684 
THE TROPICAL 
AGRICULTURIST. [April 2, 1888. 
The movement of the Rum Market for 1887 was aB 
follows : — 
Pipes. 
In Rio tie Janeiro Stock at 1st Jannary ... 1,524 
„ received during the 3 ear... 19 773 
21,972 
Sold for consumption in Rio and 
subui bs... 19,402 pipes 
Exported to other parts of Empire 160 „ 
184 • „ River Plate ... 25 „ Pipes 
Stock in Rio 31st Dec. 1887 ... 1,710 „ 21,297 
The price in Rio has ranged between 701000 
the lowest and 85$000 the highest all the year through. 
I have entered more largely into the sugar ques- 
tion than is usually done by correspondents in your 
paper. No doubt you number amongst your readers 
of the lyrical Agriculturist many sugar planters: 
if not it is because they do net know its value to 
all engaged in tropical agriculture of any sort. 
To these the figures may prove interesting. I would 
advise those sugar planters in other countries not 
to b2 alarmed at the spread of sugar planting in 
the province of Rio, through coffee having failed, 
for it, will be a long time before enough sugar can 
be made there to supply the local market ; and 
with the emancipation of the slaves, which all believe 
will be effected before the end of this year, 
consumption will be largely increased. In 
districts where coffee can be grown, the 
people grow no cane, but they consume and will 
continuo to consume a large quantity of sugar. 
I expected to have had time to make allusion to 
the great social question which is agitating the 
community, but I must leave that for another 
occasion ; at present I shall merely summarize 
the course of events, 
The leading politicians of the province of Sao 
Paulo of both shades of opinion — liberal and 
conservative— towards the close of the last Parlia- 
mentary Sessions began to show signs that the 
law of 28th September 18S5, giving slavery a 
lease of thirteen years from that date, recognising 
anew the right of ownership in human flesh, and 
the right of compensation for the loss of same, 
and making rules for carrying out the latter 
principle on certain conditions, was not to be 
considered as the " last word" or final settling of 
the question. And the Government itself when 
very nurd prtssed — if they did not say so— showed 
that this treaty of settlement " must be read 
between the lines." 
The fazendeiros in the cane-producing districts 
in the province of Rio de Janeiro, notably those in 
the vicinity of the city of Campos, began liberating 
their slaves on condition of working for three years. 
The more advanced amongst the Sao Paulo 
coffee planters soon followed suit. These, headed 
by the family of Senator Antonio Prado, who had 
just given up his post as Minister of Agriculture, 
Commerce, and Public Works, not only liberated 
their slavor on condition of short terms of service, 
but promised them wages dur'ig the remaining 
term of servitude. They soon collected a following 
and large numbers of the wealthiest coffee planters 
joined their standard and preached their propoganda. 
The less fortunate of the bondmen, whose masters 
could not in honesty, — or shall we say in conformity 
with the ir contracts and hypothecation bonds to their 
creditors, could not — grant' thorn, supposing they 
WW: inclined to, the long-wished-for concession 
of freedom, those slaves which through no 
fault of their own could not receive the same ad- 
vantages as their fellows on neighbouring estates 
began to see there was some truth in the famous 
words, "Who would be free himself must strike the 
blow," and began to leave their masters, but in an 
orderly and pacific manner, joining in bands and 
proceeding to the nearest town. Public opinion 
was so strong in their favour, that the authorities, 
even if they had the means of enforcing the law 
which they had not, could do nothing more than 
advise them to go back. If they had a good 
home and could trust their masters' word as re- 
gards early hopes of freedom they went, while 
others got merged amongst the free population. 
During December a large meeting was hold in 
the town of Sao Paulo, at which the principal 
coffee planters attended, and resolutions were 
passed and signatures obtained for an Association 
for freeing all the slaves in three years. At the 
same meeting there were dissentients in favour of 
immediate emancipation, and these refused to sign 
as members of the new Association. To " suit the 
action to the word" these same dissentients went 
home, and immediately declared their slaves free, 
and told them (the slaves) they would now work 
for wages. 
Within a short time, " a month, a little month," 
as if some spirit of goodness had passed over 
these productive regions of the province of Sao 
Paulo, and left its humanizing influence in many 
households, dozens — I cannot as yet say hundreds — 
have given unconditional liberty to their slaves, and 
these are staying quietly with their old masters and 
receiving wages. 
The daily newspapers have their columns filled 
with the lists of those who have freed their slaves ; 
not a day passes, but large announcements are 
made of this quiet and orderly manner of changing 
the social habits of a great Empire. 
But what of the other provinces ? It has suddenly 
been discovered that those of the north have been 
for years dependent principally on free labour. 
Ceara declared herself free of slaves some two years 
ago. Pernambuco and Bahia were mulcted of the 
most of their slaves when sugar went down and 
coffee went up, some ten or twelve years ago, and 
they are now settled with free labourers. The coffee 
planters in the south gave at that time fabulous 
prices for the black labourers from the north. 
The pastoral provinces of the extreme south have 
never much leaned on the captive for their labour 
force. The three coffee-producing provinces S. 
Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, and Minas Geraes are left to 
play out the game. The first-named takes the lead 
and the other two have in the natural order of things 
to follow. 
But what is to make up for the " increment " in 
the productive economy that will be effected by the 
reduced labour of the black ? This in the province 
of Sao Paulo is being supplied by labourers who get 
their passage and that of their families paid from 
Europe. 35,000 came during 1887, and a law 
has just been passed in the Provincial Assembly for 
100,000 during 1888. Do not fear, the people in 
S. Paulo have energy, and heaven will help a 
righteous cause. A. SCOTT BLACKLAW. 
♦ 
THE PROPOSED CLEARING-HOUSE FOR 
COFFEE. 
We understand that the negotiations for the estab- 
lishment in London of a clearing-house for foreign 
and colonial produce are assuming in more definite 
shape, and that it is almost certain that a workable 
basis will be established by the firms promoting the 
enterprise. The clearing-house is to commence with 
a capital of 500,OOOZ., and to turn its attention, in 
the first place, to coffee and sugar. Its object may 
be defined as the facilitation and reduction to 
certain fixed rules of speculation in colonial produce, 
and the creation of greater security than now exists 
that parties to speculative contracts will fulfil their 
