GOVERNAIENT. The constitution of Argentina, adopted in 1853, and modified in 1S0 and in 189S, is modeled closely upon that of the United States; and the entire system of government, both federal and provincial, is almost identical in its chief features with our own. The legisla tive power is vested in a Congress consisting Of a Senate and a House of Representatives. The Senate is composed of 30 members, elected 2 each by the legislatures of the 14 provinces, and 2 by the city of Buenos Ayres. They serve for nine years, hut one-third of the Chamber passes nut every three years. The Lower House consisted in 1901 of 133 members, elected directly by the peo ple for a term of four years, one-half of the House being renewed every two years. To the IT(mse of Representatives is reserved the right of initiating bills dealing with taxation and Military conscription, and of impeaching the no tional executive and judiciary. The executive power is vested in a President, elected for a period of six years by the same method as that pursued in the United States,exeept that the num ber of electors chosen by each Province is twice the number of its representatives in Congress. The President acts through his ministers. eight in number, who preside over the Departments of the Interior, Foreign Affairs and Worship, Fi nance (Hacienda), Justice and Publ Instruc tion, War, Navy, Agriculture and Piddle Works. The ministers may appear and speak in Congress, though they have no vote. and are responsible for the acts of the chief executive, whose decrees they must countersign separately or jointly. Through the ministers. the President may initiate legislation in either house. The Supreme Court of the Republic consists of live judges and an attorney-general, appointed by the President, with the approval of the Senate. It exercises similar jurisdiction to that of the United States Suprenu• Court.
The Provinces, fourteen in number, have each their own constitution, and exercise complete con trol over their own affairs. They possess even greater power than the States of our Union,in that they may conclude treaties (with the consent of Congress). for the fostering of industry, Muni gration, colonization, railways, and canals. The governor is elected directly by the people for a period of three or four years. 'File national do main is divided into nine territories, controlled by Congress. and ruled by governors appointed by the President. When a territory acquires a population of 30,000 it is granted the power of choosing a legislature, and when its inhabitants number 60,000, it must of right be admitted as a Province with boundaries determined by Con gress. For purposes of administration and police, the Republic is divided into 424 depart ments and 1750 districts. The national is Buenos Ayres.
LocAt, NIENT. Every community of more than 1000 inhabitants may be erected into a municipal corporation. In the Provinces of
Buenos Ayres, Santa Entre Rios, San Juan, and Corrientes. the municipalities are supreme. in the sphere of local government, and are amen able to the Province or court only in case of a violation of a general The municipal presi dents and councils are elected by the people, except the intendentr (governor) of Buenos Ayres, which comprises the Federal District, who is appointed by the President of the Republic. In the other provinces the municipalities are subject to inspection and regulation by the Gov ernment officials and judicial authorities. For eigners are eligible to any ID unieipal office.
IaIAIIGRATIOS AND EMIGRATION. Since 1857, when the statistics of incoming foreigners were first taken. there has been a growing stream of immigratMn, which swelled the country's popu lation in the period from 1857-99 by 2,564,000 people. Immigration received a great setback in 1890, and although it has been recovering since that year it has not yet reached the high-water mark of the year preceding the crisis. In 1889 the total immigration into the eountry was 261, 000, of whom 219,000 came by sea and 42,000 by land. In the following year there was a drop of one-half, the total immigration in 1890 being 132.000. In 1891 there was a further drop to 52,000. but since then there has been a gradual increase, the total immigration in 1899 exceeding 111,000. On the other hand, the emigration from the country, which was only 40,000 in 1889, rose to S3.000 in 1890. It has averaged about 50,000 per year since then. About 70 per cent. of the immigrants are Italians, about 10 per cent. Spaniards. and nearly 8 per cent. are French, the rest being made up of the various nationalities mentioned below under POPULATION.
The Argentinians have long understood the great value of immigration to a naturally rich and fertile, but sparsely settled, country like their own. Hence their great efforts to attract foreign labor, as well as foreign capital, to their country. In addition to very liberal immigra tion laws, and generous distribution of land to colonists, enormous sums of money have been spent in bringing over and aiding immigrants before they are able to support themselves. Be sides the sums thus spent by the Province of Buenos Ayres and by the private Colonization Association, the national treasury has been spending annually from one to three-quarters of a million pesos during the last decade of the century, and on the average a sum close to a quarter of a million annually since 1870. The number of people gratuitously brought over, lodged, and finally settled at public expense in the forty years from 1557 to 1897 was 897,805, 697.398, and 576.396. reepective_ly. To what ex tent the free distribution of land to immigrants and the planting of agricultural colonies have added to the national wealth has already been shown under AGRICULTURE.