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TJic Supreme Court of Mexico.

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Churches are forbidden to own any real and still obtains among many European estate except what is used for their imme nations. diate and direct service. The veto of the With us, the trial being usually oral, and President is suspensory only, and is overcome our trial of cases, civil or criminal, being at by a second majority vote of each house of term time, only one civil case goes on at a Congress. In short, the Constitution of the time. Under the civil law only criminal United States of Mexico, while patterned cases before a jury are tried at term. All after ours, being adopted in 1857 instead of civil cases, and the criminal cases on appeal, 1 787, has profited by the advance in thought are tried without the intervention of a jury,

and has also correct and the courts arc ed some of the errors —1 open all the year demonstrated by ex round; consequently perience to exist in three or four or more ours. The modifica cases can be in the tion of the veto power hands of the court at and the election of the same time, for senators and the consideration or de judges of the Federal termination. Supreme Court by The causes which the people, now pro brought about the posed to be submit civil wars in Mexico ted as a constitutional have long since amendment in the ceased to exist, and United States, have the country is now long since been peaceful and pros adopted in Mexico. perous, and develop ing with a rapidity Returning to the only paralleled by practice in civil cases, Japan. Nowhere is formerly it was the law, brought from life and property more safe or viola Spain, that before tion of the criminal bringing an action FELIX ROMERO. law repressed with the plaintiff summon greater promptness ed the defendant be fore a Court of conciliation, presided over by and certainty than in Mexico. a judge who was forbidden to be a lawyer, The Supreme Court of Mexico, as now and whose duty it was, without hearing any constituted, dates from the Constitution of evidence or making any decision, to endeavor 1857. By its terms, in event of the death to settle the controversy without litigation; or resignation of the President, the Chiefand only when he gave a certificate that the Justice becomes President. It was in this matter in dispute could not be compromised way that Juarez began his presidency in could the plaintiff begin his action. This 1857, and Lerdo de Tejada, on Juarez' death provision was in the Constitution of 1824, in 1872. By a constitutional amendment but was stricken out of the present constitu in 1879 this was changed, and recently tion and the resort to the Courts of Concilia another amendment has been adopted, by tion is far from universal now. This prac which henceforth the members of the tice was a feature in the Roman civil law, Cabinet, in an order named, will succeed