102 



THE CENTURY BOOK OF FACTS. 



and decide all lesser crimes, and also make preliminary 

 examination of serious crimes. Justice of Peace Courts 

 (,301), established in principal towns and villages of every 

 Fuand Ken, take cognizance of all petty offenses. Once 

 in three months criminal courts are constituted in courts 

 of appeal, and sometimes in courts of first instance, a 

 president and four judges, to try serious crimes. 



A few judges of high rank are directly appointed by 

 the Emperor, and some are appointed by him on nomina- 

 tion by the Minister of Justice. 



MEXICO. 



The present Constitution of Mexico bears 

 date February 5, 1857, with subsequent modi- 

 fications down to May, 1896. By its terms 

 Mexico is declared a federative republi c, divided 

 into States 19 at the outset, but at present 

 27 in number, with 2 territories and the 

 Federal District each of which has a right 

 to manage its own local affairs, while the 

 whole are bound together in one body politic 

 by fundamental and constitutional laws. The 

 powers of the supreme Government are divided 

 into three branches, the legislative, executive, 

 and judicial. The legislative power is vested 

 in a Congress consisting of a Houso of Rep- 

 resentatives and a Senate, and the executive 

 in a President. Representatives elected by 

 the suffrage of all respectable male adults, at 

 the rate of one member for 40,000 inhabit- 

 ants, hold their places for two years. The 

 qualifications requisite are, to be twenty-five 

 years of age, and a resident in the State. The 

 Senate consists of fifty-six members, two for 

 each State, of at least thirty jears of age, 

 who are returned in the same manner as the 

 deputies. The members of both Houses re- 

 ceive salaries of 3,000 dollars a year. The 

 President is elected by electors popularly 

 chosen in a general election, holds office for 

 four years, and, according to an amendment 

 of the Constitution in 1887, may be elected 

 for consecutive terms. Failing the President 

 through absence or otherwise, whether the 

 disability be temporary or permanent, Con- 

 gress has power to elect an acting-president who 

 shall discharge the functions of President 

 temporarily or, if necessary, to the end of the 

 constitutional period. Congress has to meet 

 annually from April 1 to May 30, and from 

 September 16 to December 15, and a per- 

 manent committee of both Houses sits during 

 the recesses. 



The administration is carried on, under the 

 direction of the President and a Council, by 

 seven Secretaries of State, heads of the De- 

 partments of : 1, Foreign Affairs; 2, In- 

 terior; 3, Justice and Public Instruction; 4, 

 Fomento, Colonization and Industry ; 5, Com- 

 munications and Public Works; 6, Financial 

 and Public Credit; 7, War and Marine. 



Local Government. Each separate State has its own 

 internal constitution, government, and laws; but inter- 

 state customs duties are not permitted. Each has its 



governor and legislature popularly elected under rules 

 similar to those of the Federation; and the civil and 

 criminal code in force in the Federal District prevails, 

 with few exceptions (Vera C'ruzandthe State of Mexico), 

 in the different States. 



Religion, Instruction, and Justice. The prevail- 

 ing religion is the Roman Catholic, but the Church is 

 independent of the State, and there is toleration of all 

 other religions. In 1889 there were 10,112 Roman Catho- 

 lic churches and chapels, and 119 Protestant churches in 

 the Republic. No ecclesiastical body can acquire landed 

 property. On August 12, 1890, there were in the munic- 

 ipality of Mexico 320,143 Catholics and 2,623 Protestants. 

 In almost all the States education is free and compul- 

 sory, but the law has not been strictly enforced. In the 

 municipality of Mexico there were in 1890, 15.268 per- 

 sons who could read only, and 176,692 persons who could 

 neither read nor write. Primary instruction is mostly 

 at the expense of the states and municipalities, but the 

 Federal Government makes frequent grants, and many 

 schools are under the care of beneficent societies. 

 Higher education is carried on in secondary schools 

 and seminaries, and in colleges for professional instruc- 

 tion, including schools of law, medicine, engineering, 

 mining, finearts, agriculture, commerce, arts, and trades, 

 music. In 1896 the number of schools supported by the 

 States was 5,852, and by the municipalities, 3,21;*": the 

 number of teachers in both was 13,352 ; there were 6t 6,301 

 enrolled pupils, and an average attendance of 413,790. 

 The cost of these schools for the year was 5,463,350 dol- 

 lars. The private and clerical scliools numbered 2,442, 

 with 101,641 enrolled pupils, and an average attendance 

 of 76,956. The total number of schools was thus 11,512, 

 with 767,942 enrolled pupils, and an average attendance 

 of 490,740. Of the average attendance, liOO,L'72 were lioys 



! and 190,501 were girls. There are also one military and 



j one naval college. The number attending the higher 



I schools is stated at 21,000. 



In 1896 there were in the Republic the National Li- 



j brary, with 159,000 volumes, and 102 other public libraries. 

 There were in that year 17 museums for scientific and 

 educational purposes, and 3 meteorological observato- 

 ries. The number of newspapers published was 531, of 

 which 7 were in English, 5 in Spanish and English, 2 in 

 French, and 1 in German. 



The judicial power, which is entirely distinct from 

 and independent of the executive, consists <i|" the Su- 

 preme Court, with 15 judges chosen for a period of six 

 years, Circuit Courts, with 3 judges, and District Courts, 

 with 32 judges. 



The Ordinary, Civil, Criminal, and Correctional < 'ourts 

 are controlled by the Department of Justice and Public 

 Instruction. 



NETHERLANDS (THE). 



The first Constitution of the Netherlands 

 after its reconstruction as a kingdom was given 

 in 1815, and was revised in 1848 and in 1887. 



I According to this charter the Netherlands form 

 a constitutional and hereditary monarchy. 



j The royal succession is in the direct male line 

 in the order of primogeniture ; in default of 

 male heirs, the female line ascends the throne. 

 In default of a legal heir, the successor to the 

 throne is designated by the Sovereign and a 

 joint meeting of both the Houses of Parlia- 

 ment (each containing twice the usual number 



I of members), and by this assembly alone if 



I the case occurs after the Sovereign's death. 

 The age of majority of the Sovereign is eighteen 

 years. During his minority the royal power is 

 vested in a Regent designated bylaw and 

 in some cases in the State Council. 



The executive power of the State belongs 

 exclusively to the Sovereign, while the whole 

 legislative authority rests conjointly in the 

 Sovereign and Parliament, the latter called 

 the States-General consisting of two Cham- 



