rs and men as a
reward for their exertions and services; the said officers and men
agree to surrender these bills and the property, as set forth in the
annexed list, amounting to 484,196,461, together with all other
claims, for the sum of one-fourth, or 106,000, to be paid by the
Treasury of Maranham by instalments, within the period of thirty
days from the date hereof.

(Signed) COCHRANE AND MARANHAO.

The following is the Imperial decree alluded to in the preceding
letter:--

DECREE.

It being obvious that the scandalous proceedings and hostility
manifested by the government of Portugal against the liberty, honour,
and interests of this Empire, and by the captious insinuations of the
demagogical congress of Lisbon, which--seeing it impracticable to
enslave this rich region and its generous inhabitants--endeavours to
oppress them with all kinds of evils, and civil war, which has occurred
through their barbarous vandalism. It being one of my principal
duties, as Constitutional Emperor and Defender of this vast Empire,
to adopt all measures to render effective the security of the country,
and its defence efficient against further and desperate attempts
which its enemies may adopt; and also to deprive, as far as possible,
the inhabitants of that kingdom from continuing to act hostilely
against Brazil--tyrannizing over my good and honourable subjects--
deem it well to order that there be placed in effective sequestration,

1_st_. All goods and merchandise existing in the custom-houses of
this Empire, belonging to subjects of the kingdom of Portugal.

2_nd_. All Portuguese merchandise, or the value thereof, which
exists in the hands of subjects of this Empire.

3_rd_. All real and agricultural property, held under the same
circumstances.

4_th_. Finally, all vessels or parts of vessels, which belong to
merchants of the said kingdom. There being excepted from this
sequestration, bills of the national bank, banks of security, and
those of the Iron Company of Villa Sorocaba.

Joseph Bonifacio de Andrada e Silva, of my Council of State,
Minister of the Interior, and of Foreign Affairs, shall cause the
execution of this decree.

Given in the Palace of Rio de Janeiro, December the Eleventh,
1822, first of the Independence of the Empire.

With the Rubrica of His Imperial Majesty,

JOSE BONIFACIO DE A