132 FORESTRY IN SPAIN. 



are any ; assisted one and other by Ayuntamientos^ or Town 

 Councils, corporations which, like the courts of provincial 

 deputies, although popularly elected, perform various 

 economical functions dependent on the Government. 



'The laws of 1845 limit the power of these deputies 

 and ayuntamientos to business purely administrative, and 

 it is also required, in regard to the greater part of their 

 decisions, that they should receive the approval of the 

 Government. 



'The Administration of Justice in disputed administra- 

 tion is under the charge of this Ministry, and consequently 

 dependent on it are the Council of State, and the 

 provincial councils, to which is entrusted the cognisance 

 of appeals. Moreover, in dependence on this Ministry are 

 the Council and provincial juntas of the health of the 

 kingdom ; the Academies of medicine and surgery ; the 

 Pharmaceutical college of Madrid ; the medical officers of 

 medicinal baths; the Aranjuez college for orphans; the 

 savings banks; the Monte de Piedad of MadrU ; the Junta 

 for aid to prisoners ; the Government printing press. 



'The same Ministry of Government attends to the regulation 

 of the press ; the election of deputies to the Cortes ; the 

 election of provincial deputies, and of ayuntamientos or 

 town councillors ; and carries on the correspondence with 

 the co-legislative bodies in all matters in which the 

 Government has to correspond with them. Finally, it has 

 at its orders the civil guard, which is a corps of the army 

 of from 10,000 to 12,000 men as remarkable for its 

 organisation, as distinguished by its services. The rural 

 guards is also dependent on this Ministry. 



' THE MINISTER DE FOMENTO. This Ministry has under 

 its charge public instruction ; agriculture, industry, and 

 commerce; and public works. There are entrusted to 

 this Ministry vast and complicated interests ; but there are 

 not given to it agents of its own in the provinces, so that 

 its principal representative and director of operations is 

 everywhere the civil governor of the province ; and this 



