652 
elected by the separate State Legislatures, 
each of which is to nominate two candidates 
for the Presidency—one of whom, at least, 
shall not belong to the state which makes 
the return. © The names of these candidates 
are to be transmitted to’ the General Con- 
gress, which shall declare ® President, the 
candidate who unites in his person the 
greatest number of votes. The duration of 
the President's functions is limited to four 
years. A’ Vice-President is likewise elect- 
éd in the same manner, and for the same 
term, to supply the President’s place, if by 
physical “inability, or any other cause, he 
should be prevented from discharging the 
duties of ‘his office. The powers and pre- 
rogatives of the President are similar to 
those of the same magistrate in the North 
American Union. He appoints or removes 
the Secretaries of State; he appoints to 
posts inthe army and navy ; he disposes of 
the armed force by sea’ and land, in peace or 
war, by the! advice of the Congress ; he 
convokes the Legislative Bodies to an extra- 
ordinary'session ; he provides that justice 
be duly administered ; he promulgates the 
acts of Congress, and does other acts of su- 
preme power. During the recess of Con- 
gress, the supreme magistrate is provided 
with a’council, consisting of half the mem- 
bers’of the Senate, or of a counsellor for 
every state of the Union. The judicial 
power of the Federation is to reside in a su- 
preme: tribunal of justice, and in circuit 
courts. The first is to consist of 11 mem- 
bers, distributed into three halls or cham- 
bers. ‘Lhe members of this supreme tribu- 
nal are to be elected, like the President, by 
a majority of votes of the different State 
Supplementary Varieties. 
Legislatures. ‘The duties of ‘this supreme 
tribunal are, to take cognizanceés of the dif- 
ferences which may arise between'the sepa~ 
rate states of thé Federation, or between 
the authorities of one ‘state and the subjects 
of another ; to’settle disputes which may 
spring up respecting the construction ‘of the 
acts of the Supreme Government ; to ‘de- 
cide on the jurisdiction of the separate/tri- 
bunals of the Union|; and to judge, without 
appeal, in the trial of criminal eases affect- 
ing senators, deputies, ambassadors, con- 
suls, or any of the higher officers of the Su- 
preme Government. This constitutional 
act then proceeds to describe the nature; of 
the State Goyernments, and. to,/fix the li- 
mits of their separate jurisdictions, as they 
refer to the general Union. . Each. of these 
State Governments moye uncontrolled with- 
in its own sphere, and. all partake. of the 
movement and obey the influence of the ge- 
neral federative system of which | they form 
harmonious parts. As Mexico.was once a 
colony of Spain, the constitutional act very 
properly begins by declaring its indepen- 
dence of Spain and eyery other’ Power.: We 
are sorry, however, that the Mexican Le- 
gislators have been restrained by their situ- 
ation, or prevented by their prejudices, 
from declaring one theoretic maxim of great 
importance—namely, the right’ of) every 
man to liberty of conscience; or should 
have had the following declaration and enact- 
ment, which compose the third article: of 
their constitutional act :—‘‘ The religion of 
the Mexican nation is, and always shalljbe, 
the Catholic Apostolic Roman. religion. 
The nation protects it by just and wise 
laws, and prohibits the exercise of every other.’” 
SUPPLEMENTARY VARIETIES, &c. 
——= a 
Messrs. Sowerby have circulated propo- 
posals for enlarging their library, and re- 
moving their Museum of Natural History 
to a situation, in some central part of 
London, where. it may be connected with 
Reading-Rooms, and become of easy refer- 
ence. But as this object cannot be attained 
without considerable expense, they request 
the ce-operation of those friends and loyers 
of Natural History who may be inclined to 
further these views by annual or other sub- 
scriptions towards an establishment, the 
utility, of which is generally admitted, and 
the want of which has long been felt. The 
plan in contemplation is to establish an 
annual income to cover the expenses of 
purchasing and arranging books and sub- 
jects, &c., and the oreupation of the requi- 
site premises; in return for which, the 
subscribers are to have. constant and free 
access to the Museum and Library, or either 
separately, and such other privileges as 
may be found, expedient. As it is the 
plan in contemplation to place the esta- 
blishment upon.a usefw, rather than a 
magnificent scale, five hundred pounds a 
year, it is stated, may be enough to hegin 
with: which, it is hoped, may be obtained 
‘Sy annual subscriptions of éwa or, three 
guineas, and a small deposit for the pur- 
chase of books, &c., from each subscriber 
at the commencement. As it is not sup- 
posed that Laprrs should be exeluded from 
the Museum, it has been hinted that a 
room may be set apart for comparative 
anatomy. The Museum contains an ex- 
tensive and arranged collection of British 
Minerals, Rocks. Plants, Birds,. Fishes} 
Insects, Crustacea, Fossil, and ,Recent 
Shells; and a collection of Foreign, Mine- 
rals, Fossil, and Recent Shells, and Co- 
rals, together with about £400 worth of 
books, all held as seeurity for the payment 
of certain annuities. nt is¥ 
Proposals are in cireulation, for publish= 
ing by subscription, a print,. representing 
the Christmas Cattle Show, at Sadler’s 
Repository, to be engraved by an artist of; 
eminence, from a, painting by Mr. Walter, 
and to be dedicated to the Smithfield Club, 
likenesses 
