THE CUMULATIVE VOTE IN CHILI. 191 



I called upon Don F. Balmacedo, then minister for 

 foreign affairs, and now President of the Republic, 

 who favoured me with a letter of introduction to the 

 governor of the Chilian settlement in the Straits of 

 Magellan. I also enjoyed an interesting conversation 

 with Dr. Taforo, then designated by the Chilian 

 Government for the vacant archbishopric of Santiago. 

 Some canonical objections appear to have created 

 difficulties at Rome, and the see, as I believe, remains 

 vacant. 



I found in Dr. Taforo an agreeable and well- 

 informed gentleman, who appeared to hold enlightened 

 views, and to be free from many of the prejudices 

 which the Spanish clergy have inherited from the dark 

 period of ecclesiastical tyranny and absolute royalty. 

 With regard to the Chilian clergy in general, I derived 

 a favourable impression from the testimony of my 

 various acquaintances. At all events, they appear to 

 be respected by the mass of the population, whereas 

 in Peru they are regarded with dislike and contempt 

 by all classes alike. 



Among the various claims of the Chilian republic 

 to be regarded with interest by the student of political 

 progress, I must note the fact that it has for some 

 time successfully adopted a system of suffrage which 

 is supposed to be too complex for the people of our 

 country. In political elections for representatives the 

 mode of voting is, I believe, very nearly the same as 

 that known amongst us as the Hare system ; while in 

 municipal elections the cumulative vote is adopted, 

 each voter having as many votes as there are candi- 

 dates to be elected, and being albwed to give as many 



