towards your Excellency. On the contrary, I have a wish to rescue
you from a situation of great jeopardy, and it is chiefly with a view
of avoiding to do anything that might appear derogatory to your
Excellency, that I am desirous the change so necessary to be effected
should proceed from your Excellency's voluntary resignation. But
I regret to add that so pressing is that necessity, that it is quite
essential that your Excellency's determination should be immediate,
and therefore I hope to be favoured with your Excellency's reply in
the course of the present forenoon.

Permit me to assure you that if it should be your desire to continue
in this city in the character of a private gentleman until the
determination of His Imperial Majesty, with respect to your resumption
of office, or otherwise, shall be known, no impediment to
your Excellency's wishes will originate with me; or, if you should
think proper to proceed at once to the Court of Rio de Janeiro, a
commodious conveyance shall be provided for the accommodation of
your Excellency, and of those whom you may deem it convenient to
accompany you.

(Signed) COCHRANE AND MARANHAO.

Bruce did not resign, preferring to accept my offer of conveyance to Rio
de Janeiro, there to await His Majesty's decision. Complete tranquillity
being thus restored to the province of Maranham, and not to that only,
but also to the adjoining provinces, which had more or less entered into
the existing disorders, either as adherents of the insurgent chiefs, or
of the President, it became requisite to organize a government. Not
deeming it politic to elevate to power any member of those families of
distinction whose feuds were only dormant on compulsion, I appointed
Manuel Telles de Silva Lobo, the Secretary of Government, as interim
President; he being entirely unconnected with family factions, well
acquainted with the details of government, and of unimpeachable
integrity. At the same time I caused the Camaras to be re-assembled, so
that the administration of law and public affairs might be carried on
according to the forms and intentions of the constitution.

This suspension of the President was afterwards fully approved of by His
Majesty, and the more patriotic of his advisers, as only anticipating
their intentions, it being a remarkable fact that, at the very time I
was suspending him, _an order from His Majesty was on its way to
su