TUE constitution of the Argentine republic was definitely 
sanctioned on the 25th of September, 1860, at the 
congress of Sante Fe and is described in the act as Repre- 
sentative Republican Federation. It is a most liberal con- 
_ stitution, and provides for the protection and encourage- 
ment of foreign residents as well as Argentine. 
The fol- 
lowing is the preamble to the act of constitution: 
“We, the representatives of the people of the Argen- 
tine nation, assembled in General Constitutional Congress, 
by the election and the will of the provinces which com- 
pose it, in compliance with pre-existing compacts, with 
the object of creating national unity guaranteeing justice, 
consolidating internal peace, providing for the common 
defence, promoting the common good and assuring the 
‘blessings of liberty to ourselves, our descendants, and 
from people from all parts of the world who wish to 
reside on Argentine soil, invoking the protection of God, 
fount of all wisdom and justice, decree and establish this 
constitution for the Argentine nation.” 
The government is exercised by the legislative cham- 
ber, who frames the laws; by the executive power, who 
sanctions and promulgates them, and by the judicial power 
who interpret and apply them. 
The legislative power is vested in two chambers, 
which meet in the federal capitol, that of the Senators 
and that of the Deputies. The Senate consists of thirty- 
two members, being two for each of the fourteen prov- 
inces and two for the federal capitol. A senator must 
be thirty years of age, must have been an Argentine citi- 
zen for at least six years, and have an annual income of 
not less than two thousand dollars. If not a native of the 
province which elected him, he must have resided in it 
for at least the two preceding years. A senator can retain 
his seat for nine years and thereafter can be re-elected ; 
one-third of the members, selected by lot, retire every 
three years. The Vice-President of the republic is “ex- 
officio” president of the Senate. The Chamber of Depu- 
ties is composed of 120 members elected directly by the 
people of the province and of the federal capitol. The 
requirements in a candidate for Deputies are a minimum 
age of 25 years, four years of Argentine citizenship; 
birth in the province for which he stands, or two years’ 
previous residence in it. The period of membership is 
four years, subject to a bi-annual retirement of one-halt 
of the chamber. The initiation of laws relating to taxa- 
‘ton and to the recruiting of the army is a prerogative of 
the Chamber of Deputies. The ordinary period of session 
for both chambers is from May Ist to September 30th. 
In case of necessity they are extraordinary convened. 
Senators and deputies receive payment of $8000 gold an- 
nually, and are thus the best paid legislative body in the 
world. 
The executive power of the nation is vested in the 
President for the time being of the republic; he must be 
born on Argentine territory, or be a son of a native bora 
Argentine. Simultaneously with the President a Vice- 
President is elected, the term of office in both cases being 
six years. The President is by virtue of his office the 
supreme head of the state and commander-in-chief of th2 
military and naval forces. He nominates the judges of 
the Supreme Court and other courts of justice. The 
NORTH SHORE BREEZE and Reminder 11 
The Argentine Republic 
Article Prepared for Breeze on This Interesting South 
American Country by Guest at Oceanside Hotel, Magnolia 
AMOS L. POST 
(Member Second Pan-American Scientific Congress) 
President is assisted by eight secretaries of state, namely; 
Interior, Foreign Affairs, Finance, Justice and Education, 
War, Marine, Agriculture and Public Works, selected by 
the President and are jointly responsible with him for the 
administration of their respective departments. 
The judicial power of the republic is exercised by: 
Ist: The Supreme Court of Justice, which has its seat 
in the federal capitol; 2rid: Chamber of Appeal in the 
capitol and in the cities of Cordoba, Parana and La Plata; 
3rd: Federal Court in the capitol and throughout the 
provinces and territories of the republic; 4th: Chamber of 
Appeal in the capitol for civil, commercial, criminal and 
correctional cases. 
The national laws are all codified under the penal, 
civil, commercial, criminal, military, et cetera codes— 
trial by jury does not exist. 
The provinces of the republic are autonomous and 
elect their own governors, chambers and judges. Pro- 
vincial governments are expressly prohibited by the na- 
tional constitution from usurping such functions of the 
federal government as: Entering into political treaties, 
making laws affecting commerce, navigation, citizenship 
and naturalization, establishing custom houses, or coining 
money. Each province organizes its own tribunal and 
formulates its own laws as to legal proceedings, but the 
federal, civil, commercial, penal and mining laws apply 
to the entire republic, and custom house establishments 
and tariff are national, and under the control of Congress. 
The provinces can only enact such laws of procedure as 
do not affect the fundamental laws of the country as a 
whole. Nothing could be finer than the conception of 
the Argentine constitution, the provisions of which are 
based upon the highest principles of liberty, justice and 
equality. Every inhabitant of the republic has the right 
to engage in any lawful commerce or trade, to petition the 
authorities to enter, remain upon, travel over and leave 
Argentine territory at will; to publish his ideas in the 
press without prohibition, to use and dispose of his prop- 
erty, to form part of any society or association having use- 
ful ends, and to practice his religion freely. The Argen- 
tine. nation does not recognize prerogatives of blood or 
of birth. There is no personal prerogative or titles of 
nobility—all are equal before the law and eligible for any 
position under the state by mere reason of aptitude. Prop- 
erty is inviolable. A father of a family must leave his 
children four-fifths of his fortune; a husband, if there 
are no children, is obliged to leave his wife half of his; 
an unmarried son is compelled to leave his parents two- 
thirds of his property. Only unmarried persons, having 
) parents or descendants, are permitted to dispose, of 
their property by testament. 
Every author and inventor is given the sole right of 
the products of his genius for the period allowed by law. 
A man’s dwelling place is inviolate, as are also his corre- 
spondence and his private papers. 
Strangers enjoy within the republic all the civil rights 
of citizens, with liberty to exercise their trades, industries, 
or professions; to hold and deal in real estate, to navigate 
the rivers and coasts, to practice their religion. freely, to 
bequeath property and to marry in accordance with. the 
law. They are not obliged to become citizens or to pay 
