Morning journal and courier., 1880-01-30
Friday Morning, Jan. 30, 1880.
DOM PEDRo,s UNPOPULARITY.

DOM PEDRO,S UNPOPULARITY. When Dom Pedro, the Emperor of Brazil,
 was on his travels few years ago the world
 heard much of his wise and kindly rule and | his great popularity among his subjects.
 Since that timet the growth of republicanism in
 Brazil has been rapid, and so great is the dis | content which now exists in various parts of the Empire that correspondent who has ex-
 ceptional facilities for becoming acquainted
 with public sentiment there, declares that
 ''the Brazilian monarchy lives through other
 considerations than that of any personal re-
 gard for the Emperor himself or for his gov ernment." The recent attempt Of the Ministry
 to levy an excessive and arbitrary tax upon
 the travelling public of the city of Rio de
 Janeiro, and the events which attended it,
 have revealed state of feeling which must be
 very alarming to those in power. The horse
 car fares on nearly all the city lines are 100
 reis, or about five cents, and the tax amount
 ed to 20 per cent. The regulations for the
 collection of this tax were of the most oifen-
 sive character. It was provided that it should
 be collected by the conductors, who should
 give coupon to the passenger, that the pass
 enger should retain this coupon for the in
 spection of any fiscal agent who shouId call
 upon him for it, and that any refusal to com
 ply with these regulations would be followed
 by expulsion from the cars. The agents and
 conductors were authorized to call on the po- lice to enforce these regulations There were
 also several other obnoxious regulations. From the publication of this decree the press of the oity was unanimous in it's opposition to the tax and it's regulations. It was shown that it would be heavy burden to thosa who travel on the street cars, that it largely increased the number of public officers and gave them extra legal powers over the people, and that the expulsion of persons from the street cars with the aid of the police was unconstitutional, as violations of tax laws could be proceeded against only through civil processes. As it is not permitted to turn man out of a house by force for non payment of rent, it was az gued that man could not be foreib1y ex- pelled from g street car for non-pay- ment Of his tax. especially when he had purchased his right to g passage by the payment of fare. Large public meet ings were held to protest against the enforcement of such tax, and committees of S-NtA@S-0 the Emperor and submit resolutions But | the people were forbidden entrance even to the palace grounds, aud the committees were ordered from the gates by the soldiers on guard. Then followed the riots and bloodshed which have been reported, and which were stopped, not so much by the great show of military force, as by heavy rainfall which dampened the ardor of the excited throngs.
 It is said that Dom Pedro is not only un- popular at the present time, but the people of Rio de Janeiro hold him in perfect con tempt They charge that he has been false and vacillating; that his people are struggling | under the load of unjust exactions that he | has filled the capital with troops to overawe the people that when the blood of his sub- jects had been wantonly spilled in the streets by cruel and reckless soldiery, he was in visible and unmoved. The feeling towards | the Emperor is not at all pleasant in other parts of Brazil, and we may yet hear that the king | killers have sprung up there. Dom Pedro's is only another proof that kings | have seen their best days.