Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1921.djvu/1209

 1157 PARAGUAY.

(Republic* dex Paraguay. Constitution and Government.

The Republic of Paraguay gained its independence from Spanish rule in 1811, and after a short government by two consuls, the supreme power was seized, in 1815, by Dr. Jose Gaspar Rodriguez Francia, who exercised autocratic sway as dictator till his death, September 20, 1840. Dr. Francia's reign was followed by an interregnum, which lasted till 1842, when a National Co DJ meeting at the capital, Asuncion, elected Don Mariano Roque Alonso and Don Carlos Antonio Lopez joint consuls of the Republic. A nother Congress voted, March 13, 1844, a new Constitution, and, March 14, elected Don Carlos Antonio Lopez sole President ; he was continued by another election, March 14, 1857. At the death of Don Carlos, September 10, 1862, his son, Don Francisco Solano Lopez, born 1827, succeeded to the supreme power. President Lopez, in 1864, began a dispute with the Government of Brazil, the consequence of which was the entry of a Brazilian army, united with forces of the Argentine Confederation and Uruguay, into the Republic, June. 1S65. After a struggle of five years, in which Paraguay lost probably 500,000 men, Lopez was defeated and killed at the battle of Cerro Cora, March 1, 1870.

A new Constitution was proclaimed on November 25, 1870, whereby the legislative authority is vested in a Congress of two Houses, a Senate. Chamber oi Deputies, the executive being entrusted to a President, elected for the term of four years, with five ministers. There is aUo a non-active Vice- President, who is at the same time President of the Senate. The Senate and Chamber of Deputies are elected directly by the people, the former in the ratio of one representative to 12,000 inhabitants, and the latter one to 6,000 inhabitants, though in the case of the sparsely populated divisions a greater ratio is permitted. The new electoral law of November 30, 1916, provides for 20 Senators and 40 Deputies. The Senators and Deputies receive each 3,000 dollars per month.

President of th-c Mepublic. — Senor Manuel Gondra. Born Januarv 1, 1872. (Term of office, August 15, 1920, to August 14, 1924.}

The President exercises his functions through a oabinet of responsible ministers, five in number, presiding over the departments of the Interior ; of Finance : of Justice, Worship and Public Instruction ; of War and Marine : and of Foreign Affairs. The President receives a salary of 15,000 dollars per month, and each of the ministers 8.000 dollars. The total administrative expenses are estimated (year ending December 31, 1919) at 1,132,502 dollars gold and 76,034,770 dollars currency (together 1,071, 332Z.). The apparent large increase of expenditure over that estimated for the year 1P17-18, which was 577,182/., is due to the appreciation of the paper currency.

The country is divided into 2 sections : the ' Oriental,' east of Paraguay river, and the 'Occidental,' west of the same river. The Oriental section is divided into 12 departments, subdivided into 93 ' partidos ' : the Occidental section is divided into 3 'comandanciasmilitares.'

The 12 depart me: its are: Ooncepcion, San Pedro, Caraguatay, Villarrica, Yhii, Caazapa, Encarnaeion, San Tynacio, Quiyindy, Villeta, Paraguari and Pilar. The capital, Asuncion, formed a district subdivided into ' secciones policial es.' The civil authority is exercised by a jefe politico in each of the latter, who is subject to the control of Government delegcxlos, or c&nisionados, 12 in number, among whom are included the military commanders of the 5 military zones.