The Senate is elected by two colleges, being the two highest for the election of Deputies. It consists to-day of seventy-six members, and includes a number of high officials who are not elective, such as the archbishop and bishops. The qualification for a Senator is an income of 800 ducats (equal to about 376l.) per annum, and he must have attained the age of forty years. The Senators are elected for eight years, one half retiring every four years, except in case of a dissolution of the Senate, when all must be re-elected, or, more properly speaking, a new Senate must be chosen (68 to 81). The Act of the Constitution deals with the judicial system, the Code Napoléon being in force in Roumania, with finances, army organisation, and other important matters of national interest. The Act is signed by the Prince and his Ministers: The Minister of the Interior and President of the Council, L. Catargi; the Minister of Finance, J. Bratiano; the Minister of Justice, J. Cantacuzene; the Minister of Foreign Affairs, P. Mavrogeni; the Minister of Public Worship and Instruction, C.A. Rosetti; the Minister of War, J. Ghika; the Minister of Public Works, Agriculture, and Commerce, D. Stourdza.
APPENDIX IV.
The Peasant Proprietary of Roumania.
The precise terms and circumstances under which the peasant proprietary was formed in Roumania, as communicated to us by Prince Jon Ghika, are as follows:—
Before the 'Convention of Balta Liman' between Russia and Turkey, there were three classes of peasantry:
1. Those who possessed four beasts of burden and one cow.
2. " " " two " " " "
3. " " " one cow only.
By the Convention above named each class was to receive the following land, to be paid for in certain cases by twenty-two days' labour, 1/10th of the harvest and 1/5th of the hay.
Class 1.—(11 pogones, or 5-1/2 hectares), or about 14 acres,
namely:
3 pogones = about 3-8/10 acres arable.
3 " = " 3-8/10 " hay.
5 " = " 6-4/10 " pasturage.
Class 2.—7-8/10 pogones, or about 10 acres, viz.:
3-8/10 acres arable.
3-8/10 " pasturage.
2-8/10 " hay; and
Class 3.—4-1/2 pogones, or about 5-1/2 acres, viz.:
3-8/10 acres arable.
1-2/10 " hay.
6/10 " pasturage.
In 1864 these holdings, varying, therefore, from 5 to 14 acres, were converted into freeholds at about 2l. per acre, repayable (as stated in the text) in fifteen years, with 10 per cent. interest.