GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS 



593 





(3) The Board of Rites and Ceremonies, whose 

 duty is to enforce the laws and customs to be 

 observed by the people ; (4) The Military Board ; 

 (5) The Board of Public Works; (6) The High 

 Tribunal of Criminal Jurisdiction, and (7) The 

 Admiralty Hoard at Tientsin, established in 1885. 

 A body that is independent of the Government 

 and theoretically is above the central adminis- 

 tration is the Tu-ch'a-yuen, or Board of Public 



s. The membership numbers between 

 forty and fifty, who are under two presidents, 

 one of Manchu and the other of Chinese birth. 

 P.y an ancient custom of the empire all the mem- 



: the board are permitted to present any 

 remonstrance to the sovereign. It is necessary 

 that one censor be present at the meetings of 

 each of the Government Boards. On January 

 19, 1861, the Tsungli Yamen, or Foreign Office, 

 was created by a decree, and in July, 1902, it 

 was superseded by the formation of a new For- 

 eign Office designated as the Wai-wu-pu. Prince 

 Clung was appointed president, and this office, 

 with its four secretaries, took precedence over 

 all other boards. On the conclusion of the war 



n Russia and Japan in 1905, a treaty and 

 additional agreement relating to Manchuria were 

 entered into between Japan and China. By the 

 former the Chinese Government consented to all 

 the transfers and assignments made by Russia 

 to Japan in Manchuria ; and the latter provides, 

 inter alia, for the speedy opening by China of 

 the following cities and towns in Manchuria as 

 places of international residence and trade: 

 Feng-huang-ch'eng, Liao-yang, Hsinmintun, 

 Tung-chiang-tzu (on the Liao River), and Fa-ku- 

 men in Fengtien Province; Ch'ang-ch'un, Kirin, 

 Harbin. Xinguta, Hunch'un, and Sansing in the 

 Kirin Province; and Tsitsihar, Hailar, Aihun, 

 and Manchuli in the Heilungchiang Province. 



Colombia. The Republic of Colombia 

 gained its independence of Spain in 1819, and 

 was officially constituted December 27, 1819. 

 It split up into Venezuela, Ecuador, and the 

 Republic of New Granada, February 29, 1832. 

 The Constitution of April 1, 1858, changed the 

 Republic into a confederation of eight States, 

 under the name of Confederation Granadina. 



i ember Jo. IM>I. t he convention of Bogota 

 brought out the confederation under the new 



f rniteil States of New Granada, with 

 a May 8, 1863, an improved 



i it ion was formed, and the States reverted 

 to the old name Colombia 1'nited States of 

 Colombia. The revolution of 1885 brought 

 about another change, and the national council 

 of Bogota, composed of three delegates from 

 State, promulgated the Constitution of 

 August 1. issii. The sovereignty of the Si .-ites 

 was abolished, and they became simple depart- 



irith governors appointed ly the President 

 of the Republic, though t hey ha ve retained some 

 of their old rights such a-> the management of 



MI finances. The legislative power rests 



with a ( '. ingress of two Houses, called the Senate 



and the Hoii-e .,; Representatives. The Senate 



MS forty-eight Senators of whom three 



sen for the Federal District by the Presi- 

 dent and two Cabinet Ministers, and three for 

 each department by the governor, his secreta- 

 ries and the president or judge of the Court of 



Accounts of each department. The House of 

 Representatives consists of sixty-seven members 

 elected by the people in twenty-four electoral 

 circumscriptions (one for every 50,000 of popu- 

 lation), but in each of the four intendencies 

 appointed by the Intendente, his secretary and 

 three inhabitants chosen by the municipal 

 council of the capital of the intendency. Sena- 

 tors and Representatives are elected for four 

 years. The President is chosen by Congress in 

 public session and by an absolute majority of 

 votes. His term of office is four years, but the 

 present President is appointed exceptionally for 

 ten years from January 1, 1905. Congress 

 elects, for a term of two years, a substitute, who, 

 failing the President and Vice-P resident during 

 a Presidential term, fills the vacancy. The Min- 

 istries are those of the Interior, Foreign Affairs, 

 Finance and the Treasury, War, Public Instruc- 

 tion, and Public Works. 



Colorado. The original Constitution of 

 1876 is still in force in Colorado, though up to 

 1904 it has been ten times amended. The Legis- 

 lature, known as the General Assembly, consists 

 of a Senate of thirty-five members elected for 

 four years, one-half retiring every two years, 

 and of a House of Representatives of sixty-five 

 members elected for two years. Sessions are bi- 

 ennial and are limited to ninety days. All bills 

 for raising revenue must originate in the House 

 of Representatives. It is the right of the House 

 of Representatives to impeach ; of the Senators, 

 to try and determine impeachments. Amend- 

 ments to the Constitution may be proposed in 

 either House, but to become part of the Con- 

 stitution they must have received the sanction 

 of a two-thirds vote of all the members of each 

 House and of a majority ratification by popular 

 vote. Eligible to either House are all citizens 

 of the United States twenty-five years of age, 

 and twelve months resident in the district for 

 which they seek election. The executive power 

 is vested in a governor elected for two years. He 

 is commander-in-chief of the State militia. It 

 rests with him to nominate and, by and with the 

 advice and consent of the Senate, appoint offi- 

 cers not otherwise provided for by law or the 

 Constitution. He may summon special sessions 

 of the Legislature, and has a limited power to 

 grant reprieves, commutations, and pardons. In 

 legislation he has the power of veto, which maybe 



! overridden by u two-thirds vote of each House. 

 The State officials are the governor, secretary 

 of state, a lieutenant-governor, an auditor. 



[a treasurer, an attorney -general, and a super- 

 intendent of public instruction, all of whom, 

 with the governor, are elected on a two-year 

 tenure. 



CnimfM-tlcilt. The pn-ent Constitution 

 of Connecticut was adopted in 1818 and 

 have been tl m. ndments to it at differ- 



ent times. 1 >., \ dative power is \e 

 the General Assembly, consisting of a Senate and 



a House of Represent > u Senate at pres- 



ent consists of thirty -ii\e members, one from 

 the senatorial district* into which the 



State is divided. The House of Represent at i\ 

 consists of 255 members, who must be electors 

 of the towns for which they are elected, each 

 town of over 5,000 inhabitants being entitled to 



