December 19Q8 a Supreme Court was established and the judicial system was re organized. The Montevideo Port Railway was inaugurated on 16 May 1913. Dr. Feliciano Viera was elected on 1 March 1915 as Presi dent of Uruguay (and inaugurated two days later) for the term ending 1 March 1919.
Government— According to the provisions of the constitution of 18 July 1830, the legis lative branch of the government is composed of the Senate and the House of Representa tives, the former having one member for each of the 19 political divisions, called departments, and the latter one for each 3,000 inhabitants or fraction exceeding 2,000. Together they compose the General Assembly, in which all legislative power is vested, and they meet annu ally from 15 February to 15 June. The term of a senator is six years and that of a deputy is three. In many respects the powers of this Congress or General Assembly are similar to those of the Congress of the United States, but they extend much farther in certain directions, namely, to the granting of pardons and amnes ties in extraordinary cases and electing the President of the republic (see below). The judicial power is exercised in several courts of first instance (distributed as civil, criminal, for cases affecting the treasury, for commer cial cases, police and departmental); courts of appeal and the High Court of Justice. The executive power is vested in a President, who is chosen for a term of four years by a ma jority of the members of the legislature in joint session of its two chambers. The President is ineligible for the term immediately following his tenure of office. He is aided by a cabinet of seven ministers, who, although appointed by him, are responsible to the Congress as well. The law of 3 March 1911, increasing the num ber of cabinet officers from five to seven, es tablished the following ministries: Interior and Worship; Foreign Affairs; Finance; Jus tice and Public Instruction; Industries, Labor and Communications; Public Works; War and Marine. Reform of the fundamental law is part of the order of the day. A new Con stitution, to come into force 1 March 1919, was adopted by the two great political parties in 1917. Its basic principles are the following:
(1) The next President is to be elected by the Chambers — The Senate and House of Repre sentatives — as heretofore, but succeeding Presi dents are to be elected directly by the people, with secret voting. The Presidential period will remain as at present, a four-year period. (2) No one can be re-elected as President until eight years shall have elapsed after his previous term. This is substituted for the provision that he must not be a candidate for re-election for the term immediately following his own tenure of office. (3) In case of vacancy occurring in the presidency, the Chambers, by absolute ma jority, shall at once elect a substitute to hold office for the remainder of the period. The provision has been heretofore that in case of the President's disability or death, the presiding officer of the Senate shall assume the presi dency. (4) The President shall have direction of the army and navy, and shall be in charge of foreign affairs and of ptiblic order at home and abroad. The prefects shall be dependent upon him alone; nevertheless it is provided that they shall be appointed by him from candidates proposed by an important body to be known as the Council or the Council of State. (5) The Council shall submit for examination by the President matters relating to the creation or modification of taxes, to loans, to the budget, the circulating medium and to foreign com merce. This includes also practically all pro posed economic measures. If the President withhold his approval the Council may prevail only by a two-thirds vote. (6) Conflicts of jurisdiction between the President and the Council of State shall be decided by the Chambers. (7) The Council of State shall con sist of nine members, serving six years each; it shall be renewed by third parts, every two years, by direct election and secret voting. The first Council shall be elected by the Chambers, six members by the majority and three by the minority. (8) The Chambers shall be para Mount in their control of national measures.