The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1870-12-25
B r A z IL.
Difficulty With the Peruvians ON the Anna
zOn-Flnancial AfYairs-The Ex.
ecutive-Judicial System
From Entire Rios.


ture oil The Brazilian gunboat Mage TO the mere act
OF firing at her. for what reason Is not known, as the
government declines giving the least information,
and the semi-onciai papers also preserve signn-
cant silence. Ia the province where the act &C.
Cured there Is now no opposition press to let us
know anything that the government does not want
known, as the President OF Amazonas-a gentleman
Of the Napoleonlc stripe-has efYeclually squashed
the only opposition paper published there, by the
simple process OF threatening TO arrest ana deport
as dangerous character the only printing
honse proprietor who could print the paper, should
ne dot Dreak his contract with the editor. Thus the
people OF Amazonas are saved the annoyance OF read
ing how badly governed they are, and they live,
therefore, In the purest enjoyment OF Arcadian bliss;
but ut the same time We who do not ENJOY the honor
OF living under the paternal watchmlness OF the
Amazonian President think IL hard that his care for
the morahty ana contentment OF his happy subjects
should keep the news from us. In the absence
therefore, or anything Official or semi Official regard
Ing the Recommendation difficulty all can say
Is that from diplomatic quarter concerned hear
that the Brazilian gunboat was fired into, and that
see work going OH brlskly the little iron cads
and monitors which were lad up In ordinary after
their return rom the Paraguay.
Touching on Paraguay, learn from good authority
that General Mcmahon has handed over To Madame
l.JuCu the Wuoc "a tic large sum oil money, stated
TO be some 100000, which she had conlded to him
for safe Keeping when he left Paraguay. This was
TO be expected from man of his character; but
after the manner In which DR.. Stewart repudiated
the payment OF sums Tor which Madame Lynch held
receipts that lady must have appreciated the differ
ent procedure OF the American Minister Mighty.
The currency has felt considerable effect from q
report current in the city that the government was
negotiating IN London loan OF IS, 000.O00 TO pay
or the remainder Of the Heating debt IN inte-
rest notes and other uniunded liabilities. Bank
exchange rose TO "a pence the milrels, and
gold fell to III. Alter some days the gov
ernment unofllcially declared that the report was
not correct; but people have got SO accustomed TO
the government denals OF things 1t does not care
admit that there remains a hair belief that the gov
ernment is really feeling its way regard to one IN
London, especially examination OF the law
OF estimates for ls71I2 shows that the clause au-
thorzng loans for the purpose of funding the noat-
ing debt changed in The edition OF the act as
TO authorize foreign loan.
revision of the warehouse charges OF the Gus
tom House Dock Company has been promised US
with view to silencing some OF the camor made by
Importers against the heavy charges. The new
scale IL to discriminate between the rent PAYABLE
Tor goods or little bulk but great value, ard that
chargeable on heavy goods OF little value, such IA
SAT- ana ron by tue scale sun IN vlgor no dstlnc
uon whatever was made.
some time ago | noticed that the Legislature OF
Piauhy had Instituted IL prosecution In the Supreme
Court OF Brazil OIL president of that province, for
having acted as a aespot, suspendIng laws in exc
| cuton and holding on to the presidency after he
had been dismissed by the Minister OF the empire.
lhe Court mas found INN guilty on the first charge,
but has acquitted INN OF the latter, because Kind
or conditional authority was gwen TO MIN IN con-
ndential letter from the Minister to mold the oice
after the 0lncial dismissal IL Is 10 be hoped That
other provinces Will follow the example OF Plauhy
SO as TO keep little check on those vceroys, VINO
seem to regard nothing but their own VIII as the
law OF the unfortunate PROVINCES one OF them
the President OF Goyaz-has even had the mpudence
eears In OF the
| on the province as representative, that
he could eject there wnom he pleased and
oil the matter Is that his boast Is probably true Ior
there are several otner provinces where one family
IN each can dispose OF II. and In many or the rest
Two or three families are dominant IN each, one or
other gaining the ascendancy according as the
ministry AZ the head OF the administration OF the
nation leans to II or the other.
