386 



HAYTI. 



came aware, from this fresh outbreak, that the 

 position was untenable, unless by the shedding 

 of blood, he made up his mind to abdicate, and 

 immediately called on the Senate to meet on 

 the 16th of March, to elect a President. The 

 act of abdication was unconditional, and was 

 addressed to his ministry and the principal 

 officers of the army. Geffrard dismissed his 

 former ministry and named a new one, in the 

 hope of meeting the popular wish, but the 

 change was made too late to save him. On 

 March 13th, with his family, Greffrard em- 

 barked for Jamaica. General Nissage Saget, 

 who was at first elected President, declined, 

 and the Council of Secretaries of State, T. 

 Heurtelon, Saint- Victor, L. Pradine, Laborde, 

 and L. Eameau, in accordance with article 119 

 of the constitution, issued an address to the 

 army and the people, in which they declared 

 that they would hold the reins of government 

 until the election of a new President. The 

 Provisional Government published a decree, 

 banishing from Hayti in perpetuity the ex- 

 President Geffrard, his wife, children, and 

 grandchildren; also General Ooquiere, and 

 the principal ministerial advisers of Geffrard. 

 Others of his prominent political supporters 

 were banished for ten years. A decree was 

 also published by the Government, remov- 

 ing from their places all civil and military 

 officers promoted by Geffrard for the part they 

 took in suppressing the insurrection of July, 

 1866. In the decree banishing Geffrard, he is 

 called a traitor to his country. 



On April 26th General Salnave, the leader 

 of a former insurrection, accepted the Provi- 

 sional Presidency, and on May 12th he was 

 sworn into office. In June, the Constituent 

 Assembly elected Salnave definitely as Presi- 

 dent for the term of four years. The same 

 Assembly adopted a new constitution, of 

 which the following are the most notable pro- 

 visions : 



Naturalized Haytiens are not admitted to the exercise 

 of political rights until after a residence of five years 

 in the country. 



Citizenship is forfeited by naturalization in a for- 

 eign country ; by the abandonment of the country at 

 a period of imminent danger ; by accepting, without 

 authority of the Haytien Government, public employ- 

 ment or pay from a foreign government ; by render- 

 ing service to the enemies of the republic, or having 

 any dealings with them. 



The exercise of political rights is suspended by a 

 state of bankruptcy, simple or fraudulent, and by 

 persistent refusal to serve in the national guard, or 

 on a jury. 



The penalty of death for -political offences is abol- 

 ished. 



The freedom of the press is guaranteed. 



Worship is free, and all religious sects receive 

 equal protection from the state. The ministers of the 

 Roman Catholic religion, professed by the majority of 

 the Haytiens, get salaries from the state, which are 

 fixed by law. 



A system of free education is provided for. There 

 are to be primary schools for both sexes, open to all 

 citizens ; primary agricultural schools for the instruc- 

 tion of the peasantry, and in the principal towns 

 there are to be superior or secondary schools for in- 



struction in the elements of the sciences, in the high- 

 er branches of literature, and in the fine arts. 



The right of the people to assemble for the discus- 

 sion of politic?] subjects is. recognized, but they must 

 do so without arms ; and they may not assemble in 

 public places without permission ot the police authori- 

 ties. 



Every male citizen who has attained the age of 

 twenty-one has the right of voting, provided he is 

 a landed proprietor, or has been engaged for not less 

 than five years in the cultivation of a farm, or he 

 exercises a profession, or is employed in the public 

 service, or is engaged in some industrial calling. 



The exercise of the national sovereignty, which 

 rests with the whole people, is delegated to three 

 powers, .the legislative, the executive, and the judi- 

 cial ; and the legislative power is exercised by two 

 Chambers, a House of Eepresentatives and a Senate, 

 which form the legislative body. The government 

 is essentially democratic and representative ; each 

 power is independent of the other two. 



The number of representatives is fixed according 

 to population. The representatives are elected for 

 three years, and they must be twenty-five years old, 

 and owners of real estate in Hayti. 



The Senate is composed of thirty members. They 

 are elected for six years, by the House of Eepresenta- 

 tives, from a list of candidates chosen by the elec- 

 toral colleges. They are paid $125 a month. The 

 Senate is a permanent body, but it may adjourn, pro- 

 vided that when it does so it leaves a permanent 

 committee composed of five Senators, which has 

 power to convoke the Senate, or the legislative body. 



At the opening of each annual session the two 

 Chambers form themselves into a National Assembly, 

 of which the president of the Senate is President, 

 and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, 

 Vice-President. This National Assembly elects the 

 President of the Republic ; declares war upon the 

 report of the executive, and determines on all matters 

 relating to war ; approves or rejects treaties of peace, 

 alliance, neutrality, commerce, and other interna- 

 tional conventions assented to by the executive 

 power ; authorizes the raising of loans on the credit 

 of the republic : exercises the right of commuting 

 sentences passed on political offenders ; authorizes 

 the establishment of a national bank, and changes 

 the place fixed for the capital of the republi c. 



All laws passed by the two Chambers are imme- 

 diately sent to the Executive, who has the right to 

 make objections. In case he objects, he sends back 

 the law with his objections, to the Chamber in which 

 it originally passed. If his objections are overruled, 

 the law is returned to him to be promulgated. It 

 requires a two-thirds vote at least to sustain the ob- 

 jections, and to amend the law accordingly. 



The President is elected for four years. He must 

 have attained the age of thirty-six years before elec- 

 tion, and must be the son of a Haytien father. He 

 must be the owner of real estate in Hayti, and have 

 his residence there. No one can be reelected Presi- 

 dent until after an interval of four years. 



The impeachment and trial of the President for 

 abuse of authority and powers, malversation, treason, 

 or any other crime committed in the exercise of his 

 functions, is provided for in this wise : The impeach- 

 ment is made by the Chamber of Representatives, 

 and the President is arraigned before the Senate. It 

 requires a majority of at least two-thirds in both 

 Chambers respectively to find him guilty. The 

 Senate pronounces the sentence which is forfeiture 

 of office, and deprivation of the right of exercising 

 any other public function for one year at least, and 

 for not more than five years. The "President may be 

 impeached either for offences committed "in the exer- 

 cise of his functions as President, or for extra-official 

 offences. Pending the trial, the Council of Secre- 

 taries of State is charged with the executive au- 

 thority. 



The justices of the peace and the judges are ap- 



