As regards the imports into the United Kingdom, those of Canada form a much larger proportion of the whole than those of the British exports to the North American Colonies. The imports from Canada, which varied, in the five years 1860-64, from 4 to near 6 millions sterling, consist principally of the two great staple articles, wood and corn, the first averaging in value 2,500,000l., and the second 1,000,000l. per annum. Wood also is the staple article, which New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward's Island export to the United Kingdom. Woollen and cotton manufactures are the chief articles sent in return from Great Britain.

In the months of September to November, 1864, a congress of popular delegates was held at Quebec, to deliberate on the formation of a proposed

CONFEDERATION OF BRITISH NORTH AMERICA.

Constitution and Government.

It was decided at the Quebec Congress, by a general vote of Oct. 30, 1864, that the form of government of the proposed Confederation of British North America be based upon the existing constitution of the Canadian provinces. The Legislative Council, or Upper House, is to be composed as follows:

The Legislative Councillors are to be named for life by the Crown; but will lose their seats by a continued absence during two years. They must be born or naturalised British subjects, thirty years of age, and possessed of, and continuing to be possessed of, real property to the value of 4,000 dollars, free from all encumbrances. The twenty-four Legislative Councillors who are to represent Lower Canada are to have a local qualification; they are to be named to represent one of the electoral divisions, and must reside or possess qualification in that division.

The House of Assembly, or Lower House of the Confederation, is to be elected by the people of the United Provinces in the following proportion :

The Governor-General will, as at present, be appointed by the Crown, this being the condition of union with the British empire. The Lieutenant-Governors of the provinces will be appointed by the Governor-General, with the advice of his Cabinet. It is believed that this proposed constitution will form the basis of a new British American empire.

CHILI.

Constitution and Government.

THE republic of Chili threw off the allegiance to the Crown of Spain by the declaration of independence of September 18, 1810. The constitution, voted by the representatives of the nation in 1833, establishes three authorities in the state-the legislative, the executive, and the judicial. The legislative power is vested in two assemblies, called the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies. The Senate is composed of twenty members, elected for the term of nine while the Chamber of Deputies, chosen for a period of three years, consists of one representative for every 20,000 of the population. The executive is exercised by a president, elected for a term of five years.

years;

President of the Republic.-Don José Joaquin Perez, born 1801; Secretary of Legation in France, 1829-31; Minister Plenipotentiary at Buenos-Ayres, 1832; subsequently Councillor of State, Minister of Finance, of the Interior, of Foreign Affairs, President of the Chamber of Deputies, and President of the Senate; elected President of the Republic by a unanimity of votes, September 7, 1861.

The president of the republic is chosen by indirect election. The people, in the first instance, nominate their delegates by ballot-to the number of 216 in the presidential election of 1861-and the latter, in their turn, appoint the chief of the state. The votes are examined, and the declaration of the poll takes place at a meeting of the two Houses of Legislature.

The president is assisted in his executive functions by a Council of State, and a ministry, divided into four departments, namely:

1. The Ministry of the Interior and of Foreign Affairs.-Don Mansel Covarrubias, appointed Jan. 3, 1864.

2. The Ministry of Finance.-Don Antonio Reyes, appointed June 10, 1863.

3. The Ministry of Justice, of Public Instruction, and of Ecclesiastical Affairs.-Don Miguel Guemes, doctor of jurisprudence, appointed June 20, 1862.

4. The Ministry of War and Marine.-General Marcos Maturano, appointed June 20, 1862.

The Council of State, appointed by the president of the republic, consists of the ministers for the time being, two judges, one ecclesiastical dignitary, one general or admiral, and five other functionaries or ex-ministers.

Revenue, Army, and Population.

The greater part of the public revenue is derived from customs. The details of income for each of the three years 1858, 1859, and 1860, were as follows:

The total expenditure for the same years-the branches are not distinguished in the official accounts which are published-amounted to the following sums:

The liabilities of the republic, on January 1, 1860, amounted to the following sum, divided into a home and foreign debt :—

The army, raised by conscription, was stated to amount to 3,093 men at the commencement of 1862. According to an official return of May 15, 1861, there were 29,698 national guards, or militia,-inscribed on the lists.

The navy consisted, in 1861, of four steamers with 27 guns, including one screw corvette, of 200 horse-power, with 20 guns; one screw sloop of 200 horse-power, with 5 guns; and two paddle steamers of 100 horse-power, with 2 guns. The fleet is officered by two admirals, fourteen captains and thirty-six lieutenants, and manned by 381 sailors and 300 marines.

The area of the republic is estimated at 249,952 English square miles, with a population, according to the census of 1862, of 1,676,243 souls. Included in the territory of the republic, since 1862, is the land of the Araucanians, on the southern frontier, governed, for some years, by a native of France, M. de Tonnens, who styled himself King Aurelius Antonius I. He was made a prisoner by the Chilian troops in February, 1862.

Trade and Industry.

The commercial intercourse between Chili and the United Kingdom is shown in the subjoined tabular statement, which gives the value of the total imports of Chili into the United Kingdom, and of the total exports of British and Irish produce and manufactures to Chili, in each of the five years 1860 to 1864 :

Copper and silver ore, the former of the average value of 1,500,000l., and the latter of near 300,000l., form the chief articles of import from Chili into the United Kingdom. Of British produce sent in return, cotton manufactures, averaging 600,000. in value per annum, form the staple.

Chili was among the first states in South America in the construction of railways, made for the special object of facilitating trade and industry. Subjoined is a list of the lines, their length, and cost, which were opened for traffic in the middle of 1863 :—