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BRAZIL.

(ESTADOS UNIDOS DO BRAZIL.)

Constitution and Government.

IN 1807 the royal family of Portugal fled to Brazil; in 1815 the colony was declared a kingdom'; and the Portuguese Court having returned to Europe in 1821, a national congress assembled at Rio de Janeiro, and on May 13, 1822, Dom Pedro, eldest son of King João VI. of Portugal, was chosen Perpetual Defender' of Brazil. He proclaimed the independence of the country on September 7, 1822, and was chosen Constitutional Emperor and Perpetual Defender' on October 12 following. In 1831 he abdicated the crown in favour of his only son, Dom Pedro II., who reigned as Emperor until November 15, 1889, when by a revolution he was dethroned, and he1 and his family exiled, and Brazil declared a Republic under the title of the United States of Brazil.

General Deodoro Fonseca was the first President. On November 23, 1891, he resigned, and Vice-President Peixoto took his place. Dissatisfaction, occasioned principally by military interference in the States, led to a rising in Rio Grande do Sul and to a naval revolt in the Bay of Rio de Janeiro. The rising in the South terminated in August, 1895, and the naval revolt was suppressed in March, 1894.

According to the constitution adopted by the National Congress in February, 1891, the Brazilian nation is constituted as the United States of Brazil. Each of the old Provinces forms a State, administered at its own expense without interference from the Federal Government save for defence, for the maintenance of order, and for the execution of the Federal laws. Fiscal arrangements in such matters as import duties, stamps, rates of postage, and bank-note circulation belong to the Union; but export duties are the property of the various States.

The legislative authority is exercised by the National Congress with the sanction of the President of the Republic. Congress consists of the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate. It meets annually on the 3rd of May, without being convoked, unless another day be fixed by law, and sits four months, but may be prorogued or convoked extraordinarily. No member of Congress, after his election, can contract with the executive power or accept any commission or paid office, except such as are diplomatic or military or imposed by law. If, in ordinary circumstances, the acceptance of diplomatic or military office would cause the loss of the legislative services of a member, the permission of the Chamber is required. Nor can any member of Congress take part in the administration of any company which receives a subsidy from the

1 Dom Pedro died in 1891.

Federal Government. Deputies and Senators are paid, and neither can be Ministers of State, and retain at the same time their seats in Congress. Deputies must have been Brazilian citizens for four years. Senators must be over thirty-five years of age and must have been citizens for six years.

The Chamber of Deputies consists of 212 members elected for three years by direct vote (providing for the representation of the minority), in a proportion not greater than one to every 70,000 of population as shown by a decennial census, but so that no State will have less than four representatives. It has the initiative in legislation relating to taxation.

The following table shows the number of Deputies from the different States and from the Federal district :

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Senators, 63 in number, are chosen by direct vote, three for each State, and for the Federal district, for nine years, and the Senate is renewed to the extent of one-third every three years. The Vice-President of the Republic is

President of the Senate.

The executive authority is exercised by the President of the Republic. He must be a native of Brazil, over thirty-five years of age. His term of office is four years, and he is not eligible for the succeeding term. The President and the Vice-President are elected by the people directly, by an absolute majority of votes. The election is held on the 1st of March in the last year of each presidential period in accordance with forms prescribed by law. No candidate must be related by blood or marriage, in the first or second degree, to the actual president or vice-president, or to either who has ceased to be so within six months.

The President has the nomination and dismissal of ministers, supreme command of the army and navy, and, within certain limits, the power to declare war and make peace. He (with the consent of Congress) appoints the members of the Supreme Federal Tribunal and the diplomatic ministers. No minister can appear in Congress, but must communicate by letter, or in conference with commissions of the Chambers. Ministers are not responsible to Congress or the Tribunals for advice given to the President of the Republic.

The franchise extends to all citizens not under twenty-one years of age, duly enrolled, except beggars, 'illiterates,' soldiers actually serving, and members of monastic orders, &c., under vows of obedience.

President of the Republic.-Dr. Francisco Rodriguez Alves; assumed office, November 15, 1902.

Vice-President.-Affonso Penna.

There are 6 Secretaries of State at the head of the following Departments :1. Finance, 2. Justice, Interior and Public Instruction, 3. War, 4. Marine, 5. Foreign Affairs, 6. Industry, Communications and Public Works.

In 1885 a bill was passed for the gradual extinction of slavery, and on May 13, 1888, an act was passed repealing all former acts on the subject, and abolishing slavery from the day of the promulgation of the law.

I. LOCAL GOVERNMENT.

According to the new Constitution each State must be organised under the republican form of government, and must have its administrative, legislative, and judicial authorities distinct and independent. The governors and members of the legislatures must be elective; the magistrates must not be elective nor removable from office save by judicial sentence. The Federal executive cannot intervene directly in the local government of the States. In cases of obstinate infringement of the Federal Constitution by State authorities the only resource of the central power is an appeal to the Supreme Tribunal of Federal District. The Federal District is administered by a council elected by the citizens of the District, the municipal executive authority being exercised by a Prefect appointed for four years by the President of the Republic. There are in Brazil 892 municipalities and 1,886 parishes.

