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Argentine Republic (REPUBLICA ARGENTINA President)
(REPUBLICA ARGENTINA.)
President of the Republic-On the resignation of the President, Juarez Celman (August 6, 1890), the Vice-President, Dr. Carlos Pellegrini, assumed, in accordance with the constitution, the office of president until the completion of the term for which Dr. Celman had been elected (October 12, 1892).
CONSTITUTION AND GOVERNMENT. - The constitution of the Argentine Republic, formerly known by the name of "Provincias Unidas del Rio de la Plata," bears date May 15, 1853, with modifications in 1860, when Buenos Ayres joined the confederacy. By its provisions, the executive power is left to a president, elected for six years by representatives of the fourteen provinces, equal to double the number of senators and deputies combined; while the legislative authority is vested in a National Congress, consisting of a Senate and a House of Deputies, the former numbering 30, two from the capital and from each province, elected by a special body of electors in the capital, and by the legislatures in the provinces; and the latter 86 members elected by the people. By the constitution there should be one deputy for every 20,000 inhabitants. A deputy must be 25 years of age, and have been a citizen for four years. The deputies are elected for four years, but one-half of the House must retire every two years. Senators must be 30 years of age, have been citizens for six years, and have an annual income of $2,000. One-third of the Senate is renewed every three years. The two chambers meet annually from May I to September 30. The members of both the Senate and the House of Deputies are paid for their services, each receiving $8,400 per annum. A vice-president, elected in the same manner and at the same time as the president, fills the office of Chairman of the Senate, but has otherwise no political power. The president is commander-in-chief of the troops, and appoints to all civil, military and judicial offices, and has the right of presentation to bishoprics; he is responsible with the ministry for the acts of the executive; both president and vice-president must be Roman Catholics, Argentine by birth, and cannot be re-elected.
The president has a salary of $36,000, the vice-president of $18,000, and each of the five ministers of $16,800 per annum.
LOCAL GOVERNMENT. - The constitution, with certain small exceptions, is identical with that of the United States. Such matters as affect the Republic as a whole are under the superintendence of the Central Government. The governors of the various provinces are invested with very extensive powers, and in their constitutional functions are independent of the central executive. They are not appointed by the president of the republic, but elected by the people of each province for a term of three years and four years. The provinces elect their own legislatures, and have complete control over their own affairs; they can contract loans (internal and external) under their sole and exclusive responsibility.
AREA AND POPULATION. At the census of 1869 the population of the provinces amounted to 1,736,922, exclusive of the national territories.
By a treaty concluded between the Argentine Republic and Chili in 1881 the latter recognizes the right of the former to all the country east of the crest of the eastern ridge of the Andes, including all Patagonia and the eastern part of Tierra del Fuego.
The capital of the republic, Buenos Ayres, had a population of 177,790 in 1869, 295,000 in 1882, and 561,160, including suburbs, in July 1891, of whom over 150,000 are foreigners. Other towns, with populations for 1888, are Cordoba, 66,600; Rosario, 55,000; Tucuman, 25,000; Mendoza, 18,000; Paraná, 18,000; Salta, 20,000; Corrientes, 14,000 inhabitants; La Plata, the new capital of the province of Buenos Ayres (founded 1884), 65,000. It is about 40 m. S-E. of the city of Buenos Ayres.