558 



PERU. 



sentatives containing 108, the term in both being 

 six years, one third being elected every two years. 

 The presidential term is four years. Eduardo L. 

 de Komaiia was elected for the term beginning 

 Sept. 8, 1899. Dr. Isaac Alzamora and Federico 

 Bresani are the two Vice-Presidents. The Cab- 

 inet in the beginning of 1900 was composed as 

 follows: President and Minister of Foreign Affairs, 

 Manuel Maria Galvez; Minister of Justice, Wor- 

 ship, and Public Instruction, Elidoro Romero; 

 Minister of the Interior and Police, Col. Domingo 

 J. Parra; Minister of War and Marine, Camillo 

 N. Carillo; Minister of Finance and Commerce, 

 Mariano A. lialaunde; Minister of Public Works, 

 Dr. Carlo liasadre y Forero. 



Area and Population. The area of Peru is 

 695,720 square miles, according to a recent official 

 estimate. The population in 1896 was estimated 

 at 4,609,999. About a fifth of the native-born 

 population is of pure Spanish descent. Lima, the 

 capital, has over 100,000 inhabitants. Education 

 is free and compulsory in the towns. There were 



were estimated at 365,000 soles for Congress, 

 2,778,000 soles for the Ministry of the Interior, 

 698,000 soles for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 

 1,244,000 soles for the Ministry of Justice, 3,480,000 

 soles for the Ministry of Finance, 3,358,000 soles 

 for the Ministry of War and Marine, 340,000 soles 

 for the Ministry of Public Works, and 337,000 

 soles were for various purposes, the total being 

 12,600,000 soles. 



The foreign debt of Peru consists of two rail- 

 road loans contracted in England, the smaller one 

 at 6 per cent, in 1870, the greater one at 5 per 

 cent, in 1872, both secured on the guano deposits 

 afterward seized by Chili. Their amount was 

 31,579,080, and the payment of interest having 

 ceased in 1876, there were arrears of 22,998,651 

 due in 1889,' when the Grace- Donoughmore con- 

 tract was concluded, whereby the Government 

 ceded to the bondholders all its railroads, mines, 

 guano deposits, and lands for the term of sixty-six 

 years, and was released from liability for the loans. 

 Chili agreed to pay to the bondholders a part of 



T.T.AMAS IX nESAGTADERO. 



1,152 schools, with 69,892 pupils, in 1897, not in- 

 cluding 304 private schools, with 15.700 pupils. 



Finances. The main part of the revenue comes 

 from customs. Land pays a tax of 3 per cent, of 

 the rent. The duties on alcohol, tobacco, and 

 opium and the stamps are farmed out to a com- 

 pany, which engaged in 1896 to pay 126.734 soles 

 monthly and half the profits, and in 1898 renewed 

 the contract for five years, agreeing to pay three 

 fourths of the profits. The Congress in the same 

 year made salt a monopoly, and set aside the 

 revenue derived therefrom for the redemplion of 

 the provinces of Tacna and Arica held by Chili. 

 The total revenue in 1898 was 10,785.850 s< ,']<->. :m<l 

 the expenditure 11,488,240 soles. To cover the defi- 

 cit in this year and the two preceding years the 

 Government was authorized to raise a loan of 

 1,500.000 soles, and to arrange with Ilie Tax Col- 

 lection Company for its repayment. The revenue 

 for 1899 was estimated at 6,000,000 soles from cus- 

 toms, 3.000.000 soles from taxes, 600.000 soles from 

 the salt monopoly. 287,000 soles from posts and 

 telegraphs, and 1.965.000 soles from various 

 sources; total, 11,852,000 soles. The expenditures 



the proceeds of the guano deposits, but detained 

 the sums so set apart on account of a dispute, 

 which is still the subject, of arbitration. For the 

 consolidation of the internal debt 36.174. \~M soles 

 of bonds bearing 1 per cent, interest were issued 

 in 1889. After 9,416.000 soles of these had been 

 redeemed the civil war stopped amortization, 

 which has not been resumed, although the interest 

 is now paid regularly. The amount outstanding 

 and other obligations made the total internal debt 

 47,591.760 soles in 189S. The gold standard of 

 currency was proelaiincd on Jan. 10. 1S!)S. and Ilie 

 gold libra was adopted as the national coin. havin.L' 

 the same weight and fineness as the Knglish sov- 

 ereign, and exchanging for 10 silver soles. The 

 silver coinage from 1874 till the adoption of tin 

 gold standard amounted to 40,510.(!S] soles. Ii 

 1S)S there were 40,103 of the new gold coiiis string 

 and only 120.000 soles in silver. The military 

 force in time of peace consists of 1.040 infantry, 

 (;_'.") cavalry, and 510 artillery. French ollicerJ 

 have been employed to reorganize the army. Th<$ 

 navy consists of a cruiser displacing 1,700 ton* 

 and several small vessels. 



