Page:Mexico of the Mexicans.djvu/69

Rh The Parliamentary machinery of the Mexican Republic is represented by two chambers—a Senate and a Chamber of Deputies—the diets of which are held annually from 1st April to 31st May, and 16th September to 15th December. There is, however, a permanent committee of 14 senators and 15 deputies, which sits during the recesses and which has certain emergency powers. The Senate is composed of 56 members, two from each State elected by popular vote for a term of four years, one-half of these retiring every two years; and it is wisely provided that the senators must be residents of the States they represent. The deputies are elected in the ratio of one for each 40,000 inhabitants, and serve for a term of two years. Both senators and deputies receive a salary of about £600 per annum.

The judicial power is vested in a Supreme Court of Justice, 3 circuit courts, and 32 district courts. The Supreme Court consists of 11 justices, 4 deputies, and other officials, all of whom are elected by popular vote. Its jurisdiction extends to all cases arising under the federal laws, but it has no powers in cases involving private interests, in inter-State litigation, or in cases in which the State figures. The salaries of the judges are extremely moderate, those of the Supreme Court receiving only about 550 per annum; while the district justices have to be content with about £360 per annum.

Each State has also its legislative organisation or congress presided over by a governor, who is indirectly elected by popular vote and served by deputies who sit for two years. These assemblies, and indeed the whole State machinery, is modelled upon the federal institutions, and each State had also its Supreme Court of Justice and inferior courts. The States are divided into districts having a resemblance in size and administration to English counties, and each has at its head a Jefe Politico, an administrator or prefect. The powers of the several States are limited. For example, no one State is permitted under the constitution to raise a tariff