As I observe by the Lisbon newspapers that most of the vessels acquitted by the Court of Admiralty have arrived at Lisbon, I beg to call your Excellency’s attention to the fact that I have received no reply to my letter addressed to your Excellency on the 1st of August last, requesting to know whether, in addition to the loss of the property, which ought to have been condemned, I was personally liable to the enormous costs and damages decreed against me by that tribunal.

* * * * *

   No. 293.

   Maranham, March 18, 1825.

In my letter, No. 291, I acquainted your Excellency of the course pursued with regard to Pedro Jose de Costa Barros, who, under the mistaken counsels of a faction here, would have again involved this province in scenes of bloodshed and confusion.  It is neither my duty nor inclination to become a tool in the hands of any faction, whose views are contrary to the true interests of His Imperial Majesty, and, were they countenanced and protected, would infallibly involve all Brazil in civil war and anarchy.

I contented myself, however, with continuing the usual precautions, which were sufficient to prevent disasters till His Majesty’s pleasure, with regard to recent occurrences in this province, should become known, of which I have been in daily expectation for some time past; but Barros—­after agreeing to await the expected instructions—­considered that he had gained over a sufficient party to overthrow the government by violent means, and addressed to me the letter A, which was considered by him a sufficient pretext to warrant the imprisonment of the President interino, during my temporary absence on board the flagship, whence, it was supposed, I should not be able to arrive in time to prevent the execution of that violent measure; and I regret to add, that, in this plot—­so prejudicial to His Majesty’s interests, and so disgraceful to the parties concerned—­persons whose duty it was to have at once combatted such unjustifiable proceedings took an underhand but active part.  The letters of Barros, A and B, will sufficiently shew the violence of his prejudices, his credulity, and precipitancy in acting upon false information and reports, as well as his total ignorance of law and justice, in requiring the seizure of an individual without specifying either crime or accuser.

I enclose to your Excellency all the correspondence which has taken place between Barros and myself, together with the proclamation which I felt it my duty to issue for the maintenance of order; for the legal department here now profess to consider that, although the constitution has been granted and accepted, they have no authority to put it in practice—­hence, between the ancient and new laws, justice is at a stand.

   (Signed) COCHRANE AND MARANHAO.

To these and all my previous communications no reply was returned either in the way of approval or otherwise.  There was, however, one member of the administration, Luiz Jose Carvalho e Mello, who had ever been my friend, being himself a man of patriotic and enlightened views, but without the influence to counteract the designs of his Portuguese colleagues.  As I knew from private sources, that this silence had its objects, I addressed to Carvalho e Mello the following letter:—­