PROGRESS OF CHILI.

Southland Times, Volume III, Issue 235, 30 March 1866, Page 3

PROGRESS OF CHILI.

(From the Times, 24th January.) In order to show the progress Chili has made since her emancipation from the rule of Spain, I have gathered the following statement, made during a debate a few months ago in the Chamber of Deputies, on*a motion for a reform of the Constitution ; also some others from the annual reports of the Cabinet Ministers : — ln 1810, the first year of the War of Independence, the population of Chili amounted to, it is supposed, as no regular statistics were then ever thought of, between 600,000 and 700,000 people. Santiago had a population below 30,000 ; Valparaiso between 5000 and 6000, and the latter so poor that they couldjnot afford to pay a salary to their parish priest. The Customs revenue did not amount to 60,000 dollars ; and there was but one passable road — that between Santiago and Valparaiso, about 90 miles long. The exports of produce had never risen to 1,000,000 d015. Sincethen,notwithstanding a desolating war, not entirely concluded for 15 years, in order to drive out the Spaniard, and seven or eight years more of domestic troubles, with something over 30 of peace, the population, according to the census taken this year, has increased to a fraction less than 2,000,000. Santiago has more than 120,000, with entire streets of sumptuous private residences. Valparaiso has close on 80,000, and increases with amazing rapidity, some of its most important establishments being constructed on ground over which the ocean not long since rolled. Eoads have been opened in every direction under the superintendence of skilful engineers, both native and foreign, and although in this branch much still remains to be done, still the results already obtained are highly encouraging. Bridges are still scarce, owing to the want of funds, but have been erected in the more important points. There are some 600 miles of telegraph. 330 miles of railway have been opened to the public, 100 more ought to be finished at the end of this year, and another 100 miles are about being immediately commenced. The railways already finished have cost something over 16,000,000 dols. The Customs' revenue last year amounted to 7,047,y87; importations from foreign countries, formerly confined to a few arrivals from the Viceroyalties of Peru and Buenos Ayres, amounted last year to 18,967,365 dols ; exportation to 27,242,853 dols., England with her colonies standing at the bead of both buyers and sellers. The coasting trade for the same period was 28,896,783 dols. The education movement, though not so gratifying, is still worthy of attention. The jealous policy of Spain in endeavoring to strangle every attempt at education in her colonies is well known, and to it more than.to any other cause may be attributed the many calamities which have befallen the Governments which have succeeded her. In Chili the only establishment for education was the University of San Felipe, in which a limited number of students imbibed a small amount of bad Latin, together with an unlimited supply of such scholastic divinity as was in Aogue in the middle ages. Some primary schools must, no doubt, have existed in the large towns, but all recollection of them and of their system, if they had any, has long since passed away. Women were jealously shut out from all means of improvement ; to a few, reading was permitted, bnt writing was a thin;; not to be thought of. At present public instruction is presided over by a Cabinet Minister. The University of Santiago has at its charge the inspection and direction of the provincial lyceums and the primary schools. Xn the capita^ pity of each of the 3.4 provinces there is alyceum, and the primary schools are scasteU over the whole republic,