138 



COLOMBIA. 



J. M. Carapo Serrano ; Panama, Senor Miro ; 

 Santander, Senor N". Oadena; Tolima, Sefior 

 J. N. Leiva. The Colombian consul-general 

 in New York is Senor M. Salgar. 



The old question of limits between Colombia 

 and Venezuela, which has never yet been set- 

 tled since the dismemberment of the first Co- 

 lombian republic, comprising New Granada, 

 Venezuela, aud Ecuador, still frequently gives 

 place to stormy altercations between the Gov- 

 ernments of Caracas and Bogota. The past 

 year was marked by one of these disputes, and 

 the tenor of the press of the Colombian capital 

 seemed to indicate that a waywardness or in- 

 discreet management on either side might re- 

 sult in a rupture of the comparatively cordial 

 relations existing between the sister republics. 

 A note was dispatched to the Venezuela Gov- 

 ernment by the Secretary of Foreign Affairs 

 of Colombia in consequence of certain events 

 that had occurred in the State of Zulia, which 

 intervenes between Colombia and the shores 

 of Lake Maracaybo, claiming from Venezuela 

 satisfaction for damages caused and persevered 

 in by the local authorities of that republic, re- 

 garding goods in transit between the two na- 

 tions by way of the river Zulia, and requesting 

 that measures should be adopted to put an end 

 to said vexations. Proofs were offered on the 

 part of Colombia, that her respective frontier 

 authorities have done every thing in their power 

 to prevent, within territories under her juris- 

 diction, all movements hostile or disagreeable 

 to a neighboring republic. It is difficult to see 

 how this can be altogether prevented without 

 a modification of the line of limits understood 

 to separate Venezuela from Colombia in the 

 region referred to, and which, if rigidly ob- 

 served, would deprive the latter republic of 

 the right of way on the waters of the Mara- 

 caybo Lagoon, free access to which should re- 

 dound to the convenience and interests of both 

 countries.* 



With the exception of intermittent bicker- 

 ings of the nature of those just alluded to, 

 peace reigns undisturbed in Colombia; the re- 

 public has not, for now twelve years, been at 

 war with any foreign nation ; and internecine 

 strife seems to have come to an end forever. 



The last civil war, that of 1860- '62, ter- 

 minated in the reorganization of the country 

 under the constitution of 1863, which still ex- 

 ists. This constitution adopted the federal 

 form, similar to that of the United States of 

 America, giving to each of the nine States, into 

 which the Union is divided, the full extent of 

 power necessary for its internal government ; 

 but even as far back as 1853 the country had se- 

 cured in its institutions the most precious con- 

 quests of human liberty. Foreigners enjoy in 

 Colombia the same civil rights as natives; and, 

 in case their property be taken for public use, 

 they are entitled to a pecuniary indemnification 

 therefor. . 



* See the ANNUAL CYCLOPEDIA for 1872, page 109. 



There is no state Church in Colombia ; na- 

 tives and foreigners enjoy unbounded liberty 

 of conscience and worship ; and there are 

 Protestant churches in Bogota, Barranquilla, 

 Panama, and other towns. 



Nearly all the States of the Union have 

 adopted the trial by jury for felony and other 

 great crimes. 



Imprisonment for debt has been abolished. 



The exercise of all professions, including law 

 and medicine, is completely free. 



The only monopolies now existing are those 

 of the salt-mines, which belong to the General 

 Government, and the distilleries of spirits in 

 some of the States. 



Brigandage is and has always been unknown 

 in Colombia. 



Among the more important proceedings of 

 the Congress during the year may be enumer- 

 ated the following : 



I. PUBLIC OliDER. 



ARTICLE I. The organization of a government, 

 such as is required by the Constitution. Section 1 

 of Article VII. ceases to exist in any of the States in 

 the following cases : 



2. When a President, governor, or supreme chief, 

 dissolves the Legislative Assembly or impedes its 

 reunion ; 2. When, without due faculty, new elections 

 for deputies are ordered or a constituent convention 

 called : and 3. When obedience to the Assembly is 

 refused, and the latter has no power to compel it. 



2. The individual who, either as President, gov- 

 ernor, or the highest authority of a State, executes 

 any of the afore-mentioned acts in this article, com- 

 mits the crime of treason to the institutions, and 

 shall suffer the punishment of expulsion from the 

 territory of Colombia for ten years. 



ART. II. When, in any of the States, any of the 

 infractions treated of in the preceding article takes 

 place, the Executive power of the Union shall in- 

 form the Attorney-General of the same, forwarding 

 him such documentary proofs as can be obtained. 

 The Attorney-General shall then transmit them to 

 the Supreme Court of the Union, which, within three 

 days, shall give its opinion on the existence of the 

 acts, and whether they are or are not such as are ex- 

 pressed in Article I. 



The S_upreme Court shall decide regarding these 

 same points within eight days after being furnished 

 with the documents in the case. Its resolution will 

 be a decree that declares whether there is or not 

 ground for preferring against the person of the 

 magistrate referred to an accusation of treason. 



ART. III. If the sentence of the court declares that 

 there are grounds for accusation against the individ- 

 al, who, either as President, governor, or superior 

 authority of a State, has committed any of the trans- 

 gressions above expressed, the Executive power of 

 the Union, at the request of the Legislature, or of 

 the president, governor, or superior authority of the 

 same State, will furnish an armed force for the de- 

 fense of its government and the establishment of the 

 latter, if overturned by sedition. 



II. PENAL CODE. 



A bill to reform the penal code was presented by 

 Senor Correosa, and passed its first reading. 



III. CIVILIZATION OF INDIANS. 



A bill for the conversion and civilization of the 

 savage Indian tribes of the republic passed its first 

 reading. 



IV. POLYGLOT JOTJBNAL. 



The House of Eepresentatives, by unanimity of 

 votes, approved of the following proposition : "Let 

 the President of the Chamber name a committee of 



