The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1891-03-12
THE BRAZILIAN TREATY.


Rumors of Discomfort in Brazil Set at Rest
from Washington.
WASHINGTON, March 11.-TSpeciall-
The briefly cabled announcement OF the
discontentin Brazil over the negotiation
OF the reciprocity treaty between the
United States and Brazil was confirmed
yesterday by Senior Mendonca, the Bra
lillian minister. Ever since the treaty.
was proclaimed simultaneously in both
countries, Senior Mendonca has been in
constant telegraphio communication
with his government. The cablegrams
have not been lengthy, but they have
been emphatic.
The Brazilian government, on the one
side, has made inquiry after inquiry re-
lative to the effect of the treaty, while
Senior Mendonca's replies have been
filled with explanations and informa-
ton. Some of these cablegrams have
indicated very serious condition Of
afiairs-how serious may be determined
from the significant utterance of the
! minister yesterday.
81 am ready to resign IL my govern
ment believes have rendered it bad
SERVICE" said he.
81 received to-day" continued the
ian papers containing tho decree pro-
mitigating the treaty and also present
ing at length the views of the officials
and merchants. One of these papers, the
journal of Commerce, is filled from the
first column to the last with expressions
condemnatory of the treaty. The feel
ing has reached such degree that one
congressman predicts that all the NOR
chants in Rio de Janeiro will go into
liquidation in few months. This, Of
course, Is absurd, but it shows what is
being asserted.
The opposition comes from the two
flour manufacturers, who, of course, are
affected by the treaty, and from the i'm
portcrs of English goods. My first re-
port has not, however, reached them.
1t will not arrive there until the 10th
or 18th. When it is published their
eyes will Re opened"
Twill the treaty be revoked?"
mo, 1T cannot be-" exclaimed Senior
Mendonca alphabetically. "'n the first
place, it does not go into effect until the
LIST Of April. and what ground would
there be for revolling treaty before it
has been tried. When it has been given
trial and this excitement has Gained
down-when the present ignorance has
been dispellrd by a true appreciation of
tHo ldCIS. you Will near mourning from
Brazil about an abrogation of the treaty
In the second place, the decree was
promulgated by Senator Fonseca when
he was president of the provisional
government He was then virtually
dictator, exercising the judicial, legis-
lative, and executive functions. lie
offered to resign these functions to the
convention which met to frame the con-
stltution, but its Nom bers directed him
to continue to exercise them until the
constitution was adopted. 1t was dur
ing this interim and under this author
ization that the president proclaimed
the treaty. Consequently that treaty
will stand.
The Government can remove me,
and 1 am ready to resign, but the work
that have done can not SO easily be
put aside"
The State Department Yesterday gave
the following statement to the press:
Assertions have been published from
time to time in certain newspapers to
the effect that the Brazilian government
had repudiated the reciprocity treaty
made by its minister here, Mr.. Men
donca, with Mr.. Blaine, while others
have asserted that the treaty was in
valid and could not be carried into
effect without the ratification of the
Brazilian congress. These rumors are
set at rest and tho assertions contra
dicted by the Rio Janeiro newspapers
which arrived in the mails to-day"