The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1825-09-14 00:00:00

WArit

The following sqlbount of the Covernment of this island
will be read with interest at this moment :
The President is elected by the Senate, and his office la for life;
he has a revenue of 40,000 gourds (11,00(11.) lie has the privilege
of indicating whom he wishes to succeed him, in a sealed letter ad-
dressed to the Senate, which body is, however, at liberty to elect
whom they please ; it has even the power of attainting the Presi-
dent. The president exercises the executive power; he is the
source of all honours, arid has the nomination to all posts. The
legislative power is shared between the Senate and the Chamber of
Deputies. This Chamber is comprised of a deputy from each com-
mune, and two from each capital town ; the frlenibers must be
landholders and have attained the age of twenty-three years; they
are elected for five years. 'I hose electors who may happen to sell
their votes are excluded from all employments under Government.
The .Chamber is assembled on the lot April year, at Port.au-
Prince ; the sittings last for three months. The Senate is composed
of twenty-four Members, who are elected by the Chamber of
Deputies for sine years. They ate chosen front a list containing
three times the number of names, selected by the President, none.
however, of which must belong to the Chamber of Deputies. It
is necessary for a Senator to be thirty years of age; and none can
be re-elected till three years have elapsed from the time of the ex-
piration of their former period of nine years. The Senate is speci-
ally charged with all that may concern the administration. The
Senate sits constantly. and each Member receives a pension of I
1.609 gourds (about 310/.)
The laws are very like those of France; their civil code is
founded upon that, of France, se well as the forms of proceeding in
use in the courts of law. There is a Caen of Cessation, a Court of
Appeal, Police Offices, and Justice; of the Peace.
The' influential class g the inhabitants of Cape-Henri and Port-
an-Prince, the most considerable commercial towns of the island,.
are exeremely solicitous to impress upon strangers a good opinion
of their character fur affability, frankness, and politeness. Strangers
are therefore received with the greatest attention ; they are
under the immediate protection of the linvernment, and the in-
habitants are anxious in the observance of all the duties of hospi-
tality towards them.
Everything contributes to accelerate the progress of knowledge
and civilization. By the praiseworthyy efforts of the Government
educadon is spreading with rapidity. R has formed establishment*
where the first elements of the sciences are taught. There are four
peat national Schools in each of the towns of Cape-Henti, Port-la-
Paix, Sans-Souci, and Conaives; Port-eu-Prince has a Lyceum,
and there is in each parish an instructor maintained at the expense
of Government, besides several private institutions, The Lances-
terian, or the method of matual.inatruetion, is the one followed.
The French and Latin languages, and the mathematics, are ge.
neralfy taught in these establishments. There is an university
founded by the ci•drvant King Henry, for the study of the
sciences, and also a school fur surgery, with French masters.
Vaccination has been introduced here. Tire same Henry also esta-
blished an Academy of music and painting ; he built a theatre
which still subsists, and new buildings and edifices are con-
'eructing on all sides; which sufficiently proves the rising prospe-
rity which this Republic has, for some time, enjoyed through the
wise administration of the dovernment.

The prevailing religion is the Roman Catholic, which the con,
stitution has declared to be the reiHun of the State, with an hie.
earthy similar to that of Europe. There Is, for the whole island,
one Archbishop, whose See is at St. Domingo, the ancient capital
of Hayti, but his episcopal palace is at Cape Hayti, formerly Cape
Francais, which is the seat of Government, and destined to become
the new capital. It is situated in north latitude 19°. 411 BO". It
has a fine Cathedral, dedicated to Our Lady ; it is the seat of the
University, the Academy of Music and Printing, and of a Theatre
which is, with dancing and music, the principal amusement of the
Haythuis. The population of the town amounts, as yet, only to,
six thousand souls. That of the whole island is nearly a million.
Although the Catholic religion is that which prevails, yet there
exists a wise toleration of all other modes of worship. As for the
whites established in the island, the Government lies declared' that
it will not interfere in their domestic aftitirs, nor in their religious
opinions (this is applied to the English and Anglo. Americans); so
long as thew do not endeavour to make proselytes, or trouble those
whose b.liel might differ from theirs.