Show 01 lent kepul lc in existence the oldest republic in existence and perhaps the smallest Is andorra lying high up among the pyrenees moun bains france bounds it on the north and spain on the south eleven hun dred years ago the great emperor charlemagne established this govern ment by giving to a brave handful et mountaineers a charter for the valley of andorra in return for protection given his army for 1100 years through all the bloody wars that in that time have shaken europe the people of andorra have remained neu aral have remained poor but ed and happy even napoleon Ni refused to interfere in the affairs ot what he termed this political curiosity the population tor centuries has not in creased numbering only 5 the supreme authority descends from fa ther to son but the laws are made by a legislative body consisting ot six councilmen one of the curiosities of andorra la a massive chest built into the wall of the council hall this chest has six locks and each of the six coun men has a key and the chest cannot be unless all the six are pres ent even the people of andorra do not know what Is in the box but they assert that it contains charlemagne s original charter written upon sheets of lead in andorra when a man and woman marry the husband takes the cifes name |