Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1871.djvu/562

 526

COLOMBIA.

(ESTADOS UnIDOS DE COLOMBIA.)

Constitution and Government.

The federative republic of Colombia, officially styled the United States of Colombia, was formed by the Convention of Bogota, con- 1 eluded Sept. 20, 1861, by the representatives of nine states previously apart of New Granada. A constitution, bearing date May 8, 1863, vests the executive authority in a president elected for two years, while the legislative power rests with a Congress of two Houses, called the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Senate, numbering 27 members, is composed of representatives of the nine states, each deputing three senators ; the House of Representatives, numbering 66 members, is elected by universal suffrage, each State forming a constituency and returning one member for 50,000 inhabitants, and a second for every additional 20,000. Besides the central government thus created, each of the nine states has its own legislature and chief executive officer, the latter called Governor in all except Panama, which gives him the title of President.

The President of Colombia has at his side a Vice-President, acting as chairman of the Senate, and his executive functions must be exercised through four ministers, or secretaries, responsible to Congress. His biennial term of office begins on the 1st of April, ending the last of March.

President of the Republic. — General Santos Gutierrez, elected for the term 1870-72.

The first head of the executive government of Colombia, after its establishment as a federative republic, was General Thomas Mosquera, who acted as Dictator from Sept. 20, 1861, till the pro- clamation of the constitution of 1863, under which Dr. Manuel Murillo was elected President for two years, commencing April 1st, 1864. General Mosquera was chosen his successor, but before his term of office had expired he came into conflict with the Con- gress of the Republic, and on the 23rd of May was deposed and imprisoned, his place being filled provisionally by the Vice-Presi- dent, General Santos Gutierrez. The latter was subsequently elected President for the next term, ending March 31, 1872.

Seat of the central government is the federal city of Bogota.