stitution, that promulgated in 1828, being found unsatisfactory. This was accomplished May 25th, 1833, after two years of animated discussions ; it was a conservative constitution, a "Pelucone" document, and gave the president extensive powers, the powers of a dictator in fact, but still made him a creature of the oligarchy. This constitution, as amended at different times and particularly in 1874, is the organic law of Chile at the present time. It was drawn by Don Mariano Egaña, a distinguished jurist. The liberals viewed with chagrin the successes of their opponents.
Three years after the new constitution had been adopted, there was another attempt to overthrow the conservative government. Ex-president Freire had been banished to Peru ; there he watched the course of political events in Chile until he believed the time ripe for a successful revolution. He then hired two warships, the "Monteaguado" and "General Orbegoso," manned them with deserters and Chilean refugees, about eighty in number, and on the 7th of July, 1836, set sail for the island of Chiloé, which he expected to make a safe base for future operations and from which he could cooperate with the revolutionists on the mainland. He intended to have touched at the island of Juan Fernandez and have taken with him the Chileans banished thither by the Chilean government, but there was a mutiny aboard the "Monteaguado" which frustrated his plans. The crew of that ship imprisoned the officers and took the vessel into Valparaiso harbor, where they turned it over to the Chilean authorities.
The government at Santiago now took active steps to counteract Freire's plans and prevent a revolution. Excitement ran high and business was almost entirely suspended. An embargo was laid on Valparaiso. The harbor to that port was protected by gunboats, troops
