Tama County Republican. (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1867-1872, 1871-04-20
SAN DOMINGO.
An Abstract Of the Repor1rof the San
Domingo Commissioners.

The report opens by giving the
resolution under which the commits
sion OF inquiry was appointed. In ac
cordance with the, resolution, the
Commissioners proceeded to the 49,
land OF San Domingo They travers
ed .hc Dominican Republic from end
to end in several directions, either by
Their agents or in person, one Com
J missioner crossing it from south to
north. and another from east to west
They spent several weeks at the cap.
ital, in daily conference with the Pres.
ldent and chief officers of the Gov.
ernment, in examining the official rec.
ords, and, as at ali other places, in
constant intercourse with the people,
and taking the Testimony of witness
es. They visited the vicinity Of the
western border OF the country, where
it was reported there We're disturb
ances, and remained a week at the
capital of the neighboring Republic
OF Hayti. where some supplementary
investigations were made as to the
political state and condition, and form
of government.
THE GOVERNMENT.
The present Government of the
Dominican Republic is in theory a
Constitutional Republic. Accor ing
to its Constitution, the Government
is divided into three branches-the
Executive, Legislative and Judicial
The first consists OF a President and
Vice President, elected by an Elec-
toral College tor term Of six years
with q difference OF three years IN the
time of their election. Both Presi-
dent and Vice President are ineligi-
bic to the Presidency during the iol-
lowing term.
The President appoints Council
OF State, consisting OF the Ministers
OF Public Instruction, Interior, Police,
and Agriculture, Public Works,
Commerce, War, and Marine. On
one Of these four ministers the duties
OF the Minister of Foreign Relations
deyolves, at the will Of the President.
The Legislative branch OF the Gov.
ernment consists of Senate-senado
eonsaAo--eIectcd by primary assem-.
blies. and has two members for the
city OF San Domingo, two tor Santa
90, and one tor each Of the other
provinces and districts--nine mem
bers in all These hold Office SIX
years and may be reelected. Each
province or district has a Governor,
and each parish and military post
Commandant, nominated by the Ex
ccut.ve, and responsible to HIM. The
towns are governed by dguntam,atos,
or councils, elected by the Primary
Assembly for three years. The Ju-
dietary consists of a Supreme Court,
whose seat is at the capital, with a
President, tour minister's, and one
Attorney General, who are chosen by
the Senate from nominations made by
the Electoral College, and who hold
Office Ave years. In every province
and district there is a court OF first
instance, sitting in the respective cap
itals, consisting OF judge, prosecutor
and attorney general, all nominated
by the executive, and holding Office
FIVE years. 1t was found that this
court, had, in many parts OF the Re-
public, fallen into disuse. Finally,
each town and parish, or commune
has on alcado, appointed by the ex-
scutive. and holding Office at his pleas
urc, and corresponding TO our justice
OF the peace. In this latter case,
practice is tar better than theory. In
all parts of the Republic it was found
that the alcados held office virtually
during good behavior, and not one
was found whose char acter did not
inspire respect.
CoNDlTlO on OF TIE COUNTRY.
The Commissioners found the Gov
ernment organized and in complete
operation in all its departments, cx.
ercising every function OF ITS lcgiti.
mate government, with General Buan.
evento Baez as Chief Magistrate, in
full and pcaceable possession of all
parts OF the Republic except on the
Hayt,an border, which is disturbed
by insurrectionary leaders, aided BY
the Haytians aud political intriguers
These are melted to be extraordina
rily active at this time by fear OF an
nexa.ion 10 the United States. From
all that the Commissioners could as
certain, President Baez has the re-
spcct OF great majority OF the Dom
inican people for his administrative
abilities, and the strong attachment
Of many leading men, who rcgard
him as the only statesman among
them who can hold them together
against domestic factions and foreign
toes. Iu lS4S, after five years OF an.
archy, consequent on the expulsior
Of the Hay,ian power, General Basi
was regularly elected President o
the Republic. 1t appears that he wa:
chosen as the man who, by his edu
cation, fortune, and public services
would be most likely to secure gen
eral confidence and heal the wounds
inflicted by the civil and foreign wars
In one OF the delegations of lealing
citizens who rendered to HIM the
chief magistracy, was General Cabral
There is credible testimony to thu
fact that, under him, despite the diff
culties that have beset him, the Re
public has enjoyed as much liberty a
any of his predecessors dared to al
low, and more tranquility than the,
knew how to give. Nor do the Com
missiouers find that there is any op
ponent Of the presen, Administration
OF that Republic who has now, O
who ever has had, any claim to thu
chief magistracy by title superior
to that OF the present Incumbent
Whatever technical defects there
might have been in his original It'll,
L fpe l. <.