Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-04-28
The Provisional Government and Il.
Freedom of the Press,

The Provisional Government and tke
Freedom of the Press.
Rio JANEIRo, March S1st.-The Govern
ment has at last taken official notice of the
false reports and alermiDg rumors which
have been frequently circulated, and Mar
shall Fonseca has issued lengthy decree
regarding these reports which be says are
highly injurious to the foreign credit of
BrsZil, besides being inteEded to create
alarm and panicet home.
The decree declares that all persons who
originate or aid in circulating such reports
are subject to the decree of December e3d
last, which provides that they be guilty of
military sediti0n. From this provision is
excluded the written or verbal criticism of
the Governments acts for the purpose of
exposing, correcting and preventing ad-
ministrative errors, provided it be free from
personalities and defamation.
When the decree of December 23d was
issued the editor of the Tfasuna, liberal,
the organ of the last Monarchial ministry,
discontinued the publication of his paper,
alleging that the decree was destructive of
the freedom of the press. Other papers,
already guarded in tone, became more so,
and the discussion of political matters was
almost confined to private circles. In
these. however, ii became more and more
liNCly, dbo I'll sOi 10 Vi IcROLlo NClC ASpt
circulation, causing no little annoyance to
the Ministers and their friends.
Then there arose feeling favorable to
the freedom of the press, and shortly after
two members of the ministry gave open
expression to this feeling. In the latter
part OF February an official paper published
the declaration of the Provisional Govern
ment that the decree of December 23d was
not intended to restrict the liberty of the
press. Since then the tone of the press be-
came much holder and some very violent
articles against the Government have been
published.
Rumors of all kinds have continued to
circulate, and some Of them found their
editor of paper at Campos, was arrested
yesterday for publishing an article against
the Government, but was afterwards re-
leased. Tavores is an original Republican.
When the republic was first proclaimed he
was appointed Governor of Maranboa, but
resigned shortly after because the Govern
ment annulled his decree separating the
Church and State.
He then established an opposition paper.
One of the notable articles published in a
San Paulo paper by the ex- Minister of the
Interior, Lobo, says, in part: Let them
say what they please, there must exist en-
veloped in cloud of mystery which the
Provisional Government has not been able
to penetrate-ane element that is conspiring
against our present institutions and against
the future of the republic.
There is something singular in the re-
ports which from time to time spring into
circulation, and which are becoming more
and more frequent. They originate stimuli
taneously at distant points. and spread over
the country as if conveyed by the work of
wires. The celebrated and lamentable in
surrection of the soldiers was previously
announced at different places. The Pro-
visional Government could perceive that
some hidden hand was touching the springs
of the plot against it, but this hand it was
never able to discover