Page:Tupper family records - 1835.djvu/103

Rh 'Liberales,' in contra-distinction to the 'Peleucones,' who are the aristocrats of the country and shun all innovations, and to the Estanqueros, who are the vampires of the state, a party whose object is to raise itself to opulence by exclusive commercial privileges, inconsistent with the general prosperity. The O'Higginists form another party, the object of which is to bring back O'Higgins and absolute government.

"I have said that the 'Liberales' gained the elections; General Pinto, their chief, was elected president for five years by the electoral colleges, (not by congress,) the constitution stating that any individual, having more than one half of the votes of the electoral colleges, becomes president of course,—otherwise the election is left to congress. The vice-president is elected by congress, from among those persons who, next to the president, unite most votes from the electoral colleges, or, as the 'Liberales' have it, from among all those who have votes at all. Now Pinto had more than half the votes of the colleges, and was therefore recognised president. The election of vice-president became the attribute of congress, and this was a most interesting point, as by this time General Pinto had positively declined the acceptance of the presidency.

"The constitution enacts, that the vice-president is to be elected by congress from among those having the immediate majority of votes,—'Mayoria immediata.' Those opposed to the 'Liberales' construe the meaning to be that the vice-president is to be elected from the two having most votes from the colleges, while on the other hand the 'Liberales' contend that the vice-president may be elected indiscriminately from all those who have votes. In