treaty of peace with Chile in 1884, and for this purpose sent
representatives to Santiago. No satisfactory terms, however, could be
arranged, and the negotiations ended in only an armistice being agreed
to, by which Chile remained in occupation of the Bolivian seaboard
pending a definite settlement at some future period.

The administration of President Santa Maria met with violent opposition
from the Conservatives, who included the Clerical party in their ranks,
and also from a certain section of the Liberals. The dislike of the
Conservatives to President Santa Maria was occasioned by his
introduction of the law of civil marriage, the civil registration of
births and deaths, and the freeing of the cemeteries. Hitherto no
marriage was legal unless celebrated according to the rites of the
Roman Catholic religion, and all registers of births and deaths were
kept by the parish priests. Civil employees were now appointed under the
new laws to attend to this work. Formerly the cemeteries were entirely
under the control of the Church, and, with the exception of a few places
specially created for the purpose, were reserved solely for the burial
of Roman Catholics. Under the new regime these cemeteries were made
common to the dead of all religions. Under President Perez, in 1865, a
clause in the law of constitution had been introduced permitting the
exercise of all creeds of religion, and this was now put into practice,
all restrictions being removed. On several occasions, notably in 1882
and 1885, President Santa Maria used his influence in the elections of
senators and deputies to congress for the purpose of creating a
substantial majority in his favour. He was induced to take this course
in consequence of the violent opposition raised in the chambers by the
liberal policy he pursued in connexion with Church matters. This
intervention caused great irritation amongst the Conservatives and
dissentient Liberals, and the political situation on more than one
occasion became so strained as to bring the country to the verge of
armed revolution. No outbreak, however, took place, and in 1886 the five
years of office for which President Santa Maria had been elected came to
an end, and another Liberal, Senor Jose Manuel Balmaceda, then succeeded
to power.

Balmaceda elected president.

Revolution of 1891.

The election of Balmaceda was bitterly opposed by the Conservatives and
dissentient Liberals, but was finally successfull