Area and Population.

The Bureau of Statistics has published returns from the census of 1890, showing the population of the States and the Federal District.

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A census was taken in 1900, but the result, showing a decrease of population, was considered fallacious and these returns were not adopted.

In 1890 the population of Rio de Janeiro was 522,651 (750,000 in 1900), of Bahia, 174,412; of Pernambuco, 111,556; Belem, 50,064; San Paulo, 64,934; Ceará, 40, 902; Maranhão, 29,308; Porto Alegre, 52, 421; Parahyba, 18,645; Pelotas, 41,591; Ouro Preto, 59,249; Blumenau (in Santa Catharina), about 40,000.

At the census of 1890 there were 6,302,198 whites, 4,638,495 mětis, 2,097,426 negroes, and 1,295,796 Indians. In the northern provinces the Indian element preponderates, while in Pernambuco, Bahia, Rio de Janeiro, and Minas the negroes are numerous. At the seaports the chief part of the population is of European descent.

The dispute concerning the boundary between Brazil and French Guiana was settled on December 1, 1900, by the award of the Swiss Government (see STATESMAN'S YEAR BOOK for 1903, page 484). In November, 1903, a treaty was signed for the settlement of the dispute with Bolivia concerning the boundary in the Acré region. The principal terms are the transference of the territories of Upper Acré, Upper Purus, and Upper Jnrua to Brazil as far as 11° S. lat., extending to about 62,000 sq. miles, and a territorial concession to Bolivia on the frontier of Matto Grosso and the River Madeira, comprising 1,200 sq. miles. A compensation of 2,000, 0007. sterling and some commercial facilities will also be given to Bolivia. Boundary disputes with Peru in the Acré region, consequent on the agreement with Bolivia, are, by agreement of July 12, 1904, to be referred to the President of the Argentine Republic for arbitration, if not otherwise settled before July 12, 1905.

The dispute as to the frontier towards British Guiana was on June 6, 1904, settled by the Award of King Victor Emmanuel of Italy, who had been appointed arbiter on November 6, 1901. The boundary runs from Mount Yakontipu eastwards along the watershed to the source of the Ireng (Mahu); it follows the downward course of that river as far as its confluence with the Takutu, which it follows to its source. Where a watercourse has more than one branch, the most eastern is the boundary. The Ireng and Takutu rivers are open to the full navigation of both states.

MOVEMENT OF THE POPULATION.

The returns of births, deaths and marriages are incomplete, and no statistics are available later than 1884.

From 1871 to 1892 860,991 immigrants are stated to have entered the country. From 1893 to 1898 (inclusive) the number was. 650,000. The immigrants in 1899 numbered 85,130; 1900, 29,121; 1901, 76,292; 1902, 40,794. Of the immigrants in 1902, 29, 463 were Italian, 5,085 Portuguese; 2,076 Spanish. The departures are said to be much more numerous than the arrivals. In Rio Grande do Sul there are, under the administration of the Land and Colonisation Department of the Federal Government, 15 Colonies with a population of 108,000, occupying 562,400 hectares of land, of which 220,050 hectares are under cultivation.

Religion.

The established religion under the Empire was the Roman Catholic, but under the Republic the connection between Church and State has been abolished, and absolute equality declared among all forms of religion. The Federal Government continues to provide for the salaries and maintenance of the existing functionaries of the Catholic Church. The population in 1890 contained 14,179,615 Catholics; 143,743 Protestants; 3,300 of other faiths; and 7,257 of no religious profession.

Brazil constitutes an ecclesiastical province, with a metropolitan archbishopric, the seat of which is at Bahia, 11 suffragan bishops, 12 vicarsgeneral, and 2,000 curates. For the private instruction of the clergy there are 11 seminaries.

Instruction.

Public instruction is divided into three distinct forms or classes-namely, primary; secondary, or preparatory; and scientific, or superior. The higher education is controlled by the central Government. There are two schools of medicine, four of law, four military and one naval school, a school of mines, and a polytechnic. Connected with the observatory at Rio is a school for astronomy and engineering. The two establishments for secondary education called jointly the Gymnasio Nacional (old Pedro II.

college) confer a degree, and are controlled by Federal Government. The States Governments are allowed to found gymnasia with similar organisation and privileges, and to a certain extent control this branch of instruction. All other secondary schools are private. Examinations are always official. Primary instruction in the Federal District is under the charge of the municipality, and in the States under the municipal and Siate authorities. According to the Constitution education is, at all stages, under lay management, and primary education is gratuitous. The central department complain that they can get no data from the States on public instruction. It seems that education is nowhere compulsory in Brazil. No recent statistics are available. The number of illiterates is returned at 8,365,997, or 84 per cent. of the population. ·

Justice and Crime.

There is a supreme tribunal of Justice at Rio de Janeiro; and a court of appeal in the capital of each State. There are courts of first and second instance, both in civil and criminal cases. Judges are appointed for life. There are also municipal magistrates and justices of the peace, who are elected, and whose chief function is to settle cases by arbitration.

Finance.

The following table shows the revenue and expenditure from 1893 to 1903 :

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For 1905 the ministerial estimates of revenue and expenditure were as

follows:

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