Page:Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition, v. 5.djvu/633

Rh CHILI 621 with drawing up and preserving legal instruments, some among their number being particularly entrusted with the registry of landed property, and of deeds of partnership, having then the title of notary conservator. The registers are open to public inspection. Religion. The form of worship recognized by the con stitution is the Roman Catholic, yet Government tolerates the public profession of others. For the purposes of ecclesiastical administration, Chili is divided into four dioceses one archbishopric and 3 bishoprics which are subdivided into 144 parishes. The salary of the archbishop is 1600, of the bishops of Concepcion and Serena 1200 each, and of Ancud 1000. The salaries of the curates range from 20 per annum to 200. The mission department is under the direction of Capuchin friars, and consists of a prefect and sub-prefect, and a staff of 30 missionaries and several chaplains, stationed in the provinces of Arauco, Valclivia, Llanquihue, and Magallanes. Their labours among the adult Indians produced little fruit, but in their schools they have been more successful. Wor ship, including salaries and repairs of churches, costs Government annually 63,425. In Santiago there is one handsome Protestant church, ia Valparaiso three, and a chapel in Talca. Roman Catholicism exists in a mild form among the educated classes, but with a good deal of superstition among the miners and peasantry (huasos and inquilinos). There is only one great place of pilgrimage in Chili, and that is to an image of the Virgin in the church of Andacollo, a small village near Serena. Upwards of 20,000 persons visit it annually, and the yearly festival is occasionally presided over by the bishop of the province, when the image is carried in procession round the square. The greatest devotees are the miners. Education. The first educational establishments in rank are the University and the National Institute of Santiago. The university, which grants degrees in law and medicine, has 37 professors, besides numerous assistants, and is attended by nearly 700 students. It is governed by a rector and a vice-rector, a secretary, and the five deacons of the faculties of humanity, mathematics, medicine, law, and theology, who are also charged with the inspection of education in all schools throughout the republic. Who ever has the necessary elementary knowledge may attend the classes without paying fees. The preparatory section or &quot; Institute,&quot; corresponding with our high schools, is under the management of a rector, a vice-rector, 48 masters, and several inspectors. It is attended by about 1000 pupils, of whom only those pay who lodge and board in the establishment, this costing 32 a year. The institute is endowed with 45 exhibitions or bursaries, 15 of which are divided equally among youths from Peru, Bolivia, and Ecuador. These two establishments cost the Government annually 25,000. Lyceums, on the same plan as the National Institute, are established in every provincial capital, 16 altogether, and are supported by local taxation, government grants, and fees from pupils. In these institutions boarders pay an annual sum of 20, and day scholars 2, 8s. ; but many receive instruction gratuitously. The directly practical branches of education receive the largest share of attention, but the learned languages are not neglected. The lyceums of Talca, Concepcion, and Serena possess the privilege of granting degrees in mathematics and chemistry. Government expends annually on the lyceums in the province 35,000, and they are attended by 2200 pupils. Government supports besides 810 schools throughout the country, in which 62,220 children are taught the catechism, reading, writing, arithmetic, and geography. Those who choose may learn in addition the histories of Chili and America, sacred history, drawing, music, and sewing. There are also 480 private schools, with 24,000 pupils, which differ more in the rank of the children than in the subjects taught. One in eray 3 8 of the population in Santiago can read, and 1 in every 4 - 4 can both read and write and the proportion is nearly the same in the provinces of Atacama, Coquimbo, Valparaiso, Con cepcion, and Chiloe ; while hi the entire population of the republic one in 7 can read, and one in 8 can both read and write. Upon an average 1 child for every 2471 inhabitants goes to school. In the public schools each child costs Government an average of 45 shillings. Table showing the number of children educated at the public and private schools, and the proportion of pupils to inhabitants. Number of Inhabitants. Pupils. Number of Inhabitants to each Pupil. Atacama 71,302 3,935 18-12 Coquimbo ... 157,463 6,134 25-67 Aconcagua .. 132,799 5 656 25-67 Valparaiso 176,682 9 900 17-84 Santiago 362,712 19,655 18-44 Colchagua 146,889 4,746 30-95 Curico 92,110 3,145 29-28 Talca 110,359 4 082 27-03 Linares 1,707 Maule 237,334 j 3,223 48-13 Xuble 136,880 4,976 27-51 Concepcion ... 151,365 6 023 25-13 Arauco 140,896 3,297 42 73 Valdivia 37,481 1,463 25 55 Llanquihue Chiloe 48,492 65,680 2,730 4,780 17-76 1374. TOTAL 2,111,688 85,442 24-71 Educational Institutions for especial purposes. For the education of priests there are seminaries in Serena, Valparaiso, Santiago, Talca, Concepcion, and Ancud, six in all, attended by about 535 young men, and costing Government 8000 annually. For the education of teachers, there are two schools for females and one for men. There are also in Santiago a school for the blind and another for the deaf and dumb. In the military academy in Santiago there are 100 pupils, cost ing annually 7200 ; annexed to it is the naval academy, costing 2600, with 100 pupils. In Valparaiso is the practical naval school, costing 2600, with 100 pupils ; a school for music, costing 750, with 100 pupils ; an academy of painting, costing 1000, with 70 pupils; one of sculpture, costing 600, with 30 pupils ; an agri cultural and polytechnic school, with 90 pupils, costing 7200. There are also a national library and museum and observatory, costing annually about 4000. Masters are also employed to teach in prisons and in barracks. Altogether there are upwards of 1300 educational establishments, to which the State contributes 166,000, and these establishments are attended by about 93,000 pupils. Further to aid in the diffusion of knowledge Government distributes among the poorer schools text books, cheap editions of standard authors, chiefly French translated into Spanish. Benevolent Institutions.- In Chili there are 42 hospitals, Charities. with an average number of 41,930 patients; 18 lazar houses (lazaretos) with 2230 patients; 31 dispensaries, providing medicines during the year to 293,100 sick people ; 1 asylum for the insane, with 575 patients ; 4 foundling hospitals, with 845 children ; 6 hospices, with 765 poor; 5 refuges for fallen women, with 610 inmates; and 5 establishments for orphans, with 590. For the support of these charities Government contributes annually on an average 54,500. There are several prisons, one house of correction, and Prisons, a large penitentary, the whole costing Government annually about 23,000. Legations. The Chilian legation for France and England Legations is in Paris. The minister s salary is 1800; with other salaries and sundries, it costs 3000. In Washington the expense of the legation is 1400; in Lima, 2800, in Bolivia 1300; in Buenos Ayres, which serves also for Brazil, 2600. The Press. The press in Chili is improving. There Press. are one or more daily newspapers in every town of im portance, and about 50 papers and magazines published weekly or monthly. The official organ of the Government is the Araucano; of the Law Courts, the Gaceta de los Tribunales; of the university, the Anales de la.