SLAVERY. 291 



" The conduct of Senhor Dantas has been dignified and loyal. The project of 

 the law for the emancipation of slaves over sixty years of age is a very 

 small concession, but we are bound to accept it, because it signifies the 

 emancipation of Africans imported after 1831, who have been fraudulently 

 registered as of greater age than was really the fact." 



While this interesting matter was being debated, I left Brazil 

 (July 28) ; but I find, from the Anglo- Brazilian Times of August 

 the ist, that 



" A ministerial crisis occurred on the 28th of July. After the introduction of 

 the Government bill on Slavery, the forty-six Conservative deputies and 

 the Liberal minority that seceded because of that bill, finding that they 

 had a majority, . . . had been from time to time defeating the Govern- 

 ment on matters of little importance, which the ministers and their 

 supporters declined to consider Cabinet questions, declaring that they 

 would accept the challenge only on the Government measure upon slavery. 

 On the 28th, however, the Liberal opposition undertook a direct motion 

 of want of confidence, before the bill on Slavery could be brought up for 

 discussion upon the ist of August, the object in thus anticipating that 

 debate being apparently to evade direct reference to the real issue, the 

 slave question." 



After beating about the bush 



" Senhor Louren9O de Albuquerque, while frankly acknowledging that the 

 Government measure on slavery was the sole reason for the secession of 

 the Liberals, made a direct motion of general want of confidence, not 

 mentioning slavery ; but Senhor Penido, another member of the Liberal 

 opposition, at once capped the motion with one declaring that the Cham- 

 ber disapproved of the bill, and therefore denied its confidence to the 

 Government, which last motion was adopted by fifty-nine to fifty-two. 

 In consequence of this vote, the President of the Council obtained an 

 audience of his Majesty the Emperor the same afternoon, and received 

 orders to convoke the Council of State to meet at the palace at 8 p.m. for 

 consultation on the advisability of a dissolution. Of the eleven council- 

 lors present only three were for dissolution ; but, as was expected, his 

 Majesty decided on not permitting the Ministry to retire, and on con- 

 ceding to it a decree of dissolution of the Chamber of Deputies. On the 

 3Oth, the President of the Council informed the Chamber of Deputies that 

 as his Majesty had consented to the Ministry's request for dissolution of 

 the Chamber, after passing the budget for the current year, he hoped that 

 the means of administration would be voted with the least possible delay. 

 The Conservative leader did not refuse, and the leaders of the Liberal 

 opposition declared that the Government could count upon their votes." 



The dissolution took place on September 3, and the election 

 was to be fought on the lines of the great issue now before the 



