Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-04-20
PERUVIAN AFFAIRS.
Law by which Senators Virtually Elect
hemselYes-Decadence of Commerce.

Law by Which Senators Virtually Elect
ThemselYes-Deca of Comm cree.
LIMA, March 21.-The following trans
lation of a law recently passed by Con-
gress and promulgated by the Executive
is a new departure in legislation:
WHEREAS. Peace abroad having been re-
established, it now becomes the duty of Con-
grcss to fulfill the other commands laid upon
il ~ the people, considering the present con-
diton Of the Republic.
1t is resolved that the Assembly shall be
divided into Senate and House OF Repre-
sentatives. The Senators shall be elected by
a plurality of the votes of the Assembly from
the members Of the Assembly. Those mem
beers OF the Assembly who are not chosen as
Senators form the House of Representatives,
and the number requisite for completing the
said chamber shall be elected by the people
Ihe people shall also elect the President
and Vice President of the republic, and these
elections shall be held on March /. 1856.
On july ., 1856 Congress shall be sOlemnly
opened, and the constitution Of 1860 shall be
declared in force, with such notifications as
this Assembly may see fit to introduce.
sELF-ELECTED SENATORS.
The peculiarly Of this ordinance lies
in the circumstances that the Senators
virtually elect themselves, without any
intervention on tbs part OF the people,
and have already proceeded to carry out
the programme. Sixteen departments
have been hOnOred. and in many instances
the Senators chosen to represent a depart
ment have never been within 800 miles of
its limits. The friends of the government
have, OF course, obtained the victory, and
the movement has for it's object the per-
petuation Of the present party IN power
so much SO that the liberal and applauded
idea of sending commission to Gen. Ca
ceres to eudeaVOr to bring him back to
his allegiance, and to effect a compromise
ana reconciliation between the two lead
ers seems to have been forgotten. Only
last week we were in the confident anti
cipatOn that efforts were about to be
made toward pacitcation. Now that de-
sired end appears to be as tar distant as
before.
With the exception of this law the work
Of Congress, politically speaking, has not
been important. One very laudable mea-
sure is adopted by the government-tO es-
tablish normal schools for both sexes at
all the capitals of the department Be-
fore the war these institutions were in
tlourishng existence, but disappeared be-
fore the invader. Lima and Caliao are al
ready provided with excellent public
schools, and although there is no penalty
enforced on those parents who neglect to
send their children, the attendance is
satisfactory. At CallaO. out of a pOpula-
ton Of more or less $4,000, 900 children
20 daily TO the schools.
sTAGNATIoN OF COMMERCE.
The commercial stagnation still con-
tinues. During the course of the present
month only four sailing vessels, with an
aggregate of 600 tons register, have
entered the port of Callao, and these were
all coasters, with tirewOOd. charcoal.
vegetables and wine. No ship from a
foreign port has put in an appearance for
nearly six weeks, and there are not great
probabilities Of such a gratifying event
occurring soon. This arises from the eX-
cessiye port dues established by the gov
eminent. A vessel has 60 pay 10 cents
(sllyer) per register ton as a sanitary tax.
When unloading she must, by order, lie
alongside of the docks and suffer the enOr-
nous charges of the company, - cents
lsilYer) per ton, in addition 10 other heavy
dues, while the cargo Is burdened with
the customs duties, extraordinarily high.
and every parcel or package must pay 10
cents silver minimum as municipality
charge. hut which is appropriated by the
government. But OF course the purchas-
ers and consumers have toeYentually pay
for these burdens, and the consequence is
that the bonded customs warehouses are
slowly filling up with goods that no one is
inclined 10 purchase. The revenue OF the
custom house, the only one remaining 10
the government, Is diminishing every day.