362 



GUATEMALA. 



reforms in the internal administration which en- 

 countered so much local opposition that modi- 

 fications were promised. The citizens of the an- 

 cient city of Thebes were so exasperated at having 

 their municipal rights transferred to the newly 

 constituted administrative district of Levadia 

 that the Government sent cavalry to prevent a 

 disturbance. The remodeling of the provincial 

 administrations rendered them more independent 

 of the central Government. The Boule author- 

 ized the Government to employ foreign officers 

 to reorganize the army and navy, although the 

 older Greek officers protested, the gendarmery 

 was reorganized and the military police abol- 

 ished. A bill was passed prohibiting the exporta- 

 tion of antiquities and providing for their preser- 

 vation. The Government arranged with Greek 

 engineers to bring water to Athens from Lake 

 Stymphalus in the Morea, but the measure met 

 with opposition, and was postponed. The Boule 

 separated on July 27. 



GUATEMALA, a republic of Central Amer- 

 ica. The legislative power is vested in the Con- 

 gress, consisting of a National Assembly of 69 



and after a contest Manuel Estrada Cabrera was 

 on Sept. 25, 1898, proclaimed President by the 

 National Assembly for the term ending March 

 15, 1905. The members of the Cabinet in the 

 beginning of 1899 were as follow: Secretary of 

 Government, Justice, and Foreign Affairs, Dr. 

 Francesco Anguiano; Secretary of War, Gen. 

 Gregorio Contreras; Secretary of Fomento, An- 

 tonio Barrios; Secretary of Public Instruction, 

 Domingo Morales; Secretary of Finance, Rafael 

 Salazar. 



Area and Population. The area of Guate- 

 mala is estimated at 63,400 square miles. The 

 population in 1897 was 1,535,632, of whom three 

 fifths are of pure Indian race and the rest of 

 mingled Indian, Spanish, and negro blood, except- 

 ing a few pure whites. There were 11,331 foreign 

 residents in 1893. The number of marriages in 

 1896 was 5,504; the number of births in 1897, 

 71,353; of deaths, 43,892; excess of births, 27,461. 

 Guatemala la Nueva, the capital, has 72,102 in- 

 habitants, most of whom are of European origin 

 or descent. Education is gratuitous and compul- 

 sory, and in 1895 there were 1,266 primary schools 



ESCUINTLA, GUATEMALA. 



members, elected for four years by universal suf- 

 frage and a Council of State of 13 members, of 

 whom part are elected by the Assembly and part 

 are appointed by the President. The President 

 of the republic is elected for a term of six years 

 by the direct vote of the people, and is not re- 

 eligible for the next succeeding term. Jose Maria 

 Reyna Barrios, elected in 1892, was continued in 

 the presidency by vote of the National Assembly 

 for four years beyond his legal term of office, but 

 was murdered shortly before his term expired; 



supported by the Government, containing 39,411 

 male and 24,604 female pupils. 



Finances. The revenue in 1896 was $15,150,- 

 74i, and expenditure $17,437,452. In 1897 the rev- 

 enue was $12,479,741, and in 1898 it was estimated 

 at $11,565,000, of which $3,926,000 came from cus- 

 toms, $2,226,000 from exchange, supplementary 

 duties, etc., and $3,224,000 from spirits. The 

 charges of the debt and appropriations for rail- 

 roads, etc., amounted to $4,636,000, leaving 

 $6,929,000 to defray all the expenses of the ad- 



