Page:A history of Chile.djvu/256

 236 A HISTORY OF CHILE and there patiently awaited the time when there should be a change of the government before they could hope to return in safety to their native soil. A law, called the law of civil responsibility, was passed after much opposition, and by its terms citizens taking part in riots and revolutions must answer with their persons and their property for damage caused. So long, therefore, as Montt was at the head of the government, political refugees dared not show their faces in Chile. Congress passed the new civil code drawn by Bello, which had long been under consideration, toward the close of Montt's administration; also commercial and penal laws, and rules for court proceedings. Educa- tional matters still continued to occupy the attention of the government, public works were completed and new undertakings essaj'ed. A companj', in coopera- tion with the government, pushed forward a railroad toward the south as far as Rancagua. To complete the railroad between Valparaiso and Santiago, the gov- ernment obtained a loan in Europe of $7,000,000. The revolution retarded the work so that the line was not completed until 1863. Varas had some time before resigned from the min- istry, but it was well known that his counsels still pre- vailed with the administration. The names of Montt and Varas go down to posterity together, both eulo- gized and condemned. Naturally the party of the ad- ministration wished Montt's successor to be the able ex-minister. But it was forseen that his canvass would meet with stubborn resistance and might result in de- feat, or even in a new revolution. Varas, therefore, re- fused to be the official candidate and Jos6 Joaquin Perez was selected in his place. Having lived some years apart from politics, Perez would arouse few an- tagonisms and for that reason was at this time an avail- able candidate.