FINANCIAL CONDITION 
above-mentioned sum does not represent a balance exist¬ 
ing in the Treasury, because it includes deposits and 
guarantees, as well as the deposits of the Orphan Asylum 
and of the Monte Pio. 
“Leaving out the sums left in the Treasury on 
deposit, and which represent in fact a debt of the State, 
we come to the conclusion that there is no money what¬ 
ever in the Treasury, and that the State c ainda fica a 
dever’ (is instead deep in debt). The expenses were 
vastly higher than the income of the Province and whereas 
the expenses of administration increased daily, the receipts 
remained stationary.” 
There was a certain humour in the Presidente’s 
remarks on crime, when he referred to the difficulties 
experienced by the Chief of Police, who received no 
remuneration. 
“It is easy,” he said, “to understand the drawbacks 
resulting for the maintenance of order and the repression 
of crime, which is daily becoming more common — owing, 
no doubt, to the facility of entrance, through our un¬ 
guarded boundaries, of persecuted people or fugitives 
from our neighbouring States, and of the impunity of 
criminals due to the benevolence of our juries. The 
diminution of our police force in so large a State with 
such difficult communications has had the result that the 
police force, moved incessantly from one end of the State 
to the other, never arrives in time to prevent crime! 
“Many criminals have been prosecuted and are now 
safely guarded in prisons, but unhappily the greater 
number of criminals are loose all over the State without 
fear of being prosecuted, and terrorizing the population. 
Bands of gipsies were followed by officers and soldiers, 
and their attacks on property and individuals were pre¬ 
vented. ... In the town of Catalao the two armed 
parties were successfully prevented from violence and 
‘ viessem as maos’ (coming to blows). At Morrinhos 
99 
