National Republican., 1884-04-18
Scenes at the University Building,
Where the Assembly Deiberated,
President IglesiaS, Attended by Negro Body Guard,
Reads His Brief Message.
Difficulties Encountered In n Search for
the Queer "Lndics' Gallery"
Specfdt Lei,er.

Duty uhu Dtcn uOlulhB pllNu1o oonSAVhoi SiSSN-
ing q presiding and other officers, and, in
fact, preparing for public opening. The
first instant was declared civil holiday,
and heard that there was to be procession
from the palace to tho Plaza do Bolivar at
12 o'clock to escort the president when he
went to present his message to the assem-
bly,. To avoid being delayed in the hot
sun I went up in the 1 o'clock train to
find that the procession was delayed until
2:30 o'clock. There were quito number OF
soldiers in the palace court yard, and
double row of them started from the entrance
on the plaza and extended way down long
street, across tho Bolivar plaza, up TO the
door of the university of Lima, in which
building is the hall of representatives, that
being tho room chosen to meet in. Ihe
soldiers were neatly dressed In blue flannel
jackets, white cotton trousers, and blue flan-
mel overgaiters. All their uniforms were
new and of the same size. so the thin or
small men had to resort to strings to hold
their overgaiters on; STILL altogether they
looked very we'll they wero Indians and
tood immovable in the broiling sun leaning
on their rifles, that had the bayonets fixed,
and the cartridge belts that were around their
waists were stuffed full. One of the officers said
that there were three battalions in line or
about 5000 men, but there seemed many
more.
We passed on through the good natured
but decidedly rough looking crowd on the
sidewalk until we got to the university
building, when we were told that no one
could go in until the president had been and
left So we took stand on the sidewalk
and looked at the surroundings The square
is large one, and right in the center of 1t is
q large bronze statue of the Liberator Boli-
var on horseback. The statue stands on the
spot where in old times the auto-da-fes took
place, aud all around it is quite pretty
garden.
The university building was formerly the
palace Of tho Inquisition, and is large one
story building that that day shoue resplend-
ent in q brand new coat of whitewash thickly
put on. The senate house is on another side
of the square, but no one cared for it on that
day, as tho constituent assembly meets as one
body and orders elections for the constitu-
tional president, members of tho senate and
house. and these two latter bodies meet sep
arately.
Soon there was stir, the soldiers carried
arms, and carriage dashed up tho university
with two officers in it in full uniform. They
disappeared In the building, and suppose
came to announce that the president was
ready, for in a few moments out came five
bare-headed deputies in full evening costume,
and entering the carriage wore rushed off to
the palace. l fancy they told the president
that the assembly was waiting for him and
his message, for they quickly returned and
soon after them came the president. He was
in the full uniform of a general, with orders
on his breast and his hat on his head, which
made difference between him aud the other
three occupants of the state carriage. He is
quite we'll OH in years. his hair being white,
but he has fine, intellectual face and good
features. The carriage was drawn by four
horses and surrounded by numerous body
guard of mounted troops, all OF whom, except
the officer, were coal black negroes, and they
rode splendidly as the cavalcade went dash
l1al Ia .sa
followed, and as they drew up band played
the national air and the president and fol-
lowers quickly entered the building and were
in there about fifteen minutes.
While he was in there he read his message,
which has been published to-day, aud received
an answer from tho presiding officer. The
message is quite short, opens with high
sounding patriotic phrase, and ends with the
same one He alludes to Caceres as the mill
tary chief of Ayacucho, who allows himself to
be run away with by the idea that it will be
grand to be the last one to lay down arms,
whereas he Is now the last stumbling block
in his cOuntry's path to peace. He admits
that the terms of the treaty which
they are to ratify are hard, but does
not discuss them. Finally, he resigns
into their hands all his power and hopes
they will regenerate their country. They
replied by giving him vote of thanks for his
patriotism, and making him provisional
president until the election takes place, CIV
ing him full power to act, and stating that in
case no shall be incapacitated physically or
mentally then the president Of the council of
ministers is to take his place.
As he left the university the band again
played, and as his carriage passed the troops
who were in line fell in and followed him.
There were no signs of approval nor disap-
probation from tho crowd All was dead
silence, yet the people seemed good natured,
curious and not at all sulky.
When all this was over We presented our
solves at the door of the university, aud were
challenged by two sentries, an officer in
spected us, and, seeming satisfied, nodded,
and we passed the portal to find ourselves in
vestibule with company of soldiers. Pass
ing them, we entered quito good-sized court,
with an arcade running around it. In the
center was statue of soldier charging with
a bayonet, and the statue and pedestal were
painted and veined to look like marble.
Quite number of doors led from the arcade
into different rooms, and each ono was
guarded by two soldiers. In the farther
corner was door which we saw led into the
house of deputies, so we went up to it and
were challenged by the sentries, and their
officer said that my companion could 20 In,
but not l. because ladies went in by the door
over there, pointing to one near.
So went over there, was challenged and
passed, and found mysefin large room where
groups of men weIe talking, and 1t seemed to
me sort of lobby Beyond this came to a
room where there were most comfortable
looking lounges placed about, with men
sitting OH them talking. One was priest,
and he kindly rose and piloted mo into
another room, past two more sentries, and
finally left me at the foot of staircase
which was about two feet wide. | assembled
it, aud found was on the roof, but seeing Il
door open little way off, entered it and
found myself with quite number of ladies
in a small wooden balcony right over the
presidents chair.
This chamber of the house in Peru is q
historical room, il having been the question
and torture room of the lnquisition, when it
held full sway in Lima, as it did for many
years, and maryland horrible to hear-must
have been the screams and groans of suffer
ing humanity that have echoed in that cham
ber, that now looked so gay and brilliant,
being filled for the most part by men met to-
Rether to further peace and try to bring pros
pcrity to their country. The ceiling Is quite
famous, it being OF native woods brought
from tho eastern slopes of the Andes many
years ago, and in these passing years it has
gathere darkness of tint and richness of tone
until " is truly beautiful. 1t rests on what
appears to be u double row of solid brackets,
richly carved but l am told that they are
the ends of beams. If so, they must come
from the four adjoining rooms.
The room in shape is parallelogram and
10 divided in two by low railing. The floor
10 of stone, but inside tho railing carpet is
laid, and on this carpet along the sides of the
room were ranged three tiers of red and
white arm chairs for the deputies, the two