, 1897-11-16
in SOUTH AMERICA.
NO OFFICIAL INFORMATION CON-
FIRMING REPORTED MAR
TIAL LAW.
II There Was Reasonable Ground for
the arrest of Members of the Con-
gress, This is the Proper Way to
Encompass 1t, and this Lends Color
to the Report.

Washington, Nov. l5.-No official in
formation has been received here con-
irmatory of the report cabled from Rio
de Janeiro, via London, to the effect
that President Moraes has issued a de-
cree declaring martial law for a period
of 80 days. Nevertheless. the report is
credited in diplomatic circles.
If there was evidence of the existence
Of a political conspiracy in connection
with the recent attempt on the life of
the president of the Brazilian republic,
as the cable s~tates,a suspension of civil
rights, it is pointed out, would be neces,
sary to accomplish the arrest of any
members of the house of deputies or
the senate who might be implicated in
the conspiracy. The constitution of
Brazil gives the members of congress
immunity from arrest during the SEES
sions, except by the direction of the
branch of the legislature of which they
may be members. To procure such an
VI dtISSl IS "Oull IL
a long process, and, in addition, would
inflame popular excitement by the pre-
cipitation of better and acrimonious
debate. This being the case if there
was reasonable ground for the belief
that IN Of the radical members of con-
gress were involved in tho c~onsniracv
the only way in which they could he
summarily dealt with would he TO do
clare martial law. This would not only
place in the hands of the government
the necessary to hiring the
constructors TO i~rstice but tho worry nc
sumption of this exceptional authority
would in itself tend to crush the con-
spiracy and allay the excitement That
the consipracv is directly traceable tn
the existing political divisions in Bra
I'll, it is said. is further evidenced Inv
the reported resignation of the nrefect
of police. who is n nrominent radical
or Jacobin.
The noIitic., exc;,amor, IN prou;,
dates back to last NAV. when the rcpub-
leans in botb branches of congress-
split in two factions. Previous tn hat
time there had been practically hit one
party in Brazil. known as the federal
republicans. The old monorcbists or
reactionists. were not formidable and
made no ]pretensions to the dignity Of
a party. The line of cleavage in tho
republican party separated the radicals
who are known as the ,Jacobins I'M, al
so cling to the name of federal repub-
leans, desire to exclude all the mon
archists from any particjnation In tho
government. Their slogan was "The
Republic for Republicans" The ON
seryatiyes on the other hand land tbev
were in the majority in borb houses ~
congress) believed in conciliatjne the
old m~onarchists. and. under the leader
shin of President Moraes announced
the policy of a republic for all Rrazi1-
ians.
The two wings of the renuh1icon mar
ty also oppose each other IN tho fnan-
cial question. although the nrocIaim-
ed burmese of each was to establish ,
retrenchment policy which would bal
ance the expenditures and receipts of
the republic. Last month the two par
Ties named their respective candidates
FOR president and vice president, who
are to be chosen at the general cleo
lions next March. There was naturally