March i, 1888.] THE TROPICAL 
AGRICULTURIST. 
COFFEE & SLAVERY IN BRAZIL s NO. III. 
THE SLAVE QUESTION — BRAZIL'S LAST WOHD ON THE 
SUBJECT — A CRISIS AT HAND — THE FEEhING AMONG 
PLANTERS — FREE LAUOUIt SUITED TO COFFEE AND 
SUGARCANE CULTIVATION — WANT OF PASTURE LAND — 
PROSPECTS OF COFFEE IN BRAZIL. 
Rio, 21st Oct. 1887. 
The important events during the laU three or 
four weeks have been slavery and the coffee 
blossoms. 
The lirst of these was brought about by a motion 
by Senator Antonio Prado in the Upper House 
for information regarding the measures taken by 
the Government to suppress the desertion of 
slaves en mass*' from some of the estates in the 
province of S. Paulo. 
The motion derived importance from the fact 
that it was made by tho formor Minister of Agri- 
culture, who, in his oflicial capacity, had, as a 
member of the present Government, carried through 
Parliament the Slave Law of 1885, of which I 
have already written, and which gave the last 
word (ultima pala ara) of tho country on slavery, 
namely, that it was to collapse through the gradually 
diminishing value of the live property until in 
thirteen years it was to be quoted nil. The sur- 
prizing circumstance of all was the opportunity 
which was taken by the leading statesmen on both 
sides of the Upper House of showing how their 
opinions had changed in tho remarkably short 
space of two years. Not the least important is the 
changing of opinions of the Government during 
the course of the same debate, and all in favour of 
almost immediate emancipation. Indeed, were it 
not that tho Session had only a few days to sit, 
tho Government would have been forced to make a 
law, either to free all slaves at the end of three years, 
or freo them at once on condition of working for three 
years for their present masters ! The finish up is 
that Government has promised to consider the matter 
during the recess, and after many days' debate the 
motion was withdrawn. Various bills were presented 
during the days the debate continued, and after it 
was over a noble Senator, Silveira da Motta, proposed 
urgency to consider tho various bills presented for 
solution of the slave question, but this was nega- 
tived by a majority of two, the proposer of the 
motion which led to tho debate — Senator Antonio 
Prado — and tho most of the Conservative members 
who supported him voting in the majority against 
urgency. So this matter is shelved as far as 
altering the law is concerned for another six 
mouths. 
It is expocted that the bill to bo introduced 
by tho Government next year will either bo to 
emancipate all slavos in three years or else to 
do so at once with condition of working for their 
masters for that space of time. It is ditlicult to 
say what has led to this change of opinion. In 
Sao Paulo ever sinco this law of 1885 passed, the 
wealthy planters led on by Senator Antonio Prado 
and his brothers (all of whom used to road tho 
Obitrvtr) have promised to liberate their slaves at 
Christmas lH'.U). This same spirit is spreading 
throughout tho country. In tho sugarcane-grow- 
ing districts of the province of Rio do Janeiro 
the planters are now doing the same thing. Voluntary 
emancipation cannot bo carried out by all tho 
planters, for unfortunately in the parts of Brazil 
whoro the ooffoe trees have died out, the lands 
and tho slaves are mortgaged, and liberating tho 
slaves on theso, would rcduco the valueof tho security. 
The liberation in a case like that has to be done 
with tho consent of tho mortgagee 
Tho promised freedom to the slaves and on so many 
of the estates in tho provinco of SiO Paulo made 
thoso on estates where such freedom sooinod muro 
7« 
remote rather unruly, and the consequence was 
they loft some fazenda3 in a body, and put the 
weak police detachmonts at defiance. At first at tiie 
request of the planters the president o£ the pro- 
vinco tent armed men to restore order, but by and 
bye it get beyond his military resouroes and the Cen- 
tral Government had to be asked to send some of 
the regular troops. Simultaneously with these 
events the discontented spirits amongst the plant- 
ers sent to the Lower Hjuse of Parliament a peti- 
tion for extra protection, and not oontented with 
giving facts they passed innuendos on those planters 
who had adopted the threi years liboration system, 
misconstrued their motives, said it wj.3 not 
benevolence but fear which inspired these magnani- 
mous acts. This then was the principal reason 
for the motion which has led to such a com- 
motion — one may say which has shaken the Em- 
pire to its centre — for, while it was showing to 
the poor negro the coming of d iy in th? dark 
night of his bondage, it was thre itening absolute 
ruin to many people ac2ustomed to a life of 
luxury. 
Disturbances have taken place in many parts 
of the country between the pro -slavery party and 
the abolitionists, and these the Government have 
put down too often with little regard to the 
articles of the Brazilian constitution as respects 
the right of the citizens to hold public meetings. 
This has not improved matters. The abolitionist 
societies are showing the more activity, the more 
their proceedings are interfered with by the 
public powers. In all the large cities, Rio do 
Janeiro, Sao Paulo, Pernambuco, and Bahia, the 
agitation is working in favour of freedom, and this 
without regard to political partizanship. Only 
the other day the great emancipation advo- 
cate, Senator Joaquim Nabuco, who had been put 
out of his seat at the last general election by the 
pro-slavery party and had gone on a trip to Eng- 
land, heard there by telegram of a change in the 
oilice of Home Minister, and, knowing whoever was 
appointed for the post would have to stand an 
election, came out at once, and one of the mem- 
bers for Pernambuco being chosen for Home Secre- 
tary, Nabuco contested hi3 seat after the appoint- 
ment and gained it. The Home Secretary, of 
course, had to resign. Steam launches were waiting 
in the Bay of Rio de Janeiro the arrival of the 
royal mail steamer which was bringing Nabuco 
from Pernambuco after his oleotion, and a pro- 
cession was formed, which took him through some 
of the principal streets of the capital of the 
Empire. 
Now that Parliament is about to be pro- 
rogued, things will remain quiet for six months. 
Unless that the work of voluntary eman- 
cipation for 188'J will continue, and the news- 
papers will not be slow to record these gracious 
acts. We eannot but applaud the expansion of 
these benevolent sentiments : they not only show 
the philanthropy of the donors, but they prepare 
tli6 way for the passing of a law which is to 
declare all free in a short space of time. The 
country will receive the shook more lightly and 
the Government will havo a much easier task in 
keeping order until tho great findlt comes. I am 
not ono of those who think that tho cultivation 
of con i'. cane, or anything elso that the (armor 
produces, will be diminished after freeing the blacks. 
The two principal staples of the country coffee and 
sugar are admirably suited for production by free 
labour. Tho Sao Paulo planter finds that tho colon- 
ist system, grantinga free passage (which Government 
repays to the plan tor), of giving a house, a large enclosed 
pasture, and a pieco of land for growing provision!), 
is attracting large numbers of European colonist*?, 
