Year: 1870

Opening of fParIIament-Financia Condition OF
the Countrywide slave Question-Speech of
the Emperor.


RIO JANEIRo, May 12.-Parliament opened
ON the 9th inst with the usual pomp and cere-
mony. At one o'clock in the afternoon his Ma
jesty took his seat, and after bowling to the
Senators and Deputies, read the following ad-
dress to the representatives OF the nation:-


With a feeling OF the most lively pleasure at find
ing myself surrounded by the national representa-
tion render thanks to the All-Powerful and con-
gratulate myself and you on the happy and glorious
Termination Of the war we have sustained during
five years, always with honor to our arms, against
the President of the republic of Paraguay. The
well-grounded hopes which l manifested at the
opening of the last legislative session have Deen
realized, OF seeing our valiant soldiers led to final
victory under the command of my much-loved and
valued son-in-aw, Army Marshal the Comte d'Eu.
The trust which | reposed in the Brazilian
flrmness and patriotism has been amply justified,
and history will bear witness in all time that the
present generation showed itself constant and un-
shaken in the unanimous intent to avenge the honor
of Brazil. The rejoicing OF the whole population OF
the empire over the glorious events which have
placed an end to sacrifices noble the enthusiasm
with which 1t has shown its gratitude to the vOlun-
teers, the national guard, the army and the navy,
are its due homage to heroism and the merited re-
ward of their proved devotion to the national
The valuable and legal cooperation OF our brave
in the long, stubborn struggle in which we were
engaged


Notion If Brazil laments the loss of many of her
gallant children there remains to her the memory of
nelr deeds, iustrious examples OF civism and





with the republic Of Paraguay, in accordance with
the treaty Of alliance of May l. 1866 and the proto-
coils anne xed to it, the necessary agreements for
assuring the permanence and advantages OF peace.
The public tranquility continues unaltered. We
with all pations. The progressive increase of the
public revenues, an evident proof Of the
value Of the productive powers Of Brazil,
budget in which the expenditures do not eX-
ceed the ordinary receipts, of the treasury:
The moral and material development of
the empire depends essentially on the diffusion Of
education through all the classes OF society, on
facilities of communication, and giving the aid of
free Ii Dor to our agriculture, principal fountain
OF wealth. trust that you will give careful atten-
tion to these matters and also to electoral REFORM
to the Improvement OF the administration of just &c,
IN the municipal organization and that or the ma
tional guard to the providing of means to carry into
effect the census of the whole empire, to the law
of recruiting, and to the military penal and process
code.


August and Most Worthy Representatives OF the
Nation:-If your devoted and patriotic coadju-
vancy with the Government supplied it with the ex
gence and love of your country will give vigorous
Impulse to all the internal improvements promised
US by the new era OF peace.


The session Is opened


Yesterday the Minister of Finance submitted
his report from which it appears that the total
deficit of revenues from the outbreak of the war
with Paraguay to the present time aggregates
1886 1885, 149. The revenue meanwhile has
steadily increased from $64. ZIG, S43 in 1866 to
$S4, ,937, 1877 in 1868 and 800 900 the present
year. The receipts for the years 1901 he esti-
Il
same figures, with an estimated expenditure of
$40, 900, 600 less each year. This surplus will,
of course, be applied to the reduction of the
national debt.


The case of the nun wanting to get out of the
Ajuda convent is going on, and the first eXami-
nation under the ecclesiastical process has taken
place. The nun is said to have been forced by
her friends to take the veil. 1t would seem by
DEGREES issued at various times that the general
doctrine of the Government has been that 1t is
competent to allow monks and nuns to return
to secular life without regard to the ecclesiasti-
cal power, and that keeping nuns or monks In
converts against their free will is contrary to
the spirit of the constitution.


The town deluge of deputatons TO the
Comte d Eu continues, and that from the coun-
try is beginning to come. The Jockey Club have
given him a handsome white horse and set o1
gold-mounted harness, and the schools have
begun to drop in upon him with the obvious
intent of advertising them well. The admirer:
of Caxias are about to present him with the
jeweled Grand Cross of the Order of Peter thu
First, and those of Ozorio are preparing
great doings for the Oath of May, the anniyer
sary of the great battle of 1866 in which it i
said the Payaguayans lost 1900 men.


Bank bills on London have dropped t
2314d. to the milreis and sovereigns have riser
to 10N600.