The Sun.
London, England, 1842-07-06 00:00:00

TH.} BRAZILIAN CHAMBERS.

We subjoin a translation of the Report presented V
the Brazilian Cabinet to his Imperial Majesty, on which
was indorsed the Royal decree of dissolution alluded to
under
:pt I hesesai di,
go ott S
considerable
aturda It is an
interest
for'
Britishdocu-
ment,
merchants connected with the Brazils .
" DISSOLUTION OF THE BRAZILIAN CHAMBERS.
"Sir,—The Ministers of your Imperial Majesty would incur
a grave responsibility towards the country, betray their own
consciences, and be unworthy of the confidence with which
your Imperial Majesty has honoured them, if they were not
with the most profound respect to pray your Majesty for a mea-
sure which circumstances imperatively clam for the maintenance
of monarchical, constitutional, and representative government,
the only one which can insure the salvation of the State against
the intrigues and obstacles of factions.
It is, without any doubt, butter to prevent in time the
incalculable fatal consequences that follow in the rear of the
march of factions, than to euter'into a strife with them after
having produced already irreparable elamage.
" The present Chamber of Deputies, Sir, does not possess
that moral force which is indilienstble to accredit its acts and
to strengthen the representative system amongst us. It can-
not represent. the opinion of the country. because an expression
of the national will and public necessities can only be the pro-
duce of freely given votes.

" The existence of this Chamber is net compatible with the
idea of a regular Government, because in it predominate men,
echo, putting aside all constitutional means, would not refrain
a moment from subverting and invading all the ideas of social
organization; and from usurping and superseding all the other
powers of the State.
" The recollection of the intrigues and acts of violence
which in the election of the present Chamber of Deputies were
committed almost on every point of the empire, are strongly
impressed on the memory of the Brazilians. An electoral
triumph over all the laws of public decency was the object for
which influences which in spite of the national will, at that
time predominated, united all their strength, and success
crowned those deplorable efforts to such an extent, that they
command a decided majority.
All Brazil, Sir, will rise to.testify that in 1840 no regular
and lawful elections took place. Public authorities, whose ad-
hesion was suspected or doubtful, were unlawfully and even
en masse Ett'perided; orders drawn up in conformity to the de-
sired ends were confided to the agents that had to preside at
the electoral proceedings, in order to remove obstacles, and to
prevent the action and success of the national will. Public
functionaries were forced to a cruel option between a sacrifice
of their conscience or of the bread of their children ; persons
emp!oyed in public works and buildings, soldiers, sailors of the
imperial marine were constrained to march in a body to the
poll, and there to register votes imposed on them beforehand ;
subaltern agents of little morality, empowered to act according
to their own discretion, enrolled and armed individuals whose
electoral rights were more than questionable, and many of whom
did not even belong to the parishes in which they voted. Those
regiments invaded the churches, and tore from the table
violently the citizens craistituting the board for the direction
of the elections, and substituted others for them by force.
They expelled them from the churches under insults and me-
naces—;waceable citizens that had come there for the exer-
cise of one of the must precious rights of a freeman, that of
electing his representatives, and when those regiments were
not sufficient—when the citizen was not cowed at a nod of
those agents, supported by an armed force. the churches were
attacked,' profaned by bayonets, and Brazilian blood was spil-
led. When a.I those mans failed they devised another expe-
dient. that or disturbing, by all modes possible the electoral
operations. When a majority of citizens had retired without
giving in their lists, the urns were, notwithstanding, found
filled with a number of those lists, exceeding that of the active
citizens of the parish. From the hands of those who had pro-
claimed them the electoral boards received the lists by scores
and in bundles, without caring whether signed or not, or whe-
ther bearing the names of active citizens or mere children, or
slaves, or fictitious names ; and as if that was not enough, the
verification of votes by these boards oas made a subject of
scorn and laughter, and thus the right of voting turned into a
bitter and criminal derision. They counted the votes as it
suited them—they reed the names of voters as they chose—they
verified the lists by scores. This capital was with indignation
a witness of the saturnalia nicknamed the elections of a free
people.
" To these encroachments others were added; the urns
were surreptitiously taken away, and to the true lists, at least
to those publicly. received, they substituted others that were
false, and those interested in these proceedings did not shrink
back from such a scandalous and undisguised falsification of
public acts, when the results to be expedted were not according
to their wishes.

" In some paces the number of electors was augmented in
an incredible and frightful manner ; in some colleges, not
mustering a hundred electors, more than a thousand votes were
handed in.

" There is scarcely any part of the empire, Sir, where these
crimes against the freedom of voting was not committed in the
elections of the present Chamber of Deputies.
" A Legislative Chamber, tainted by so many crimes, dis-
credited in the general opinion of the Brazilians, who witnessed
them, can never acquire the esteem and the veneration neces-
sary to produce a moral force, indispensable for such a political
body, and for the maintenance of a Representative Govern-
ment. Its acts will never experience that easy and voluntary
obedience, produced by a conviction on the part of the governed,
who expressed their intentions by the means of a free election.
Such a Chamber, whatever may be its numerical forces, can
under no circumstances command public respect.
" Whatever passes in a Legislative Chamber, being necessarily
brou.,ht to publicity, provokes to discussion the intelligence,
the passion, the interests of all the members of the associa-
tions, and is, from day to day;judged, condemned, or approved.
" With what moral force must it be invested, what confidence
must it command, if its authority is not to be endangered by its
daily verdicts?
" dgainst the Chamber of Deputies just assembled from
every part of the empire voices are raised reproaching them
with their origin, that was a violation of the law ; on the very
day of election, on every point of the empire, protests were en-
tered against that Chamber, branded by public opinion, and its
immediate dissolution was loudly demanded, and every fact that
happened afterwards only served to confirm the justice of that
sentence. To accept or undergo such a Chamber would be
assisting in falsifying the representative system, and plunging
the nation into the abyss of anarchy or despotism.
The Ministers of your Imperial Majesty avow that the prin-
ciples of order have also their representatives in the present
Chamber of Deputies. and it gives them the greatest pleasure
to make this confession, as-,this circumstance affords a proof of
the strength of the national opinion, which, in spite of all inti-
midation succeeded in placing in the same Chamber men dis-
tinguished by their acquirements, talents, and virtues. But
what can avail their powers, abilities. and patriotism in the face
of those ob.stacies that await them. The salvation of the state,
such as established by the constitution and the Reform Act,
demands, therefore, that the present Chamber of Deputies
give way to another, to which freedom of voting shall have
imprinted the character of a true representative of national
opinion, and impart that moral force required to strengthen
amongst us the monarchical, constitutional, and representative
system.

----
" And, for this reason, the Mioisters of your Imperial Ma-
jesty did not hesitate a moment to pray your Imperial Ma-
jesty to give his sanction to the measures implied in the
decree which they have the honour to deposit in the hands
of your Imperial Majesty, that will decide according to your
august pleasure.
"Palace of Rio de Janeiro, May 1, 1842.,,

[Here follow the signatures of six Ministers. ]
" DECREE.

" Taking into consideration the exposition of my Ministers
and Secretaries of State, in their report of to-day, and having
heard the advice of my Privy Council. I hare resolved, using
the attributes conferred on me by the Constitution, art. 101.
see. 5, to dissolve the Chamber of Deputies, and at once to
convoke anotLer that will assemble on the Ist of November of
the present year.
Candid° Joze de Aranjo Vianna, Minister and Secretary
of State, is thus to understand it, and bring it into execution.
E"P DRO II."
" Pa'.ace of Rio de Janeiro, May I. 1842."