PERU. 



627 



Population of the capital, Lima, at the close 

 of 1071, 160,056. 



The budget for the two years 1871 and 

 1872 fixes the revenue at 58,982,851 soles 

 (1 sol.=$1.17). 



The expenditures consisted of $6,460,004 

 for the ministry of the Interior; $409,043 for 

 the ministry of Foreign Affairs ; $4,632,333 

 for the ministry of Justice and Public Instruc- 

 tion ; $4,812,564 for the ministry of Finance 

 and Commerce ; $30,729,058 for amortization 

 of the debt of 1865; $10,870,762 for the min- 

 istry of War and Marine: altogether $57,- 

 913,764. The public debt, in 1870, amounted 

 to 62,225,550 soles, or $77,781,938. The army, 

 in 1870, consisted of about 8,000 men, under 

 command of one grand-marshal, four generals 

 of division, and twenty-six brigadier-generals. 

 The value of the foreign commerce was esti- 

 mated as follows: 



The movement of shipping, in 1869 and 1870, 

 was as follows : 



The following railroads were in operation 

 in 1871 : Eten & Chiclayo, 6 leguas (1 legua= 

 2.63 English miles); Lima & Chancay, 20 

 leg. ; Lima & Callao, If leg. ; Lima & Cho- 

 rillos, 2 leg. ; Pisco & lea, 13 leg. ; Mollenda 

 & Arequipo, 23 leg. ; Tacna & Arica, 14 leg. ; 

 Iquique & Noria, 14 leg. : total, about 94 leg. 

 In the course of construction were the follow- 

 ing roads : Arequipa & Puno, 50 leg. ; Callao 

 via Cocachara into the interior, 40 leg. ; Ilo 

 & Moquegua, 141eg. ; Pacasmay & Cajamarca. 

 Excellent coal-mines were discovered on the 

 Bolivian frontier in May. 



A new attempt at revolution took place in 

 May. The ringleaders laid a plot to seize the 

 Peruvian iron-clads. They failed, however, 

 and took refuge on a United States man-of- 

 war. On August 16th the opponents of Presi- 

 dent Balta again made an attempt to over- 

 throw his government. Their intention was 

 to surprise the palace, and make the President 

 a prisoner, and they expected that some of the 

 troops would join the revolution. The Gov- 

 ernment, however, received timely notice ; the 

 conspirators failed and were arrested. Among 

 them were two military officers and three prom- 

 inent citizens. 



A great excitement was produced in Sep- 



tember by the declared intention of the Italians 

 resident in Lima and Callao to celebrate, on 

 September 20th, the anniversary of Italian 

 unity, and the occupation of Eome by the 

 forces of King Victor Emmanuel. The Catholic 

 party, through their principal organ, the So- 

 ciedad, in Lima, severely censured the project 

 of the Italians, characterizing it as insulting 

 to Catholic honor, and as certain of provoking 

 a serious tumult. Nevertheless, the Italians 

 persisted in their arrangements, and nearly 

 every thing was perfected for the proper cele- 

 bration of the day, when suddenly a Govern- 

 ment decree appeared, prohibiting any mani- 

 festation on their part in honor of the occa- 

 sion, calling upon the prefects of the two cities 

 to use every means in their power to fulfil 

 the order. This action of the Government 

 was induced by the quiet intervention of the 

 chief dignitaries of the Church, aided by the 

 diplomatic agent of the Pope. The news- 

 papers of Lima and Callao, with the exception 

 of the Sociedad, denounced it as contrary to 

 the constitution, to common-sense, and com- 

 mon courtesy ; and the standing committee of 

 Congress officially protested against it. The 

 Italians were naturally excited to an intense 

 degree by this attack upon what they deemed 

 to be their legal privilege, but wise counsels 

 prevailed among them, the Italian minister 

 addressing a manifesto to his countrymen, ad- 

 vising them to maintain the greatest modera- 

 tion and tranquillity, and to resign themselves 

 quietly to a state of things which they were 

 powerless to change. As, however, two days 

 afterward, a procession paraded through the 

 streets of Lima, carrying the likeness of the 

 Pope in honor of the anniversary of his ac- 

 cession, placards were posted all over the 

 town, calling upon Peruvians who sympa- 

 thized with the Italian cause, and who dis- 

 approved of the stand taken by the Govern- 

 ment, to meet on the 20th, in the Plaza 

 Bolivar, to give expression to their views and 

 sentiments. In pursuance of this call, a large 

 crowd, chiefly consisting of Peruvians, and 

 numbering, according to one estimate, about 

 15,000 persons, assembled on the appointed 

 day; but when the opening speech had scarcely 

 been commenced, small bodies of troops en- 

 tered the square, surrounded the assemblage, 

 and proceeded to arrest all whom they could 

 lay their hands upon. 



In no way has the spirit of advancement 

 made itself more manifest in Peru than in 

 the rapid extension of railway lines, opening 

 up, as they will, the richest sections of a country 

 naturally one of the most wealthy on the 

 globe. In this respect Peru is at present 

 ahead of every South American state. None 

 of the new roads are looked upon with greater 

 interest than the railway about to be con- 

 structed from Payta to the city of Piura, the 

 capital of a rich province of the same name, 

 in the northern portion of the republic. Payta 

 is the great port in the north, and is the ren- 



