onstitution, according to the president's wishes in 1905, was to
continue in office until 1908 and to provide laws for the regulation of
elections and other public affairs, it appeared that the president would
permit no expression of popular dissent to interfere with his purpose to
establish a dictatorial regime in Colombia similar to the one in Mexico.

The executive power is vested in a president chosen by Congress for a
period of four years. The first presidential period, dating from the 1st
of January 1905, was for ten years, and no restriction was placed upon
the choice of President Rafael Reyes to succeed himself. The constituent
assembly gave the president exceptional powers to deal with all
administrative matters. He is assisted by a cabinet of six ministers,
interior, foreign affairs, finance, war, public instruction and public
works, who are chosen and may be removed by himself. The office of
vice-president is abolished, and the president is authorized to choose a
temporary substitute from his cabinet, and in case of his death or
resignation his successor is chosen by the cabinet or the governor of a
department who happens to be nearest Bogota at the time. The president
is authorized to appoint the governors of departments, the intendants of
territories, the judges of the supreme and superior courts, and the
diplomatic representatives of the republic. His salary, as fixed by the
1905 budget, is L3600 a year, and his cabinet ministers receive L1200
each. The council of state is abolished and the senate is charged with
the duty of confirming executive appointments.

The judicial branch of the government, like the others, has been in
great measure reorganized. It consists of a supreme court of seven
members at Bogota, and a superior court in each judicial district. There
are various inferior courts also, including magistrates or _jueces de
paz_, but their organization and functions are loosely defined and not
generally understood outside the republic. The supreme court has
appellate jurisdiction in judicial matters, and original jurisdiction in
impeachment trials and in matters involving constitutional
interpretation. Under the constitution of 1886 the judges of the higher
courts were appointed for life, but the reforms of 1905 changed their
tenure to five years for the supreme court and four years for the
superior courts, the judges being eligible for re-appointment.

The departments, which are administered by