ents of all judicial
functionaries, subject, however, to receiving recommendations of
candidates from the courts and to submitting appointments to the
approval of the council of state. This gives the national executive
absolute control of all administrative matters in every part of the
republic. The police force also is a national organization under the
immediate control of the minister of interior, and the public prosecutor
in every department is a representative of the national government.
There is no legislative body in any of these political divisions, nor
any administrative official directly representing the people, with this
exception: under the law of the 22nd of December 1891, municipalities,
or communes, are created and invested with certain specified powers of
local government affecting local police services, sanitation, local
improvements, primary instruction, industrial and business regulations,
&c.; they are authorized to borrow money for sanitary improvements,
road-making, education, &c., and to impose certain specified taxes for
their support; these municipalities elect their own _alcaldes_, or
mayors, and municipal councils, the latter having legislative powers
within the limits of the law mentioned.

_Justice._--The judicial power consists of a Supreme Court of Justice
of seven members located in the national capital, which exercises
supervisory and disciplinary authority over all the law courts of the
republic; six courts of appeal, in Tacna, Serena, Valparaiso,
Santiago, Talca and Concepcion; tribunals of first instance in the
department capitals; and minor courts, or justices of the peace, in
the sub-delegacies and districts. The jury system does not exist in
Chile, and juries are unknown except in cases where the freedom of the
press has been abused. All trials, therefore, are heard by one or more
judges, and appeals may be taken from a lower to a higher court. The
government is represented in each department by a public prosecutor.
The police officials, who are under the direct control of the
minister of interior, also exercise some degree of judicial authority.
This force is essentially military in its organization, and consisted
in 1901 of 500 officers, 934 non-commissioned officers and 5400 police
soldiers. Small forces of local policemen are supported by various
municipalities. The judges of the higher courts are appointed by the
national executive, and those