message of transmittal, in Appendix 12, can be briefly summarized as follows: The sovereign power originally vested in the people was ⚫ manifested or exercised through four different channels, called respectively, electoral, legislative, executive, and judicial. All the electoral powers granted by the Constitution were vested in the citizens, but no one was a citizen of the Bolivian Republic who, in addition to his Bolivian nationality by birth or naturalization, did not know how to read and write, and was not engaged in some useful occupation, industrial business, or the practice of some art or profession. Those depending upon others in the capacity of domestic servants were not considered citizens. The right to vote was limited to the choice of "electors" (one for every ten voters) in each Province, who were to serve for four years. This provincial “electoral body” should meet at the chief town of the Province. The legislative powers granted by the Constitution were vested in three chambers, to be named, respectively, the Chamber of Tribunes, the Chamber of Senators, and the Chamber of Censors. Each chamber consisted of thirty members. The functions of the tribunes were practically the same as generally belong in other Congresses to the members of the House of Representatives. Their term of office was four years. The Senators served for eight years, and did more, or less, the same work as all the Senators in the countries constitutionally governed. The Censors served for life, and were entrusted primarily with the duty to watch over the faithful compliance by the Government with the Constitution, the laws, and the public treaties. The power of impeachment belonged to them. The executive power was vested in the "President of the Republic," who served for life, and was assisted by the Vice-President in the capacity of President of the Cabinet, and by three secretaries of state-one for foreign relations and home government, another for financial matters, and another for war and navy. The judicial power was vested in a supreme court of justice, and in various circuit and district courts. Justices of the peace were to be established in every town, and it was their chief duty to secure "conciliation," if possible, between the conflicting claims and interests of the parties to a suit, and prevent litigation. This Constitution was superseded by another promulgated in 1831, and amended three years thereafter. Both of them provided that the legislative body should consist of not more than two chambers. On the 28th of October, 1836, another Constitution was promulgated. It has been followed by the Constitutions of 1843, 1851, 1861, 1868, 1871, 1878, and 1880. The latter is still in force. LIST OF IMPORTANT BOOKS TO BE CONSULTED IN REFERENCE TO THE CONSTITUTION OF BOLIVIA. AROSEMENA, JUSTO. Estudios constitucionales sobre los Gobiernos de la América latina. Paris, 1878. CORTÉS, M. J. Ensayo sobre la Historia de Bolivia. Sucre, 1861. SANJINÉS, JENARO. Las Constituciones políticas de Bolivia. Estudio histórico y comparativo. La Paz, 1906. jar y ejercer todo industria lícita; de publicar sus pensamientos por la prensa sin previa censura; de enseñar bajo la vigilancia del Estado, sin otras condiciones que las de capacidad y moralidad; de asociarse, de reunirse pacíficamente y hacer peticiones individual ó colectivamente. La instrucción primaria es gratuita y obligatoria. ART. 5. Nadie puede ser arrestado, detenido ni preso, sino en los casos y según las formas establecidas por ley; requiriéndose para la ejecución del respectivo mandamiento, que éste eniane de autoridad competente y sea intimado por escrito. ART. 6. Todo delincuente in fraganti puede ser aprehendido, aún sin mandamiento, por cualquiera persona, para el único objeto de conducirle ante el juez competente, quien deberá tomarle su declaración, á lo más, dentro de veinticuatro horas. ART. 7. Los encargados de las prisiones á nadie recibirán en ellas como arrestado, preso ó detenido, sin copiar en su registro el mandamiento correspondiente. Podrán sin embargo recibir en el recinto de la prisión á los conducidos, con el objeto de ser presentados al juez competente, pero esto bajo la obligación de dar cuenta á dicho juez, dentro de veinticuatro horas. ART. 8. Los atentados contra la seguridad personal, hacen responsables á sus autores inmediatos, sin que pueda servirles de excusa el haberlos cometido de orden superior. ART. 9. Nadie puede ser juzgado por comisiones especiales ó sometido á otros jueces que los designados con anterioridad al hecho de la causa. Sólo los que gozan de fuero militar podrán ser juzgados por consejos de guerra. gage in any lawful business; to publish his ideas through the press, without previous censorship; to teach, under the supervision of the State, without other conditions than those of ability and morality; to enter into associations; to assemble peacefully, and to make petitions individually or collectively. Primary instruction is free and compulsory. ART. 5. No one shall be arrested, detained, or imprisoned, except in the cases and according to the forms established by law, and no warrants of arrest shall be obeyed if not issued by competent authority. Service of the warrant shall be made in writing. ART. 6. Offenders caught in flagrante delicto may be arrested by any person, even without a warrant, provided that it is for the sole purpose of taking them before the proper authority, who must examine them within twenty-four hours after the arrest, at the latest. ART. 7. Wardens of prisons shall not admit any one as arrested, imprisoned, or detained, without entering on their register a copy of the respective warrant. They can, nevertheless, retain within the prison limits those who have been arrested with the object of being brought before the proper judge, but