The Provisional Government of Brazil is assuming to itself extraordinary
powers. It has, for example, issued a new Law of Naturalisation, under which every resident in Brazil will, after two years' residence, become a Brazilian citizen. The decree is so obscurely worded, that it is interpreted by many to mean that naturalisation is compulsory, a direct and most important innovation on international law, which might compel a Chian or Peruvian visitor to bear arms against his own country. Even, however, if the law is permissive, a measure of such moment, which, among other consequences, revolutionises the electoral laws, ought to have awaited the meeting of the Convention. The Government, moreover, have officially announced that they intend next week to issue decrees establishing religious toleration, which may mean an immense change or nothing at all, and legalising civil marriage, which will completely alter a fundamental law of Brazil. There was absolutely no hurry for these decrees, which are obviously issued in order to force the hand of the Federal Representative body, and conciliate opinion in Europe. If the Provisional Government can remodel the marriage law, it
can do anything.
Previous page
