ly directed to the arrangement of public affairs, I neglected
to call for the said balance until the new Junta of Government,
chosen under my authority, had taken possession of their office, and
obtained the control of the public moneys.

After several applications on my part to the said Junta, and as
many evasions on their part, I had, at last, a personal conference
with them on the subject--on which occasion they solicited, as a
particular favour, that I would permit the amount to remain in their
hands, for the purpose of satisfying the claims of the troops of
Piahuy and Ceara, whom they represented as being clamorous for
their pay. To this request I agreed, under the assurance that I
should receive bills from the said Junta for the amount. These,
however, they not only evaded granting, but, when afterwards called
upon for a receipt, they declined giving any acknowledgment.

To the truth, however, of the main fact, viz., the claims of myself,
and the officers and men under my command, your Excellency
has now the power of satisfying yourself by a reference to the official
documents that passed between the functionaries of government and
myself, both previous and subsequent to the surrender of the Portuguese
authorities in this province.

The conduct of this Junta has proved to be merely a type of that
which we have since experienced on a larger scale at the hands of
the supreme tribunal of justice at Rio de Janeiro. But there is a
point beyond which forbearance ceases to be a virtue, and I now
call upon your Excellency to direct that the Junta of Fazenda, who
so unjustly and deceitfully withheld from the officers and men the
property above described, shall, with all convenient despatch,
proceed to the adjustment of the claim in question.

An attested copy of the accounts, signed by the members of the
late Portuguese Junta of Government--being in my possession, I
enclose a copy thereof, which your Excellency can cause to be
compared with the original treasury and custom-house books. I
likewise enclose to your Excellency a copy of a gracious communication
which I received from His Imperial Majesty--the original of
which, in His Majesty's own handwriting, is now in my possession.

This will enable your Excellency to judge as to what the
understanding and intentions of His Imperial Majesty really are,
with re