republics of South America. 1878 and 1879. Published by order of the Argentine Government. Buenos Aires, 1881. Memoria del Ministerio del interior de la República Argentina, presentada al Congreso nacional de 1887. 4. Buenos Aires, 1887. Memoria presentada por el Ministro de estado en el departamento de hacienda al Congreso nacional de 1887. 4. Buenos Aires, 1887. Registro Estadístico de la Provincia de Buenos Aires. Fol. Buenos Aires, 1886. The Argentine Republic as a field for Emigration. By Francis Latzina, Chief of the Argentine National Statistical Bureau. Buenos Ayres, 1883. Report by the Hon. L. S. Sackville West on the finances of the Argentine Republic, dated Buenos Ayres, July 15, 1877; in Reports of H.M.'s Secretaries of Embassy and Legation.' Part III. 1877. 8. London, 1877. Report by Mr. Egerton on the products and industries of the Argentine Republic, in 'Reports from H.M.'s Secretaries of Embassy and Legation." 1882. Report by Mr. Nevill Dering on the commerce, navigation, and finance of the Argentine Republic for 1881, in Part III., and for 1882 in Part V., of 'Reports of H.M.'s Secretaries of Embassy,' 1883. London, 1883. Report by Vice-Consul Mallet on the trade and commerce of Rosario for 1884, in Reports of H.M.'s Consuls.' Part VI. 1885. London, 1885. 6 Reports on Argentine Republic in Reports from the Consuls of the United States. Nos. 79 and 82. Washington, 1887. Trade of the Argentine Republic with Great Britain; in 'Annual Statement of the Trade of the United Kingdom with Foreign Countries and British Possessions for the year 1886.' Imp. 4. London, 1887. 2. NON-OFFICIAL PUBLICATIONS. Almanaque agricola, pastoral é industrial de la República Argentina y de Buenos Aires. 4. Buenos Ayres, 1884. Arcos (Santiago), La Plata. Étude historique. 8. Paris, 1865. Beck-Bernard (Charles), La République Argentine. 8. Berne, 1872. 1878. Dominguez (L.), Historia Argentina. 8. 4th edit. Buenos Ayres, 1870. Hadfield (William), Brazil and the River Plate, 1870-76. 8. London, 1877 Hudson (Damian), Registro estadistico de la República Argentina. 2 vols. 8. Buenos Aires, 1867. Jordan (Wm. Leighton), The Argentine Republic: a descriptive and histo rical sketch. 8. Edinburgh, 1878. Latham (Wilfrid), The States of the River Plate, their Industries and Commerce. 2nd ed. 8. London, 1868. Mitre (Bartolomé), Historia de Belgrano. 4th ed. Buenos Ayres, 1887. Moussy (M. de), Description géographique et statistique de la Confédération Argentine. 2 vols. 8. Paris, 1861. Mulhall (M. G. and E. T.), Handbook of the River Plate. 8. London, 1885. Mulhall (Mrs. M. G.), Between the Amazon and the Andes. London, 1884. Napp (R.), The Argentine Republic. 8. Buenos Aires, 1876. Paz (Ez. N.) and Mendonça (Manuel), Compte-Rendu de l'Exposition continentale de la République Argentine. Buenos Aires, 1882. Paz Soldan (Mariano Felipe), Geografia Argentina. Buenos Ayres, 1885. Rickard (Major F. Ignacio), The mineral and other resources of the Argentine Republic in 1869. 8. London, 1870. Sarmiento (Domingo Faustino), Life in the Argentine Republic in the Days of the Tyrants. Translated by Mrs. H. Mann. 8. London, 1868. The Treaty of the Boundaries between the Argentine Republic and that of Chili. London, 1881. Virgilio (Jacopo), Delle migrazioni transatlantiche degli Italiani, e in especie di quelle dei Liguri, alle regioni del Plata. Cenni economico-statistici. 8. Genova, 1868. BOLIVIA. (REPÚBLICA BOLIVIANA.) Constitution and Government. THE constitution of the republic of Bolivia, drawn up by Simon Bolivar, liberator of the country from the Spanish rule, bears date August 25, 1826; but important modifications of it were added in 1828, 1831, 1863, and 1880. By its provisions, the executive power is vested in a President, elected for a term of four years by universal suffrage; while the legislative authority rests with a Congress of two chambers, called the Senate, and the House of Representatives, both elected by universal suffrage. The President is assisted in his executive functions by Vice-presidents and a ministry, divided into five departments, of Foreign Relations and Colonisation; of Finance; of War; of Justice; and of the Interior. President of the Republic.-Señor Don Gregorio Pacheco, nominated President September 3, 1884. The fundamental law of the republic, ordering the regular election of the chief of the executive every four years, has seldom been carried out since the presidency of Grand-Marshal Santa-Cruz, who ruled Bolivia from May 1828 till January 20, 1839. Subsequently the supreme power was often seized by some successful commander, who, proclaimed by the troops, instead of chosen by the people, was compelled to protect his office by armed force against military rivals. Still, since 1841, there have been only twelve presidents, some of whom have managed to retain power for several years, as General Jose Bollivian, 1841-47; General Belzu, 1847-55; General Melgarejo, 1864-71. The seat of the government, formerly at the city of La Paz, capital of the republic, is now at the city of Sucre or Chuquisaca. According to a report issued in 1884, the schools and universities were attended by only 12,000 pupils and students, or about 5 per cent. of the population, of school age. There are four universities. Revenue, Public Debt, and Army. There have been no official reports of the actual revenue and expenditure of the republic for several years. In the budget for the financial year 1887-88 the receipts from all sources were |