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136 NOTES ON BRAZIL. 



A friend, who resided in the same house, joining his earnest endea- 

 vours to mine, we soon discovered the Culprit in the person of a Mulatto 

 Carpenter, who had been employed on the premises, an4 obtained 

 evidence against him, which appeared to us most satisfactory. We 

 proceeded together to the office of the Minister of Police, which was 

 then improperly situated at some distance from the city ; and requesting 

 an audience, were told that his excellency was taking his repose, and 

 could not be disturbed before five o'clock. We were chagrined at this 

 delay, because it gave the thief six hours effectually to conceal or destroy 

 the property. In the evening we retin-ned, and were admitted to the 

 Minister, who treated us with great affability, and entered readily into 

 the case, telling us, at last, that we had nothing more to do in it until 

 that day se'nnight. We ventured to suggest the propriety of something 

 like a Search Warrant ; and, in consequence, a Soldier was ordered to 

 attend us to the man's house, which we searched, but with the effect 

 naturally to be expected, when so much time had been lost after the man 

 had received some intimation of our suspicions. 



As we were coming away, a shabby-looking man met us, and said 

 that we had no right to enter the house without his permission. As his 

 appearance was far from indicating authority, and as we were conscious 

 that we acted under the sanction of a Magistrate, accountable 

 only to the Sovereign, we treated his interference with levity. He 

 intimated that he had power to punish us, and, to support this intima- 

 tion, announced himself as the Juiz do Povo, that is, the People's 

 Advocate, We observed that our companion, the Soldier, paid him 

 great respect ; and afterwards learned that he actually held one of 

 the most important offices of ithi Portuguese Constitution, and 

 which had not fallen into entire disuse in Brazil; an oflBce, which 

 was once the best guardian of the- people against the wanton exercise 

 of arbitrary power, and might be described as their Tribunate. 



On the day appointed, we again waited upon the Minister, were 

 received with.his former politeness, and informed that the man had been 

 imprisoned from the evening of the robbery, and that he had been 

 thumb-screwed, but had not confessed the theft; he added that he 



