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VENEZUELA.

(Republica de Venezuela.)

Constitution and Government.

The republic of Venezuela was formed in 1830, by secession from the other members of the Free-state founded by Simon Bolivar within the limits of the Spanish colony of New Granada. The charter of fundamental laws actually in force, proclaimed in 1864, was designed on the model of the constitution of the United States of America, but with considerably more independence secured to provincial and local government. The provinces, or states, of the republic, thirteen in number, have each their own legislature and executive, as well as their own budgets, and judiciary officers, and the main purpose of their alliance is that of common defence. At the head of the central executive government stands a President, elected for the term of four years, with a Vice-President at his side, and exercising his functions through six ministers. The President has no veto power. The legislation for the whole republic ia vested in a Congress of two Houses, called the Senate and the House of Representatives, both composed of members deputed by the same bodies in the individual states. The President, Vice- President, and Congresses of States are elected by universal suffrage, and all citizens are eligible who can read and Avrite, without dis- tinction of birth, colour, and race.

Since the year 1847, the republic has suffered greatly from intestine dissensions, leading to an almost continuous civil war, through the struggles of the rival parties of the Unionists and Federalists, the former desiring a strong central government, and the latter the greatest possible state of independence. The struggle was for a time embittered by race hatred, which was subdued partly by the equalising provisions of the charter of 1864.

Revenue, Population, and Trade.

The only source of public revenue at the disposal of the central government is that of customs duties, which produced 4,390,054 Pesos, or 878,011/., in the year ending June 30, 1868. The expenditure during the same period was 4,560,750 Pesos, or 912,152/.. more than one-half of the disbursements being for the maintenance of the army.