BRAZIL. 



103 



ative support for its reform bill. As soon as 

 the situation was well defined, the Government 

 was defeated on a motion, the Conservatives 

 preferring to have the honor of the reform in- 

 stead of giving it to the Liberals. The new 

 Premier, Baron de Cotegipe, is the author of 

 the well-known saying that "the Conserva- 

 tives must, can, and will solve the emancipation 

 question." They have, in fact, the distinction 

 of having carried into effect the most impor- 

 tant measures against slavery in Brazil, the 

 first of which was the provision for the free- 

 dom of the new-born secured by a Conserva- 

 tive leader, the late Viscount de Rio Branco. 

 On September 24 the Brazilian Senate con- 

 cluded the discussion of the bill providing for 

 the gradual extinction of slavery as it came 

 from the Chamber of Deputies, and the law 

 was promulgated on the 28th, the fourteenth an- 

 niversary of the Free Birth law. The speech 

 from the throne, delivered by the Emperor, 

 alluded to .the emancipation question in the 

 following sentences : " The gradual extinction 

 of slavery, the special object of the extraordi- 

 nary session, should continue to deserve your 

 greatest solicitude. This question embraces 

 the highest interests of Brazil, and requires a 

 solution that will tranquillize our agriculture." 

 The character of the bill is such that, from 

 the sole operation of the reduction in value of 

 the slaves, slavery can not last more than 

 seventeen years, and with the aid of the 

 emancipation fund it will be extinguished in 

 seven years, without disturbance to the econ- 

 omy of the state. The registration of slaves 

 in Brazil, in 1873, showed their number to be 

 1,540,796. Thanks to the emancipation fund, 

 created by the law of Sept. 28, 1871, aided 

 by the contributions of private associations, 

 and more than all by the good disposition of 

 the slave-owners themselves, at the beginning 

 of 1884 the number of slaves had been reduced 

 to 1,150,000, and in the summer of 1885, now 

 that the two provinces Oear& and Amazonas 

 have abolished slavery entirely, and that of Rio 

 Grande do Sul has decreed the gradual eman- 

 cipation of a large number every year, the 

 "black number," as the national conscience 

 calls it, was reckoned at not more than 

 1,000,000. 



Immigration. In 1884 there landed at Rio de 

 Janeiro 17,999 immigrants, against 26,798 in 

 1883, and 25,845 in 1882. Among the new- 

 comers in 1884 there were 8,683 Portuguese, 

 against 11,286 in 1883 and 9,269 in 1882; 

 5,938 Italians, against 10,689 in 1883, and 10,- 

 562 in 1882. There arrived in 1884 only 1,240 

 German immigrants. From the United States 

 there landed in 1884 only 29 immigrants, 

 against 23 in 1883 and 20 in 1882. The de- 

 crease was due to the cholera in Italy and 

 Spain, and the severe quarantine measures of 

 the Brazilian Government while it lasted. In 

 1885 large numbers of emigrants again left 

 Europe for Brazil early in the year, so that in 

 the spring no less than twelve steamers landed 



