No. 23.
Mr. Hall to
Mr. Frelinghuysen.
in Central America,
Guatemala , January 3, 1884. (Received January 26.)
Sir: The Republic of Salvador has promulgated recently its third constitution in twenty years, viz, the constitution of 1864, reported by Mr. Partridge in his dispatch No. 40, of the 12th of April of that year; the constitution of 1871, by Mr. Biddle in his No. 13, of the 5th of January, 1872; and the present constitution, decreedon the 4th of December, 1883. A printed copy and a partial translation of the latter are transmitted herewith, and I beg to invite your consideration of a few of its provisions:
Art. 2. Salvador considers herself a separated section of the Central American nation, and is disposed to concur with all or any of the Republics into which it is [Page 35] divided in the organization of a national Government whenever circumstances may permit or it may suit her interest, as also to form a part of the great Latin American confederation.
Art 14. The free exercise of all religions is guaranteed, without other limits than those prescribed by morality and public order.
In the former constitution the Roman Catholic apostolic religion is declared that of the state; other sects were merely tolerated.
Art. 76. The duration of the presidential term shall be four years, which shall commence and terminate on the 1st of February of the year of renewal.
Under the constitution of 1872 the duration of the presidential term was also four years, but without immediate re-election; that is, the President could not be re-elected for a successive term. This provision in the old constitution being abolished permits of the constitutional reelection of President Zaldivar, which was, beyond a doubt, the principal object aimed at in the formation of this new constitution.
There are other provisions in the new constitution, which relate to the status of foreigners and the children of foreigners, which will be the subject of my next dispatch.
I have, &c.,