ART. 101. Habrá hasta cinco Ministros Secretarios de Estado, nombrados libremente por el Ejecutivo; y la ley determinará los ramos y las funciones correspondientes á cada uno de los Ministerios.

ART. 102. Para Ministros Secretarios de Estado se necesitan los mismos requisitos que para Senador.

ART. 103. Todos los decretos, órdenes ó resoluciones del Poder Ejecutivo, serán suscritos por el Ministro del ramo; y si no lo fueren, no tendrán valor alguno, ni serán obedecidos por sus agentes, ni por ninguna persona ni autoridad. Exceptúase el nombramiento ó remoción de los mismos Secretarios de Estado.

As soon as the danger ceases, the council of state shall declare, upon its own responsibility, that the extraordinary powers have terminated.

ART. 100. The Executive shall not delegate these extraordinary powers, except to the provincial governors, and with the advice of the council of state. The provincial governors in this case shall have no power, without special order of the Executive, to compel any one to reside away from his home.

The Executive and the authorities entrusted with the enforcement of its orders shall be directly responsible for the abuses which they may commit.

The said authorities shall be also responsible for the enforcement of orders issued by the Executive beyond its powers.

SECTION III.

The Secretaries of State.

ART. 101. There shall be five secretaries of state, freely appointed by the President. The law shall determine the branches of business respectively entrusted to them, and their respective functions.

ART. 102. To be a secretary of state the same qualifications shall be required as to be a senator.

ART. 103. All decrees, orders, or decisions of the Executive shalĺ be signed by the respective secretary of state; and if not signed, they shall have no value and shall not be obeyed by any agent of the Government or by any private person or authority. The appointment or removal of the secretaries themselves is excepted from this rule.

ART. 104. Los Ministros Secretarios de Estado son responsables en los casos de los artículos 95 y 96; y, además, por infracción de ley, soborno, concusión y malversación de los fondos públicos; por autorizar decretos ó resoluciones del Poder Ejecutivo, expedidos sin el dictamen ó acuerdo del Consejo de Estado, siempre que la Constitución y las leyes lo prescriban; y por retardar la ejecución de aquéllos ó no haber velado sobre su cumplimiento. No exonera de responsabilidad á los Ministros Secretarios de Estado la orden verbal ó escrita del Poder Ejecutivo.

ART. 105. Los Secretarios de Estado deben dar á las Cámaras Legislativas, con conocimiento del Poder Ejecutivo, todos los informes y noticias que les pidan sobre los negocios que versen en sus respectivas Secretarías, exceptuando aquellos cuya reserva fuere necesaria á juicio del Ejecutivo, acerca de los cuales informarán en sesión secreta.

ART. 106. Los Secretarios de Estado deben presentar á las Cámaras Legislativas, en los seis primeros días de sus sesiones ordinarias, un informe escrito del estado de los negocios correspondientes á la Secretaría de su cargo, proponiendo lo que estimen conveniente para mejorarlos. Pueden tomar parte, sin voto, en las discusiones de los proyectos de ley ó decreto que presente el Ejecutivo, y deben asistir cuando fueren llamados por alguna de las Cámaras.

ART. 107. El Secretario de Hacienda presentará, además, al Congreso Ordinario, en los primeros veinte días de su reunión, el estado de las rentas nacionales y el presupuesto para el año siguiente.

ART. 104. The secretaries of state shall be held responsible in the cases set forth in articles 95 and 96 and in those of violation of law, bribery, collusion, and embezzlement of public funds, countersigning decrees or orders of the Executive issued without the advice of the council of state, when this advice is required by the Constitution and the laws, delaying the execution of valid decrees or failure to watch over

their enforcement. An order, either verbal or in writing, from the Executive shall not exempt the secretaries of state from responsibility.

ART. 105. The secretaries of state shall transmit to the legislative chambers, with the knowledge of the Executive, all the information which may be asked from them in regard to any matter belonging to their respective departments, unless, in the judgment of the Executive, such matter should be kept secret. In the latter case the information shall be given in secret session.

ART. 106. The secretaries of state shall present to Congress, during the first six days of the ordinary session, a written report on the condition of the business of their respective departments, and recommend whatever they may deem conducive to improve said condition. They may take part, but without vote, in the discussions of the bills introduced in Congress by the Executive, and they shall attend the meetings of either chamber when invited thereto.

ART. 107. The secretary of the treasury shall submit, furthermore, to Congress, when assembled in ordinary session and during the first twenty days of the same, a statement of the national revenues and the Budget of expenditures for the following year.

361A-07-20

SECCIÓN IV.

Del Consejo de Estado.

ART. 108. Habrá en la Capital del Ecuador un Consejo de Estado, compuesto del Vicepresidente de la República, los Ministros Secretarios de Estado, Ministro Fiscal de la Corte Suprema, Presidente del Tribunal de Cuentas, Rector de la Universidad Central, dos Senadores, dos Diputados y dos ciudadanos que tengan los requisitos que para Diputado. El Congreso, en cada reunión anual, elegirá los siete últimos, quienes podrán ser reelegidos indefinidamente. Presidirá el Consejo el Vicepresidente de la República; por su falta le subrogará el Ministro Fiscal de la Corte Suprema; y, á falta de éste, un Consejero nombrado por los demás.

ART. 109. En receso del Congreso, corresponde exclusivamente al Consejo de Estado:

1o. Autorizar al Ejecutivo, de acuerdo con la atribución 4a del artículo 65, para que obtenga empréstitos voluntarios en tiempo de paz, con tal que se juzguen indispensables para la recta administración pública.

