118 



COLOEADO. 



ART. XI. The terra " Colombian dollars," em- 

 ployed in the law and in this contract, signifies sil- 

 ver pieces of 25 grains of 900 each, being equivalent 

 to 5 francs, or 100 cents each. 



ABT. XII. By the " formal commencement of the 

 work of the canal," mentioned in section 2 of Arti- 

 cle XXII. of the law, is understood that work upon 

 the line should be continuously executed for three 

 months, by at least one thousand operatives under 

 their respective chiefs, with the necessary machin- 

 ery, implements, etc., for the excavation of the 

 canal. 



ABT. XIII. It is understood, and is hereby specific- 

 ally stipulated, that vessels in the exclusive service 

 of the canal shall traverse the same free of all tax or 

 duty. 



ART. XIV. Five years before the expiration of the 

 ninety-nine of privilege, the national Executive shall, 

 with the concurrence of the company, name a com- 

 mission to examine the canal and its appurtenances, 

 and note what repairs, if any, shall be made before 

 the canal and other property is turned over to the 

 Government when the grantees' privilege shall ex- 

 pire. 



ART. XV. The nation grants permission to the 

 grantees to establish, at their own expense, any tele- 

 graphic lines they may deem necessary to the con- 

 struction and operation of the canal. 



Signed in duplicate, in Bogota, the twenty-eighth 

 of May, one thousand eight hundred and seventy-six. 



[L. s.l M. ANCIZAR, 



[L. s.] ANTONIO DE GOGOEZA, 



For himself and General Turr. 



Approved May 28, 1876. 



[!.] AQUILEO PARRA, 



President of the Union. 



A revolution broke out in July, 1876, against 

 the Government, in the States of Tolima and 

 Antioquia, but it was afterward transferred 

 to Cmica ; the town of Cartago, in the latter, 

 having been chosen as headquarters of the in- 

 surgent forces. As late as the middle of De- 

 cember they were still in possession of that 

 town. The revolution, carried on by the 

 clerical party, was begun at the instigation of 

 the southern clergy, who protested from the 

 pulpit against the policy adopted by the Gov- 

 ernment of placing the public schools under 

 secular directors, and suppressing all ecclesi- 

 astical control therein. The Parra Administra- 

 tion met, at the time of its inauguration (April 

 1st), with formidable opposition within the 

 ranks of its own party; so much so, that the 

 United States minister at Bogota wrote, on 

 April 8, 1876, that " a grave mistake, (luring 

 the first six months, may prove fatal to its ex- 

 istence, and to the peace of the country." 



COLORADO. The convention assembled 

 under the provisions of an enabling act of 

 Congress, approved March 3, 1875, after a ses- 

 sion of eighty-six days completed, in March, 

 1876, a State constitution, which was ratified 

 by the people July 1st. A proclamation was 

 issued by President Grant, August 1st, which 

 declared Colorado to be a State in the Union. 



In the Bill of Rights of the new constitution, 

 the usual guarantees of national and civil rights 

 have been retained, and, to the end that more 

 power should be reserved to the people, it is 

 further declared that the General Assembly 

 shall make no irrevocable grants of special 

 privileges or immunities ; that private property 



shall not be taken or damaged for public or 

 private use without just compensation previ- 

 ously made to the owner thereof, or paid into 

 court for his use ; that no preference shall be 

 given by law to religious denominations ; that 

 right and justice shall be administered without 

 sale, denial, or delay ; that aliens, who are 

 bona-fide residents of the State, shall acquire, 

 inherit, possess, and enjoy property to the full 

 extent as if native-born citizens. The grand- 

 jury system has been so modified as to make 

 a grand-jury consist of twelve men instead of 

 twenty-three any nine of whom concurring 

 may find a bill, and the question whether it 

 may not be abolished altogether is left to the 

 Legislature. The petit-jury system has been so 

 modified as to permit the organization of a 

 jury of less than twelve men in civil cases, 

 thereby materially reducing the expenses of 

 the courts. The right of trial by jury in all 

 criminal cases has been preserved, and for the 

 purpose of protecting witnesses in criminal 

 prosecutions, and that the accused may always 

 meet the witnesses against him face to face, 

 provision is made for the taking of depositions 

 before some judge of the Supreme, District, or 

 County Court, which can be used upon trial of 

 the cause when the personal attendance of the 

 witness cannot be obtained. 



The Executive Department consists of a 

 Governor, Lieutenant-Governor, Secretary of 

 State, Auditor, Treasurer, Attorney-General, 

 and Superintendent of Public Instruction, who 

 are elected for two years. Their terms of office 

 begin on the second Tuesday of January follow- 

 ing their election. The official terms of the first 

 State officers began in November, 1876. The 

 Governor is empowered to remove all officers by 

 him appointed, for misconduct or malfeasance 

 in office; also to grant pardons, subject, how- 

 ever, to such regulations as may be provided 

 by law, and in all cases when a pardon is 

 granted he is required to send the reasons for 

 granting it to the General Assembly. A two- 

 thirds vote of all the members of each House is 

 required to pass a bill over the Governor's veto. 

 The Lieutenant-Governor is President of the 

 Senate. The Superintendent of Public In- 

 struction is ex-officio State Librarian. Neither 

 the State Treasurer nor Auditor is eligible for 

 reelection as his own immediate successor. 



The legislative power is vested in a Senate 

 of twenty-six members, elected for four years, 

 and a House of forty-nine Representatives, 

 elected for two years. It is declared that the 

 number of Senators and of Representatives 

 shall not be increased before 1890. The sessions 

 of the Legislature after the first are limited 

 to forty days. The first General Assembly 

 met on the first Wednesday in November, 1876. 

 It is required to meet again on the first Wednes- 

 day in January, 1879, and biennially there- 

 after on the same day. It is provided that no 

 act of the Legislature shall take effect until 

 ninety days after its passage, unless, in case of 

 emergency (which shall be expressed in the 



