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 ANDRADE E SILVA.

These documents—­coupled with the decree of Dec. 1822, awarding the above confiscations to the captors—­shew so clearly the right of the squadron’s claim, and the injustice of the course pursued by the prize tribunal at Rio de Janeiro, in refusing to adjudge Portuguese property to the captors, that further comment is unnecessary.  In order, however, to give every possible information relative to a matter which has been, to me, a cause of so much obloquy, I subjoin my letter to the interim President, accompanying the preceding documents:—­

   SIR,

I have the honour to enclose to your Excellency, two hundred and sixty obligations seized under the orders of His Imperial Majesty—­dated the 11th December, 1822—­which I request you will be pleased to cause to be laid before the Junta of Fazenda, together with the papers enclosed, in order that the Junta may take the necessary steps to the liquidation of the just and moderate