684 



PERU. 



states, and now ranking among the most pros- 

 perous, since the beginning of President Pardo's 

 administration no more perfect idea, we say, 

 is to be obtained from any other source than 

 from the message delivered by that statesman 

 at the inauguration of Congress, on August 28, 

 1874, and of which we here transcribe the 

 more important portions : 



la young countries like ours, where we are ac- 

 customed to accomplish in a few years what else- 

 where has been the labor of centuries, a period of 

 peace is equivalent to a term of advances realized ; 

 and a new legislature offers every hope of the satis- 

 faction of new wants, and of renewed strength for 

 the achievement of new conquests in our onward 

 march toward perfection. 



It is my pleasing duty to inform you that Peru 

 is at peace with all nations ; that she has carefully 

 cultivated and extended her relations with them by 

 new treaties, and especially by consular, postal, and 

 extradition treaties with some of them. 



An unfortunate incident, which, as you are already 

 aware, occurred to one of our merchant-vessels on 

 the coast of Japan, gave rise to the necessity of send- 

 ing a minister to the Government of that country 

 to sue for due reparation. Our demands were gra- 

 ciously granted ; our flag was saluted for the tirst 

 time in those distant waters ; and the most amicable 

 relations have been established between the two 

 countries. 



Our envoys to the East are at present in Peking ; 

 and it is to be hoped that they will obtain the sanc- 

 tion of the emigration of Chinese colonists to our 

 sliores, upon the reasonable and liberal basis so 

 justly demanded by public opinion, as well within 

 as without the republic of Peru. 



The boundary commission appointed in 1871 to 

 carry out the terms of the treaty of 1851 with Brazil, 

 in reference to a part of the boundary-line with 

 that empire, have terminated their important labors : 

 hence the only portion now remaining to be fixed 

 is that to_ the north and east of the head-waters of 

 the Javari, for which no provision was made in the 

 treaty alluded to. 



The Government does not abandon the idea of an 

 American Congress, nor the hope that it may meet 

 to unite still more closely the bonds of union be- 

 tween the nations of this continent. 



Peace has been maintained within our borders, 

 spite of unremitting eiForts to disturb it; and that, 

 too, at a time when, by the establishment of absolute 

 liberty, various pernicious elements have been un- 

 fettered, and when new popular institutions, whose 

 efficacy became apparent from the first, have been 

 the only safeguard of constitutional order. The his- 

 tory of this period demonstrates that the really solid 

 and durable basis of pure peace lies in the citizens 

 themselves, and shows the government that the 

 surest method to preserve tranquillity is not to lose 

 the people's confidence. Thus, under the new order 

 of things, the opposition has been gradually brought 

 to see the beneficent effects of free institutions, and, 

 renouncing with shame the weapons of rebellion, 

 have learned to appeal to the legal mode of attack. 

 This triumph is also apparent in the public press. 



The various municipal councils throughout the re- 

 public are performing their functions, save in a very 

 few provinces. -That the inauguration thereof should 

 be attended with difficulty is but natural. A new 



municipal decree has bestowed upon those councils 

 the necessary powers and faculties for self-adminis- 

 tration; and in most cases the efforts have been in 

 this first year very satisfactory. The provincial 

 bodies, made up from the ranks of the provincial 

 councils, though more numerously constituted and 

 vested with higher powers, work with great regu- 

 larity. The district and department councils are 

 entirely new corps ; nor is it a matter of wonder that 

 their organization should be somewhat slow. I am 

 happy to be able to inform you that the department 

 councils Piura and Huancavelica have particularly 

 distinguished themselves by zeal and intelligence 

 displayed in the branches of administration confided 

 to their charge. Experience has shown the muni- 

 cipal laws to be defective in many re&pects; but 

 any premature attempt at reform might prove unad- 

 vis'able. Time will doubtless lead to the discovery 

 of still greater defects ; but in the mean time we shall 

 have learned to draw a line of distinction between 

 the actual imperfection of the laws and ministerial 

 incompetency. 



The police department has been entirely reorgan- 

 ized, and a much better system adopted, without any 

 additional expenditure. 'Experience, the gradual im- 