The brazilian executive has simple way of deal
Ing with persons VINO make themselves d!sagreeaple
10 "authorlty''-that Is, to any person with innu
ence. Surprising, for instance, that an agreea de
young fellow win unpeasaniiy empty pockcts takes
10 Thinking serenades or sending bnlets-uoux TO
sympathetic young ladies and exchanging finger
kilograms from distant windows, the stern parent
makes Interest win the "authOrtyn and tue
enterprlsing troubadoar Is caught some night,
on to the capital, and presented with complete
SUIT or clothes and musket 10 boot. Again, II any
one OF the boys gets to playing the wolf among the
susceptible ambkins Of the district, ana out OF
favor with some friend Of the authority" he IL apt
10 nnd his aldOr turned TO account AS patriotism
exercised In defence OF his country. Thus
botn morality and authority are indicated
without troubling Judge and jury. and
II occasionally the authority makes Il mistake and
1avors q voter OH the other SIDE with clothing and
honorable service ior he the Chances are thai II tn
fellow had not offended tnen he would tresplss some
Time or other and prevention is better t,au cure.
Now and then, however, his friends DO not agree
with the authority, and we nave Just heard that
Of such favored individuals were rescued IN Ceara
from party IN charge OF them AZ cost OF blood
shed and loss OF ilfe But pressing and savage con-
ncts 10 rescue sons, brothers dear friends from
the living death OF The army OF Brazil are so COM
mon, especially N the northern provinces that tue
affair have alluded to would hardly have got u
notice mad not the young fellows been seized Tor al
legged announcement amalory proDensiies, whl'h,
perhaps, excited sympathetic leeling the local
chronlcler. Probably, II such blessing as an nde-
pendent press could exist IN Brazil, wnicn 1t seems
IL cannot do, the noorety given to such OPPRESSIVE
acts OF the nearly irresponsible and really uespotc
authorities" TO whom the country is allotted IN dis
trlcs would prove cneck to their recommttal; but
al present There seems practically no remedy, aud
the people are too divided, ignorant ana spirit
react against oppression.
Among the curiosties OF the Brazilian judicial
system IS that which gives the judges OF rights
power of convlctlng aud Sentencing, without trial
by jury, In cases oil homicide occurring within forty
one miles OF the frontier. Whatever the reasons
which induced the gisiators to deny thus 10 those
accused OF homicide mat guarantee OF trial 10y jury
which they did not with raw from persons accused
OF less serious crimes, 1t cannot be said tnat the
results are always favorable TO the views OF those
who extol the ciy law maxins and process over
case has been taken on appeal from the judge at
Bage, VINO proIcred the following sentence against
woman accused OF having instigated a slave of
hers TO murder her second husband, from whom she
was seeking divorce.
As TO the accused Belsarla, considering--nrst,
ner thoroughly bad disposition; second, The fact OF
her having been seriously suspected OF the violent
death OF her FIRST husband, Tor which she was Jun
prlsoned and prosecuted III the next county by JUS
tice third, the fact OF her having been repused by
her own father, who could merely lind strength
enough TO tell her that his silence was the only de-
fence ne could mage IN her favor and and fourth,
the solemn weight OF pu0liG opinion, which has de-
clared against her and which was SO significantly
expressed ~ The last unanimous replies OF all the
witnesses; gith the certainty Of her hatred against
ner nuspNid sixth, the hurried conviction which
she must nave acquired OF the criminal need TO get
Td OF in order TO avoid further expenditure for
the u alntenalce or her divorce SUIT against him. and
10 VJtain possession OF the marriage property-all
w csc facts and circumstances are most vehement
Publications., to which are added the very grave
presumptloDs resulting from the crushing accusa-
tons OF the other accused, who. with obstinate,
constant and uniform persistence, mas always
affirmed that he committed the horrible murder In