The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-11-03
BRAZIL.


Manner Of Conducting Them-PolIing Scenes
In the Churches-The Pressures brought 70
Bear ON the Canvnss-The Habeas Corpus
Fraud.
RIO JANERo. Sept rs. 1868.
The municipal elections are now over In all parts
OF the empire, but only part OF the returns yet
known here However, with only two or three ex-
ceptions the conservatives have carried those cleo
lions reported with rush, the liberals being no.
where result which predicted in former letters a.
Q necessary consequence Of the way matters are
managed In this blessed land Of the holy cross, -
Brazilian orators call It.
Probably your readers would like to know the
forms observed In Brazilian elections. The scene OF
the ward voting II the parish church, of course
Roman Catholic. long table II placed, end on,
close below the great altar. At Its head ne1t the
altar sits the presiding officer, justice Of the peace
with the voting urn before him. and close to him. ut
the Sides SIT the four nesarios or scrutneers two
on each side, each pair being generally chosen
by the opposing parties. Behind these cleo
ton judges stand the ward inspectors
haspectores de o,laltetram and others supposed
to be acquainted with the voters OF the ward and the
public In general, or 80 many rs may be admitted.
Some police are stationed at the door to keep order;
but by law neither police national guards nor sol
dters are to enter the church unless their
be demanded by the juntG to maintain order. The
qualifications Of oers Is the pos sessing or earning
OF yearly income OF 200 mires, the belonging to
certain professions and faculties the being priest
an officer, &c. Lists Of voters who have established
their qualifications drawn up and copies OF them
are furnishe TO the jta Of judges Of elections for
their use. All being thus ready, the names on the
list are called out one by one inside and outside the
church. II the voter be present or som one to per-
nvnif Pm hA ohnr
his way to the jutd. his Identity be doubted the
justice Of the peace and the mesdrtos decide by the
majority whether he will be allowed to vote or be re-
jected. II his vote be accepted he drops his ticket
folded 80 as not to be read into the urn and the next
name ID called. The list Is thus called over three
times and the election thus occupies usually three
days. Not unfrequently objections win be taken,
either to the presidency of the justice of the peace
because OF some alleged or real incapacity to
preside or because OF irregularities or uniarness
In the proceedings In such cases the directors will
establish other elections in other churches, aud In
this way three elections sometimes going on 81
multane0usly IN the same ward, and the legality of
them fixed by the president OF the province, who
Ii even empowered to quash the whole OF these or
any other election he sees Ill, submitting his action
TO the ultimate decision OF the general government.
Notwithstanding the sanctty OF the place for
voting, and the presence Of all those religious ad-
1uncts which were supposed would inspire awe and
respect and repress turbulence and rOguery the Bra
lillian churches become very often the OF the
greatest disorder and OF even blo0dshed, and the
lie religion are freely used as weapons The churches
In Brazil swarm with small images or saints, cruel
nxes and devotional offerings Of all kinds including
wax models OF legs, arms, heads feet. breasts &c.
presented In compliance with VOWS made by the SUI
ferers In case OF rows In the churches, therefore,
when sticks, knives and revolvers cease to supply
sufciency Of weapons, legs arms head feet breasts
cruchxes and saints ny In all directions. These
sanity and devotional missiles are however now not
30 accessible as they were o few years ago. as the
clergy generally take care to lock them up out
OF the way and to clear the affairs. few years ago.
before this precaution was IN force In Rio, q OF
the kind occurred in Of the principal and most
aristocratic wards OF the CITY, and In few minutes
everything portable on the walls and affairs was con-
verified into weapons. The justice OF the peace and
the HlesdriOs stuck to their places like pItch they
wouldn't break up the election do what their oppO-
nents might and they held like men conscious Of
their duty and Of the approval OF the saint OF the
church, whose huge and massey image smiled be-
nignantiy upon them from the altar which reared
oversight was sadly shaken when they saw five or
six men climb upon the altar and set themselves
70 uv on 70 upset the massive
chairs, table and urn were dashed away, and the
J,tnta and Its supporters cleared from the place
ct the double quick and Left their adversaries vic
The thirteen signers OF the liberal manifesto re-
Gently issued are all men OF high standing, COM
prlsiug late minister's Senators and deputies OF the
empire, Councillors Of state and the President the
supreme Court Of the empire: The advice given BY
to vote IN almost all the words In one OF the sub
urbs, however, the manifesto did not arrive until
residence OF wei on voters who could not be a.
easily coerced by the police and other government
The population OF the municipality Of Rio Janeiro
ID 500 600 or 6O00 00 contained In an area OF about
ninety square miles, which, Ike the District Of
Columbia, 10 directly dependent upon the national
government. At the hard contested municipal cleo
ton OF 1884 before the the highest number Of
votes cast was 6064 while at this election notwith
standing 30 many voters are dead or In service in
Paraguay 1859 votes were cast for the conservative
ticket, which fact alone would be prtnsG JaCie evl
Annn M q m nf fhA rlo a
tickets were cast more than the whole number OF
listed voters In the word, and In another mesdrO
servative tickets into the urn. This Is very COM
mon trick In Brazil, and very frequently fight 10 got
up IN the church on purpose to favor an opportunity
OF doing in the confusion, Of stealing smash
ing the urn. 30 many voters being away pcrs0nin-
cations were carried on TO . gross extent and one
one ward, belying the nickname Of pAosphoro-
match-given here 70 the observation-disclosures ne can
60 on only once. one phosphoro actually tried to
Paraguay. and another voted foG voter who was
psesent, but who was rejected for the phospI.oro.
oI sans s5 sra0y wen III:
In Brazilian elections u the enormous facilities
which the authorities appointed BY the government
pressure of tho countless number Of government
employees Second, the power given 70 the govern
Mentappensed omoen q the nationa, guard 70
In distant parts Of the province Third the pressing VI
men for the army aud navy every man not in the
u8biouhl kuhIu VI SclOu&mk W INC lceiAtu ClA6bfb
and SUCH like being liable TO be seized and sent on
the practice being that no exemption 10 regarded II
the presSed man belong to the wrong side or Is OBJ
noxous TO some enc with power. And fourth, there
il the tremendous power which the police and other
authorities deriving their power from the govern
ment exercise over the liberty aud happiness OF
the people by means OF unnecessary aud unconscion-
able demands upon the time Of their slaves VI the
national guard, az when, for example, just before
the late election prominent CHIEF Of police sent
seven liberal voters 10 distance with letter APP
pointing paltry underling. Preventive arrest an
Introduction Of French police procedure Is, how
ever, the most elective implement Of the police
authorities who can arrest men ut their own order,
without information being laid and put them into
prison to examine them 70 find whether they hnd
committed some real or tfumped up crime aud do
the with any ono pretence OF wanting to ex-
anime him q witness; and both these
tinuaily occurring even here IN Rio, where the author
tiles little on their good behavior aud Of
to q much greater extent IN different parts where
they are virtually unresTained. II s the power
which such attributes Of the police give TO tem that
explains the great avdty with which s1e unremu-
nerrsed Offices 81 suJde,soddo and i'lsrtor dc quar-
terrain are sought for, The slpeleoa4o ~ sort Of
a inca into ,ltoo.