The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1855-03-31
BRAZIL.

Brazil.
This huge country, watcred by the ANA
zon with its mighty tributaries, is land, of
which, notwithstanding its contigu,y to our
own, we know comparatively little. From
sn interesting lecture delivered in Phladcl-
phia on the 18th, by the Rev. Mr.. Fletcher,
We make the following extract -
Brazil was first discovered by Pinzon. a
Spanish navigator-a companion Of Colum-
bus in 1900. He was followed by Cabia',
Portuguese, who claimed the land in the
name Of his monarch. On the lst of Janu-
ary, 1881, Martin Alionzc dc Louza sailed
into what he thought to be large river,
which he named the 'Rivcr Of january"
and although he soon discovered his mis-.
take, yet to this day the magnificent sheet
Of water is known by the misnomer "Rio dc
Janeiro." The first colony established near
the waters Of that bay was in 1856, by a
band Of French Huguenots under the pat.
ronagc Of Admiral Coligny. They were,
however, overcome by the Portuguese as
well as the Dutch, who in after years occu.
\ ERieis1ss1iswsfrlweas f~6eM 49,
1884 70 16BA Trcus4 4A6dAsl dats 2sG6fbh ~
capc colony of Portugal, with as great
commercial restrictions rs China before
1912. Thus this vast region remained until
1908, when the royal family Of Portugal fled
from Lisbon upon the invasion ofthe French
army, and sought refuge at Rio de Janeiro,
which became for the time being the capital.
Brazil rapidly improved, as the commercial
restrictions were thrown aside, and it was
soon Incorporated as portion Of the king.
dom. The first printing press was cstab-
lishcd in 1908, but it was reserved in after
years for Independent Brazil to have press
entirely free and unslackled.
The lecturer exhibited several specimens
Of Brazilian typography, among which are
Lieut.. Maury's letter on the Amazon qucs.
ton, and newspapers. Rio, city Of 3o0,.
900 inhabitants, has several daily papers,
which during the sessions Of the imperial le-
gisla,ure, print full reports of all the dc.
bates the morning after their oc urrc ce.
In 1921. the king, Don John, returned to
Portugal, leaving his son, Don Pedro, as
viccroy. Brazil was treated badly by Poitu.
gal, and the Byazilians resented it, proclaim
ing a constitutional empire, and Don Pedro
was made the first emperor. Their consti-
tuition is singuarly liberal, and the whole
government more nearly, with some pualiii-
cations, resembles our own than any other.
There are 81 provinces, each having its gov
ernor and independent legislature, 1t is
! thus discentratising government There is
I the imperial legislative assembly, with its
house u representatives and its senate, cor
responding TO our congress But, in order
that the provincial government may be more
closely allied to the general government, the
emperor appoints the governors and the peo-
pie elect their legislators.
There is a nobility but il is one bono meri.
| 10, and cannot descend from father to son.
There is also liberal and guaranteed rrli.
gious tolcration which surprises Us and can
not be surpassed out Of England and the
United States.
Brazil is not hot bed Of revolution as
Spanish America, but has had peaceful
hess aud material prosperity in advance Of
every American government save our own.
She has had but one great change in her go.
vernmcnt since 1872, and that the forced
abdcation OF Don Pedro and substitution Of
his son, The present efficient emperor. Her
coast commerce, carried on in her own sail.
Ing vessels and steamers is immense. Two.
Brazil, and more than onc-half Of this i'm
mense crop comes to the United States. We
buy more than fourteen millions of dollars
worth from Brazil, while We sell her but lit
Tie more than the amount of four millions Of
our products aud we can readily assent to
what the lecturer asserted as our duty, j. c.
| to cultivate closer relations with Brazil.
More than once We were pointed to the
D unVtbarp i,,l ulital nnrtign .f Hrryil md tIn
/ La Plata countries AS the 'riumphs OF Amer
| lean commerce, and not the miasnatc and
/ almost uuinhaLited equatorial region of the
I Amazon.
The lecturer also made known that the
emperor is a bona .f,ie emperor, no Faustin
! Solouquc, but man in whose veins course
/ the blood of the Braganzas and the Haps-
/ burgs. He is the son Of the sister of Napo-
Icons second empress. lie is related by
marriage to every principal reigning house in
/ Europe. The late queen Of Portugal was
his sister and the present king of co urse his
nephew. The Prince dc Jonvillc married a
younger sister. His empress is the half sis.
ter of the king Of Naples, and aunt to the
queen of Spain. The emperor, the lecturer
remarked, is fine looking man, having fair
complexion, blue eyes, and is just six feet
four inches in height, Brazil is bound to
advance. The foreign slave trade is now
abolished, and the question of domestic ser.
vtudc is not so complex as with u, and
Judging from the past, the career of Brazi
will be onward and in striking contrast will
the volcanic republics of Spanish America.
SPIRITUAL ISTELLiGENcE-NE AnE>D ol
THE TELEGEAru.-Th Philadelphia Bulleti'
having invited the spiritual mediums in tina
region to communicate what they could fine
out in relation to the death of the Emperor
Nicholas, a singular medley of intelligence
from the eihrrnal or some other rcpi0nS Ma.