While the utmost care is taken to insure accuracy in the publications of the International Bureau of the American Republics, no pecuniary responsibility is assumed on account of errors which may be found in them.

Aunque se pone el mayor cuidado en que todo lo que se diga en las publicaciones de la Oficina Internacional de las Repúblicas Americanas sea perfectamente correcto, no se asume responsabilidad pecuniaria por razón de los errores que puedan encontrarse en ellas.

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INTRODUCTORY.

The present compilation has been distributed, for convenience of the student, into four parts and an Appendix. The first and second parts constitute Volume I. The third and fourth parts form Volume II. The Appendix and the Index are contained in Volume III.

Part First comprises the Constitutions of those countries, five at present, which are Unions of States or Provinces organized under a federal compact. These Constitutions are given in the order of their respective promulgation. Each one appears in its original language, with its translation into Spanish or English, as the case may be, the two texts being printed in parallel columns to facilitate comparison. The Constitution of Brazil is given in Portuguese and English, and also in Spanish.

Part Second contains the Constitutions of Guatemala, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Honduras, and Panama, in Spanish and English. Part Third is made up of the Constitutions of the Dominican Republic, Haiti, and Cuba. The Constitution of Haiti is given in French and English, and also in Spanish.

Part Fourth embraces the Constitutions of all the South American Republics, excepting the Argentine Republic, Brazil, and Venezuela, which are included in Part First. All of these are given in Spanish and English.

The Appendix will present to the student's consideration the "Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union" which preceded the Constitution of the United States of America, the Constitution of the great Colombia, a Confederation which by its dissolution gave rise to the Republics of Venezuela, New Granada and Ecuador, the Constitution of the United Provinces of Central America (Las Provincias Unidas de Centro América), a Confederation which was created in 1824, and some other documents of not less important character, illustrating the development of political life in the nations of the New World.

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