GOVERNMENT. The present Constitution of :Mexico was adopted by a constituent assembly on February 5. 1857. and has undergone various amendments extending down to the year 1890. It is a written instrument of great length, and is closely modeled after the Constitution of the United States. There are twenty-nine articles on the 'rights of rights int•lude main l? personal freedom, freedom of speech and of thv press. right of assembly and petition. right of bearing anus, certain rights of accused persons on trial for the commission of crime. and im munity from the operation of retroactive laws, laws which impose excessive tines or inflict un usual punishimults and which take private prop erly without compensation. In ease, however, of great piddle danger from insurrection or inva sion the President of the ltepublie, in concurrence with the Council of :\linisters and with the ap proval of Congress, 'nay Slispelid these guarant 4-A for a limited period.
Tito Government of lexico may be described as a Presidential federal republie, composed of 27 States, •' Territories, and a Federal District. The Constitution provides for a distribution of the powers of government among legislative. and judieial branches. The legislative Immor is vested in a Congress consisting of a House of Representatives and a Senate. The llonse of 1:epresentatives is composed of mem hers elected by indirect secret ballot for a term of two years on the basis of one Representative for every 40.000 of the population and by an electorate which consists practically of all male adults, The qualifications for membership in the noose of Represelltat ives are citizenship and the full enjoyment of all the rights incident thereto, the attainment of the twenty-lifth year, Ind residence in the State from which the IZepre sentatiNe is chosen. Eeclesiasties are fied. 'Flit somite is composed of two Senators from each Slate and two from the Federal Dis trict, chosen in the same and possessing I •: sue qua I i tica - lions, except that the Senat(ms must have at tained the thirtieth year of age. The terms of one-half the Senators expire every second year. Roth Senators and Representatives receive annual of Iwltieb eantiot be renonneedi and are prk ileged from arrest for opinions ex pressed ill the of their duties. EaCh
11°11-e is Ilse of it hi' election and qualifica tions of its own members. Two sessions of Congress are held ammall?., beginning respec tively in .\pril and September. The two Douses enjoy substantial eqnality of powers in legisla tion, execpt that financial and revenue measures and bills for the re, roiling of troops must be first discussed in the House of Representatives. Legislative measures may be initiated by the of the Ilepublie. the State legislatures, and by individual Senators and Representatives. Bills vetoed by the l'resident, lint silbseqiiently passed by an absolute majority of each Ihmse, become law in spite of the exceolke veto.
The ors of Congress are emo„,..i.,ited with great speeitient ion in the Constitution. They in• dude he admission new to t he I he Of new States bin the limit, of old states. the le'9ing of taxes. the issuing of eommervial codes, the niaintetmnee of the and navy. the declaration of war. Ihe of Of weights and measures, the granting of pardons, and the enaet mem of all laws and proper to the exeention f l'IMIller1111`11 powers. The esr1nsivt powers of the Douse t f 1:cpresentatiNes include the (slee t ion in e. rt.tin rare vont ingencies of the President of the Republie, the judges of the Supreme Court.
and the Senators from the Federal District, supervision of the chief auditorship, the approval of the annual estimates of expenses, and the im peachment of Senators, Representa tives, supreme judges, and Governors of tit ales for the commission of crimes during their terms of office. The exehisive powers of the Semite include the approval of treaties with foreign powers, the ratification of nominations by the President to important oiliees, the decision as to whether the status of a Slate government is such as to require the appointment of a pro visional Governor, the decision of politicol con flicts within a State, and the trial of impeach. ments preferred by the House of Representatives. During the recess of Congress some of its int portont functions ore diseharged by a Perinanent Deputation. composed of 15 Representatives mid 14 Senators.