THE GOVERNMENT. 133 



unbroken until the 30th of August. On that day the members of the two chambers meet in 

 the hall of the Sriiat.- to xaiiiim- t!i<- fotefj and IK: who haft received a majority of all IK 

 proclaimed elected f<r the m-xt term. If there he no majority for either of the candidates 

 Congress then proceeds to elect one of the two who had received the greatest number of votes. 

 On the 18th of September following, the inauguration takes place, with ceremonies which are 

 clsrwhcrc dcscriltcd. 



The Chief Magistrate is declared to be the supreme head of the nation, and his authority 

 extends to everything which has for its object the preservation of public order within the 

 republic, as well as its external security. He is required to take part in forming laws, and to 

 give his sanction to or disapprove them ; to attend carefully to the administration of justice 

 and the ministerial deportment of judges. He may prorogue ordinary sessions of Congress for 

 fifty days, and, by consent of the Council of State, may at any time call an extra session. With 

 the approbation of the Council, he proposes such laws to Congress as he deems necessary, and 

 has the privilege of returning any act to which he objects either wholly rejected, or with such 

 modifications as meet his views. He can appoint and remove at will his cabinet ministers, 

 diplomatic and consular agents, intendentes and other officers of the provinces, and the officers 

 of the national guard ; but, whilst giving him power to nominate all other officers, the Senate 

 or Council of State have a voice in their appointment ; and, once confirmed, their removal can 

 only be effected by trial for malfeasance and conviction. In other respects his powers are ana- 

 logous to those intrusted by the Constitution of the United States to their President he of Chile 

 also being required to present to the Congress an annual report on the condition of affairs 

 both foreign and domestic. 



Should he assume personal command of the army, or become incompetent, by illness or other 

 grave cause, to fulfil the duties of his office, they are to be executed by the Minister of the 

 Interior, whose title then becomes Vice-President. At other times no such officer is known. 

 If the President die or resign during the term for which he was elected, or there be other cause 

 which will absolutely prevent bis resuming the duties of office, the Vice-President is required 

 to order a new election within ten days after the casualty occurs. If there be no Minister of the 

 Interior, then the oldest minister takes the office, and, failing one of them, the oldest Councillor 

 of State, unless he should be an ecclesiastic. During the term for which he is elected, the Pre- 

 sident is inviolable ; but in the year succeeding his term, and in that year only, he may be 

 arraigned for any act of bis administration. 



No specific number of ministers have been provided for by the constitution. At present there 

 are four, viz: foreign and internal relations; finance (hacienda); war and marine; religion 

 and public instruction. The first named is highest in rank, and at the head of the cabinet 

 officers. No one can be appointed to these posts unless he has been born in Chile ; is in 

 possession of all the rights of citizenship, and has an income of at least $500 a year. They are 

 directly responsible to Congress for every order of the President that they countersign, and no 

 order or document from him is legal without such signature. Immediately at the .assembling 

 of Congress, each one is required to furnish a statement of the affairs under his department, 

 together with estimates of all expenditures proposed to be made in the coming year. Any sen- 

 ator or deputy may, at the same time, be a cabinet minister. At the commencement of 1850 

 the whole body were members of the Chamber of Deputies ; nor is it unusual for one person to 

 hold several offices. One gentleman was at the same time lieutenant general, vice-admiral and 

 commandant general of marine, intendente of Valparaiso, and senator ; and another was senator, 

 rector of the university, commissioner plenipotentiary to form a treaty with the United States 

 minister, and confidential clerk in the Foreign Office ! Ministers, whether members of Congress 

 or not, have a right to take part in the debates at will. Being responsible to the Congress, the 

 Chamber of Deputies may cause their arrest for treason, subornation, malversation of the public 

 funds, infraction of the constitution or laws, or for compromising the honor or security of the 

 country. Having made their charges, two deputies are appointed prosecutors of the trial before 



