PARAGUAY. 



673 



should not be entirely destroyed by the greed and 

 avarice of those now engaged in it. The records of 

 the Supreme Court of our State disclose the fact that 

 a paid lobby was employed by those interested in the 

 monopolies "of traps and fish-wheels during the last 

 .iturCj and although such a lobbv may again be 

 employed, it is to be hoped that the Legislature will 

 change the law by which the monopoly of the men 

 owning fish-traps and fish-wheels may be destroyed. 

 The last Legislature created a board of three fish com- 

 missioners, one of whom is denominated president, 

 and the law creating such board declared that " it 

 shall be the duty of the president to see that all laws 

 for the propagation, protection, and preservation of 

 food fishes in the public waters in the State of Ore- 

 gon, whether entirely or partially within the State 

 boundaries, are enforced. " The Constitution of the 

 State declares one of the prerogatives of the Gover- 

 nor to be that '' he shall take care that the laws are 

 faithfully executed." If the Legislature can thus 

 rightfully invest a commission of its own creation 

 and selection with the powers conferred upon the 

 Governor by the fundamental law of the land, then 

 our Constitution is a mere wanton fraud, and your 

 supporting oaths a hollow mockery. The. commission 

 has been rather a detriment than an aid in the en- 



forcement of the law. No further need for its exist- 

 ence remains since the Clackamas hatchery has 

 passed under the control of the Federal Government, 

 and no other suitable location in Oregon, as the board 

 . can be found. Besides, it can be questioned 

 if it is any more just for the State to expend money 

 in the establishment of fish-hatcheries in order that 

 cannery men may have plenty of fish for future use 

 than it" would be to furnish seed wheat to the farmer 

 in order to insure him future great harv< 



Political. In June. 1888, a State election was 

 held for the Chief-Justice of the Supreme 

 Court, and William P. Lord was elected by 

 33,008 votes, against 26,336 for John Burnet. 

 At the same time, Binger Herman was chosen, 

 as a Republican, to Congress. The Legislat- 

 ure consists of twenty-one Republicans and 

 nine Democrats in the Senate, and fifty-one 

 Republicans and nine Democrats in the lower 

 branch. The vote in the Presidential election 

 was as follows: Gen. Harrison, 33,291 ; Mr. 

 Cleveland, 26,522; Gen. Fisk, 1,677; Mr. 

 Streeter, 363. 



PARAGUAY, a republic in South America. 

 (Tor details of the census taken in 1886, see 

 'Annual Cyclopaedia" for 1887.) 



Government. The President is Gen. Patricio 

 Escobar, whose term of office will expire on 

 Xov. 25, 1890. His Cabinet is composed of 

 the following ministers: Interior, Col. Meza; 

 Foreign Affairs, J. S. Decoud; Finances, H. 

 Uriarte; Justice and Public Worship, M. Ma- 

 ciel ; War, Col. Duarte. The United States 

 Minister for Paraguay and Uruguay, resident 

 at Montevideo, is John E. Bacon ; the Ameri- 

 can Consul at Asuncion is Frank D. Hill. The 

 Paraguayan Consul - General in the United 

 States is John Stewart. 



Army. All citizens capable of bearing arms 

 between the ages of twenty and thirty-five are 

 liable to be enrolled in the army, but the 

 strength of the latter has for economical rea- 

 sons been reduced to 623 men. In case of* war 

 the National Guard is mobilized. 



\avy. The fleet consists of a screw-steamer 

 registering 440 tons, carrying 4 guns, having 

 6 officers, and manned by 36 sailors, and of 

 two small steamer? doing river service. 



Finances. The foreign debt, contracted in 

 187l-'72, amounted in 1888 to $4,250,000, 

 bearing 2 per cent, interest. After Jan. 1, 

 1892, the interest is to be 3 per cent., and after 

 Jan. 1, 1897, 4 per cent. The home debt 

 amounts to $1,068,250, the sinking-fund having 

 canceled $398,000 in 1887. The revenue col- 

 lected in 1887 was $1,609,030; money col- 

 lected for land sales effected $329,146 ;" total, 

 $1,938,176 ; deducting therefrom the expendi- 

 ture, which, together with the interest on the 

 foreign and home debt, did not exceed $1,400.- 

 503, there remained a surplus of &o37.67o. The 

 Government still owed the Xational Bank $47.- 

 200 in 1886 ; this money has been refunded, 

 VOL. xxvin. 43 A 



and a total internal debt reduction effected in 

 1887 of $293,200. 



(omninnitations. The number of items of mail 

 matter in 1887 reached 438,846, the receipts 

 amounting to $9,695. Aside from the 72 kilo- 

 metres of telegraph running parallel with the 

 Paraguari Railroad, there is the one from Paso 

 de la Patria to Asuncion, which communicates 

 with the world's cable system. The number 

 of messages forwarded in 1887 was 31,857. the 

 receipts aggregating $22,511. 



The telephone service at Asuncion has been 

 in operation since 1884, when a seven years' 

 privilege was extended to the company. The 

 lines measure 1,000 kilometres, the number ef 

 subscribers being 173. 



There is in running order the line from 

 Asuncion to Paraguari, 72 kilometres, and 

 building the line from Paraguari to Villa Rica, 

 80 kilometres. There were 257,668 passengers 

 in 1887, the expenses being $111,337, and the 

 receipts $101,550. Some 25 kilometres of 

 tramway are in operation at the capital. 



Commerce. The imports increased from $1,- 

 4-1 in 1886 to $2,221,750 in 1887, and the 

 exports from $1,620,779 to $1,715,853. The 

 number of vessels that entered the ports of 

 Montevideo and Buenos Ayres with cargoes in- 

 tended for Paraguay was 320 in 1886, of which 

 223 were steamers ; the tonnage being 60,408. 



Education. Besides the Xational College at 

 Asuncion, attended by 209 students, there are 

 9 schools for boys in the capital and 7 for 

 girls, attended respectively by 1,148 an-: 

 pupils. The number of professors at the Xa- 

 tional College is 21. The library contains 

 2,538 volumes, and had 2.626 readers in 1886. 



Government Land Sales. The proceeds of pub- 

 lic lands during 18S7 were $1.408,123, of which 

 439 were for cash and the remainder 



