BRAZIL. 



77 



short terms, with or without amortizations; 

 receiving deposits ; and the employment of 

 these last in short loans on hypothecary bills 

 or government stock, or in purchasing and dis- 

 counting treasury bills. 



The Empreza Predial Company of Rio 

 (now the Banco Predial) was also authorized 

 to operate under the provisions of the Hy- 

 pothecary Bank Act of 1864. 



The Companhia Gossipiana Brazileira re- 

 ceived approval of statutes and authorization 

 to operate. The capital of the company was 

 fixed at $100,000, in $100 shares, with power 

 to increase. Its primary object is to utilize 

 cotton-seed, for its oil and other marketable 

 products. A factory for the purpose has been 

 established at Rio as the first essay of the 

 company. 



The Pernambuco branch of the New London 

 and Brazilian Bank (limited) was declared 

 constituted, on May 7th, by order of the presi- 

 dent of the province. 



The Commercio de Cafe Company was suc- 

 cessfully inaugurated, August 9th, all the 

 shares having been subscribed. The capital 

 is $3,000,000, in shares of $30 each. The 

 object of the association, as its name expresses, 

 is the coffee-trade in general. 



In no country of South America does the 

 cause of public instruction find more numerous 

 or zealous advocates than in Brazil; nor are 

 the endeavors of these at all times fruitless. 

 No better proof can be adduced of the prog- 

 ress made in that important branch, than by 

 pointing to the schools, which are fast multi- 

 plying in every province. Last year there 

 were recorded 4,437 ; the number is now much 

 larger. Some 3,700 are public schools, and 

 the rest private. There is one secondary for 

 every 18 primary schools ; and the number uf 

 both for male scholars is double that for 

 females. It is computed that no less than 

 150,000 children now receive education in 

 these schools ; and, although the number is 

 smull when compared with the ten million in- 

 habitants, it is large in comparison with the at- 

 tendance in 1868, since which time there has 

 been an increase of 50 per cent. 



There are other establishments in which 

 the higher branches of education are taught. 

 Some of these belong to the state, and most 

 of them receive a subsidy from the Govern- 

 ment. In a few of the large cities, there are 

 faculties of law and medicine ; and almost all 

 have private academies giving a thorough 

 course of liberal education. Eleven semi- 

 naries are devoted to the education of the 

 clergy, and subsidized by the state. There is 

 an Academy of Fine Arts ; a Musical Con- 

 servatory ; Lyceum of Arts and Professions ; 

 military, naval, preparatory, normal, and 

 other schools. 



The Deaf and Dumb Institute of Rio was 

 reorganized. The number of boarders is limit- 

 ed to 100, who will pay $250 per annum. Day- 

 scholars pay nothing. The Government may 



admit thirty gratuitous boarders. The director 

 will receive $1,600, the chaplain $500, the 

 teacher of written language $1,500, the 

 teacher of articulate language, and the mathe- 

 matician, $1,200 each. For entry, the mute 

 must be over nine years of age, and under 

 fourteen, and none may remain after eighteen 

 years of age. 



After six years of study the mute will be 

 dismissed, but the Government may permit 

 two more years of stay. Corporal punish- 

 ment is prohibited in the Institute. 



The Dramatic Conservatory and the Astro- 

 nomical Observatory received important modi- 

 fications in the course of the year. A number 

 of libraries were founded in the city of Rio de 

 Janeiro, in pursuance of the provincial law of 

 December 26, 1871 ; and most of the other 

 provinces likewise possess public libraries. 



The Extradition Treaty between Brazil and 

 Great Britain was republished, with a pro- 

 tocol excluding attempts at infanticide. 



Under the title of " The Electoral System 

 in, Brazil," was published an essay on the 

 system, its history and workings, and the re- 

 forms necessary, etc. 



In Brazil, the wealthy planters and graziers, 

 whose numbers are of necessity comparatively 

 limited, and who virtually control the hitherto 

 useful lands of the empire, wield the whole of 

 the political influence, to the direct prejudice 

 of the lower classes ; these latter being in a 

 state of utter dependence upon those who, in 

 effect, if not in fact, are their feudal lords. 

 This subserviency of the humbler classes is 

 attributable in part to their ignorance, their 

 extreme poverty, the prevalent tenant-at-will 

 system, and in no small share to the demoral- 

 izing and dispiriting tendencies of the laws 

 relating to impressment and the National 

 Guard ; consequently society outside of the 

 large cities presents a patriarchal character. 

 Before the time of the election, the central 

 Government sends an agent into each of the 

 provinces, who usually succeeds in crushing 

 all legitimate influence, so that the term " rep- 

 resentative of the nation " remains a mere 

 technical form void of real significance. The 

 Government controls the nominal representa- 

 tive ; and when avowed opponents chance to 

 be returned it is only because the Government 

 for the time has refrained from exercising its 

 power, and, whether from moderation or from 

 motives of expediency, tacitly acquiesced in 

 the independence of the electors. Thus what- 

 ever of power is possessed by the legislative 

 Chambers of the empire resides in the Senate, 

 whose members are appointed for life. 



Referring to the constitution of the Cham- 

 bers, the author says: "The great majority 

 of our Chambers have been composed of pub- 

 lic employfis and petitioners for concessions 

 of every kind. Up to a certain time, in fact, 

 the non-political magistrate can hardly obtain 

 good places. To advance and promote his 

 career he has to obtain a seat in the Cham- 