in such case they are under obligation to report the fact to the said judge within twenty-four hours. ART. 8. Attacks against personal security make the immediate authors thereof responsible, and the fact that the offense was committed by order of a superior authority shall not be accepted as an excuse. ART. 9. No one shall be tried by special commissions, or by other courts than those established prior to the time of the offense. Only those who are under military jurisdiction may be tried by councils of war. ART. 10. Nadie está obligado á declarar contra sí mismo en materia criminal, ni lo están, sobre el mismo hecho, sus parientes consanguíneos hasta el cuarto grado inclusive, ni sus afines hasta el segundo. En ningún caso se empleará el tormento ni otro género de mortificaciones. ART. 11. Jamás se aplicará la confiscación de bienes como castigo político. Son inviolables la correspondencia epistolar y los papeles privados, los cuales no podrán ser ocupados sino en los casos determinados por las leyes y en virtud de orden escrita y motivada de autoridad competente. No producen efecto legal las cartas ni papeles privados violados ó sustraidos. ART. 12. Toda casa es un asilo inviolable; de noche no se podrá entrar en ella sin consentimiento del que la habita; y de día sólo se franqueará la entrada, á requisición escrita y motivada de autoridad competente, salvo el caso de delito in fraganti. Ningún militar será alojado en tiempo de paz en casa particular sin consentimiento del dueño; ni en tiempo de guerra, sino en la manera que prescribe la ley. ART. 13. La propiedad es inviolable; la expropiación no podrá imponerse, sino por causa de utilidad pública, calificada conforme á ley, y prévia indemnización justa. ART. 14. Ningún impuesto es obligatorio, sino cuando ha sido establecido por el Poder Legisla tivo, conforme á las prescripciones de esta Constitución. Todos pueden intentar el recurso ante la autoridad judicial respectiva contra los impuestos ilegales. Los impuestos municipales son obligatorios, cuando en su creación se han observado los requisitos señalados por esta Constitución. ART. 10. No one shall be compelled to testify against himself in a criminal cause, nor shall his blood relations up to the fourth degree inclusive, or the second degree of affinity, be bound to depose against him. In no case shall torture of any kind be employed. ART. 11. Confiscation of property shall never be applied as punishment for political offenses. Private papers and correspondence are inviolable and shall not be seized except in the cases determined by law and by written order of the competent authority. Intercepted letters and private papers seized in violation of this provision shall produce no legal effect. ART. 12. Every house is an inviolable asylum; at night it shall not be entered without the consent of the person who inhabits it, and in the daytime entrance thereto is only allowed on the written order of the lawful authority, except in cases of in flagrante delicto. No soldier or military man shall be quartered in a private house in time of peace without the consent of the owner; nor in time of war except in the manner prescribed by law. ART. 13. Private property is inviolable; condemnation thereof shall not be ordered except for public utility and according to law, and upon previous and just indemnity. ART. 14. No tax shall be obligatory if not established by the legislative power according to the provisions of this constitution. Any person may apply to the proper judicial authorities and claim against any illegal taxation. Municipal taxes are obligatory when levied in accordance with the principles established in this constitution. ART. 19. Todo hombre goza en Bolivia de los derechos civiles; su ejercicio se regla por la ley civil. ART. 20. Sólo el Poder Legislativo tiene autoridad para alterar y modificar los códigos, así como para dictar reglamentos ó disposiciones en lo tocante á procedimientos judiciales. ART. 21. Queda abolida la pena de muerte, exceptuándose los únicos casos de castigarse con ella el asesinato, el parricidio y la traición á la patria; se entiende por traición la complicidad con el enemigo durante el estado de guerra extranjera. la ART. 22. Quedan abolidas pena de infamia y la muerte civil. ART. 15. No money shall be withdrawn from the national, departmental, municipal, or educational treasuries, except when the expense is authorized by the respective appropriation. A quarterly account of the public expenditures shall be published within sixty days, at the latest, after the expiration of the quarter. The minister of the Treasury shall publish the accounts corresponding to the national expenses; the superintendents, those of their respective departments. ART. 16. Equality is the basis of taxation and of all public burdens. No personal service shall be exacted of anyone if not in accordance with law or by virtue of a final decision. ART. 17. Real estate belonging to the church and property belonging to charitable, educational, and municipal establishments or religious corporations, shall enjoy the same guaranties as are granted to property of private individuals. ART. 18. The public debt is guaranteed. All obligations or engagements contracted by the State in conformity with the law are inviolable. ART. 19. All persons in Bolivia shall enjoy civil rights, the exercise of which shall be regulated by civil law. ART. 20. The legislative power alone has authority to alter or amend the codes or enact rules or provisions concerning judicial procedure. ART. 21. The penalty of death is abolished, but it may be imposed in cases of assassination, parricide, and treason to the country. Treason to the country means complicity with the enemy in time of foreign war. ART. 22. The penalties of infamy and civil death are abolished. |