Political Organization.
Government.—The constitution of the Oriental Republic of Uruguay establishes the representative republican system.
Sovereignty.—The sovereignty in all its fullness exists radically in the Nation, which has the exclusive right of establishing its own laws in the way determined by the Constitution.
Religion.—The Religion of the state is the Roman Apostolic Catholic Church. However, all dissident churches are tolerated and their religion can be freely practiced; the inhabitants enjoy the full liberty of thought.
High Powers.—The three high powers of the state are the legislative power, the executive power and the judicial power.
Legislative Powers.—This power is formed by two chambers, the Senate and Deputies' Chamber. The Senate is compounded with as many members as departments, these forming the political and administrative division of the Republic. The election is indirect.
The President of the Senate is the Vice-President of the Republic, and performs the functions of the first magistrate in case of absence, illness, resignation or death.
The Deputies' Chamber is composed of 69 members, directly elected by the people in the way determined by the law on elections.
Executive Power.—The executive power is represented by the President of the Republic, who is elected in a general assembly of the two chambers by nominal voting, being required the absolute majority of suffrages expressed on ballots which are publicly read out by the secretary. His functions last four years, and he cannot be re-elected unless four other years have passed.
The President appoints the Secretaries of State, or Ministers, who are five—one of Government, one of Fomento (Public Education, Commerce, Industry and Railways), one of Finance, one of War and Navy, and one of Foreign Affairs.
Delegates of the Executive Power.—In every town, the capital of a department, there is a delegate of the Executive Power called Political and Police Chief (Jefe politico y de policia), and entrusted to make his dispositions obeyed.
Judicial Power.—This power is composed of the High Court of Justice. But as this court has not yet been regularly established, the United Tribunals of Appeal, composed each of them of three members, perform the functions of the High Court. It is entrusted with the superintendence of all the other judges.
There exist in the Republic three Superior Judges (Jueces Letrados), for the civil, two for the commerce, one for the treasure, one for the criminal, and one for the correctional, and also nineteen ordinary judges for the departments.
Justice of the Peace.—There exist a justice of the peace and an attorney in every one of the sections into which are divided the departments. The members of the Justice of the Peace are elected by the people. They give sentence in all the affairs of small importance.
The law of the 11th of February, 1879, has created the Civil State Register in all the Republic, and the inscription in this Register has been made obligatory the 1st of July of the same year.
This Register is entrusted to the care of the Justice of the Peace, who performs the functions of Civil State Register Officer, and in it are inscribed all the births, marriages, deaths, recognizance and legitimation of the sons.
The law of the 22d of May, 1885, declared Civil Matrimony obligatory throughout all the Republic, no other one being acknowledged as legitimate besides the one celebrated according to the law and according to the dispositions established in the Civil State Registers of the 11th of February, 1879, and their regulation and laws of the 1st of June, 1880, and 1st of July, 1884.
Municipality (Junta Economico-Administrativa.)—There exists a Junta or Municipality in each department. The members of the municipality are elected by the people, and they are entrusted with the care of the municipal interests. The Montevideo municipality has a very great importance, being entrusted with the care of all the municipal services except that of the police.
Citizenship.—The citizens of the state are either natural or legal. Natural are all those born in the territory; legal, all the foreigners who ask for citizenship, after having proved their residence in the country for a determined time.
All the citizens, whether natural or legal, enjoy the right of voting and may be elected in certain conditions.
The constitution of the Republic sworn on the 18th of July, 1830, among other articles, contains the following ones:
Art. the 130th. The inhabitants of the state have a right to be protected in their life, honor, liberty, security and property. Nobody can be deprived of these rights, but according to the laws.
Art. the 131st. In the territory of the state nobody can be a slave by birth; the slave trade and introduction of slaves are forever forbidden in the Republic.
Art. the 132d. All men are equal before the law, be it preceptive, penal or defensive; the only distinction acknowledged is that of talent and virtue.
Art. the 134th. The private actions of men, that do not by any way attack the public order nor harm any third person, belong only to God, and, therefore, remain beyond the authority of the magistrates. No inhabitant of the state will be obliged to do what the law does not bid, neither prevented from doing what the law does not forbid.
Art. the 141st. Thoroughly free is the communication of thought, by words, private writings, or publications in the public papers, whatever be the subjects, without requiring any previous censure; the only responsible person is the author, or, in his stead, the printer, whenever the writing be abusive, according to the law.
Art. the 146th. All the inhabitants of the state may undertake any work, industry or commerce they like, provided they do not harm the public order or the other citizens' rights.
Art. the 147th. The entrance into the territory of the Republic is free to any one, as also his staying in it or going away with his goods, provided he respect the police laws and do not harm any third person.