344 



THE JUDICIARY. 



province of Amazonas) is allowed one dollar and sixty-six cents per 

 diem ; and the salary of the President of that province is one thousand 

 six hundred and sixty-six dollars and sixty-six cents ; it is probable that 

 the salary of the President of Para is greater. 



The police of the province is under the direction of a chefe de policia, 

 with delegados for each com area, and sub-delegados for the termos and 

 municipios. These officers issue and visee passports, and the traveller 

 should always call upon them first. 



The judiciary consists of Juizes de direito; three for the comarca of 

 the capital, and one for each of the other comarcas of the province, 

 besides Juizes municipaes, and de orfaos. The Juiz de direito holds a 

 singular office, and exercises extraordinary powers ; besides being the 

 judge, he presides over the jury, and has a vote in it. An appeal lies 

 from his court, both by himself and the defendant, to a higher court, 

 called the Court of Helacao, which sits in Maranham and has jurisdic- 

 tion over the two provinces of Maranham and Para. There are three 

 or four such courts in the empire, and an appeal lies from them to the 

 Supreme Court at Rio J aneiro. 



Persons complain bitterly of the delay and vexations in the adminis- 

 tration of justice. I have heard of cases of criminals confined in jail 

 for years, both in Peru and Brazil, waiting for trial. It is said also, 

 though I know nothing of this, that the judges are very open to bribery. 

 I think, however, that this is likely to be the case, from the entire in- 

 adequacy of the salaries generally paid by the government. 



I believe that the Brazilian code is mild and humane, and I am sure 

 that it is humanely administered. The Brazilians have what I conceive 

 to be a very proper horror of taking life judicially. They do not shrink 

 in battle ; and sudden anger and jealousy will readily induce them to 

 kill; but I imagine the instances of capital punishment are very rare in 

 Brazil. 



The police of the city is excellent, but, except to take up a drunken 

 foreign sailor occasionally, it has nothing to do. Crime — such as vio- 

 lence, wrong, stealing, drunkenness, &c. — is very rare in Para. Proba- 

 bly the people are too lazy to be bad. 



The province covers an area of about 360,000 square miles, and has 

 a population of 129,828 free persons, with 33,552 slaves. 



Much as it needs population, it has suffered, from time to time, con- 

 siderable drainage. It is calculated that from ten to twelve thousand 

 persons were killed by the insurrection of the Cabanos, in 1835. Since 

 that time ten thousand have been drawn from it as soldiers for the 



