GOVERNMENT. The present Constitution of Spain was proclaimed June 30, 1576. It declares the government to be a constitutional monarchy with the executive power vested in the King. The King is fm-bidden to alienate or exchange Span ish territory, or to admit foreign troops into the realm, or to make treaties of alliance. of commerce, or of subsidy or such as impose burdens on Spaniards• or to abdicate the crown in favor of a successor without special authori zation by the Legislature. The sovereign is de clared to be inviolable and irresponsible. He is aided by ministers who countersign all his official acts and who thereby assume the responsibility for them. Since the abolition of the Colonial De partment in 1899 the Ministry has been organ ized as follows: President of the Council: Minis ter of Foreign Affairs; Minister of Justice; I1in ister of Finance; Minister of the Interior; Minister of War; Minister of Minister of Agriculture, Commerce, and Public Works; Minister of Education. The Ministers have seats in the national legislature and are permitted to take part in the debates.
The legislative power is vested in the King and a Cortes composed of a Senate and a Chamber of Deputies, the two Houses having substantial equality of powers in legislation. The Senate is composed of three classes of Senators: First, those entitled to seats in their own right (Sena dorcs de derecho propio) ; secondly, 100 life Sena tors nominated by the Crown from certain desig nated classes; and thirdly, ISO Senators elected by communal and municipal delegates and by the provincial estates, the Church, the universities, learned societies, etc., and by the largest tax payers. The first two groups must not exceed 180 members. Senators by right embrace the adult sons of the King and those of the immedi ate heir to the throne; Spanish grandees who have an annual income of at least 812,000; captain generals of the army, admirals of the navy, the patriarch of the Indias and the archbishops, and the presidents of the councils of State, of war, of the navy, of the Supreme Court, and of the tribunal of accounts. One-half the elective Sen ators retire every five years; and all retire when ever the King dissolves the Senate. The Chamber of Deputies is composed of 431 members chosen for a term of five years by popular election. Eighty-eight Deputies are elected by general ticket in 26 districts, provision being made for minority representation. The members are ap portioned on the basis of one to every 50.000 of the inhabitants. They must be twenty-five years of age. By a law of 1S90 all male Span iards twenty-five years of age who are in the full enjoyment of their civil rights and who have been citizens of a municipality for at least two years are qualified voters. The Depu
ties receive no compensation for their services and are disqualified from holding office while serving in the Parliament. Annual sessions of the Parliament are held; it is summoned by the King, and may be prorogued or dissolved by him, subject to the limitation that the new Cortes must be summoned within three months after the dissolution of the old. The sessions are public; each Chamber regulates its own pro cedure, and is the judge of the election and quali fication of its own members. Both Senators and Deputies are responsible only to their respective Chambers for any words spoken in debate or votes cast. They are also privileged from arrest except in case of flagrant crime. The seat of government is 'Madrid.
For purposes of local government Spain is divided into provinces and communes. each with its own elected assembly. The Ayuntamiento or elected assembly of the commune consists of from 5 to 39 Regidorcs and is presided over by an Alcalde chosen from the body of the -Ayuntami ento, except in some of the large towns, where he is appointed by the King. The term of the members of the Ayuntamiento is four years, one half the membership being renewed biennially. The provincial deputations meet once a year and are represented during the interval by a perma nent committee. These two local assemblies have entire control of the local government in their respective jurisdictions and are free from inter ference of the central Government except when they exceed their powers to the detriment of the general interest.
The judiciary consists of a Supreme Court of Cassation, which sits at Madrid; a number of district courts or audiencias immediately under the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court; tribunals de partidos below the audiencias; justices of the peace; and municipal courts. The audiencias serve as courts of appeal in civil matters and as courts of first and last resort for crimes and certain misdemeanors. The tribunals de partidos have jurisdiction in first instance of civil causes and in first and last resort of misdemeanors. They also have appellate jurisdiction in cases de cided by the inferior courts. The partido is divided into circumscriptions, usually two, in each of which is a jue:', de instruction. with civil and criminal jurisdiction in cases assigned to them by the higher courts of a Minister. The circumscriptions are subdivided into communes, in each of which is a municipal judge with juris diction of petty offenses.