2o. Preparar las acusaciones contra el Ejecutivo, y los recursos de queja que se propongan contra los Ministros de la Corte Suprema.

3o. Conceder ó negar al Poder Ejecutivo las facultades extraordinarias, y retirarlas conforme al artículo 98.

4. Llenar las vacantes de los Consejeros de Estado, excepto las del Vicepresidente de la República y de los Secretarios del Despacho.

5o. Ejercer las demás atribuciones prescritas por esta Constitución y las leyes.

En los tres primeros casos, y cuando se trate de confinar, los Ministros Secretarios de Estado

SECTION IV.

The Council of State.

ART. 108. There shall be in the capital of Ecuador a council of state, consisting of the vice-president of the Republic, the secretaries of state, the attorney-general, the chief justice of the tribunal of accounts, the rector of the Central University, two senators, two deputies, and two private citizens having the qualifications required to be a deputy. The Congress shall elect at each annual meeting the seven members last mentioned, who may be reelected indefinitely. The vice-president of the Republic shall be the president of the council, and in his default the attorney-general, and in default of the latter any one of the counselors appointed by his colleagues.

ART. 109. In the recess of Congress it shall belong exclusively to the council of state:

1. To authorize the Executive, according to clause 4 of article 65, to contract voluntary loans in time of peace, provided that said loans are indispensable for the proper administration of the Government.

2. To prepare articles of impeachment against the Executive, and complaints against the justices of the supreme court.

3. To grant or refuse extraordinary powers to the Executive, or to withdraw said powers in pursuance of article 98.

4. To fill the seats of Councilors of State, which may become vacant, except those of the vicepresident of the Republic and the secretaries of state.

5. To exercise all the other powers given it by this Constitution and the laws.

In the three cases first mentioned in the present article, and when the question under discussion relates

sólo tendrán voto meramente informativo, y cuando éstos asistan todos, nunca se abrirá la sesión con menos de once Consejeros.

ART. 110. El Presidente ó el Encargado del Poder Ejecutivo, debe oir el dictamen del Consejo de Estado en los casos siguientes:

1o. Para dar ó rehusar su sanción á los proyectos de ley y demás actos legislativos que le pase el Congreso.

2o. Para obtener del mismo Congreso el decreto que le autorice á declarar la guerra; y para los demás casos prescritos por la Constitución y las leyes, ó en que el Ejecutivo tenga á bien pedir su dictamen, con el que puede conformarse ó no.

TÍTULO VIII.

DEL PODER JUDICIAL.

ART. 111. El Poder Judicial se ejerce por la Corte Suprema, las Cortes Superiores, el jurado y los demás tribunales y juzgados que la Constitución y la ley establecen.

ART. 112. Para Ministro de la Corte Suprema, se requiere: ser ecuatoriano en ejercicio de los derechos de ciudadanía, tener treinta y cinco años de edad, y haber ejercido por ocho años la profesión de abogado, con buen crédito.

ART. 113. Para Ministro de las Cortes Superiores, se requiere: ser ecuatoriano en ejercicio de la ciudadanía, haber ejercido en la República, con buen crédito y por cinco años, la profesión de abogado, y tener treinta años de edad.

ART. 114. Los Ministros de las Cortes Suprema y Superiores de Justicia y los Ministros Jueces de

to compelling some one to reside at a particular place, the secretaries of state shall be heard, but shall have no vote; and when all the secretaries of state are present, no business shall be transacted in the council with less than eleven councilors.

ART. 110. The President or Acting President of the Republic shall hear the opinion of the council of state in the following cases:

1. Before approving or refusing to approve the bills or resolutions passed by Congress.

2. Before applying to Congress for authority to declare war. in all the other cases in which the Constitution or the laws may render said opinion necessary, or in which the Executive may deem it advisable to ask for it without impairing the power of the Executive to accept it or not.

TITLE VIII.

THE JUDICIAL POWER.

ART. 111. The judicial power is vested in one supreme court, the superior courts, the jury, and all other tribunals and courts established by the Constitution and the laws.

ART. 112. To be a justice of the supreme court, it shall be required to be an Ecuadorian citizen in the exercise of the rights of citizenship, over thirty-five years of age, and a lawyer of good standing, having practiced law for not less than eight years.

ART. 113. To be a justice of a superior court, it shall be required to be an Ecuadorian citizen in the exercise of the rights of citizenship, over thirty years of age, and a lawyer of good standing, having practiced law for not less than five

the superior courts, and of the tribunal of accounts. If Congress is not in session, the supreme court shall take cognizance of the requests for excuse and of the resignations tendered by its own members or members of the superior courts, and shall elect the officials who pro tempore shall serve in their place. The tribunal of accounts has the same power in regard to its own members.

ART. 115. The law shall designate the number of justices of the supreme court, the superior courts, and the tribunal of accounts; the Province or Provinces in which they shall exercise jurisdiction; the powers that they and the courts of the first instance shall have; and the manner of appointing the latter, and their time of service.

ART. 116. The justices of the supreme court may be present at the discussion of the bills introduced in Congress by the court.

ART. 117. No case shall be conducted through more than three instances. Tribunals and courts at law shall always state the reasons upon which their decisions are founded.

ART. 118. The justices and judges are responsible, in the manner and form provided by law, for their judicial action. They shall not be suspended except by a judicial decree setting forth the reason for the suspension, nor shall they be removed unless by judicial sentence.

ART. 119. The justices of the supreme court, the tribunal of accounts, and the superior courts shall serve for six years, and may be reelected indefinitely. They are forbidden to accept, during their terms of office, any position within the free gift of the Execu

tive.