Peru

Abstract

The form of government of Peru is republican, all power being held to emanate from the people. The constitution is modelled on that of the United States, the legislative power being vested in a Senate and a House of Representatives, the former composed of deputies of the provinces—two for each province—and the latter of representatives elected by the electoral colleges of provinces and parishes. The parochial electoral colleges consist of all the citizens resident in a parish, for every 200 of whom an elector is nominated; in every village with an amount of population entitling it to name an elector, a municipal body is established, subject to the approbation of the departmental ‘juntas.’ The electoral colleges of provinces are composed of parochial delegates, who elect deputies to congress in the proportion of 1 for every 20,000 inhabitants. The provinces, however, in which the whole population does not come up to 10,000, may nevertheless send a deputy. In the session of 1866, the Senate was composed of 30 members, and the House of Representatives of 86 members.