d wide,
not only among the natives but the foreign merchants. It was of little
avail that the Prince acknowledged the debts[36]; the treasury was left
so poor, that he was obliged to delay or modify the increase of military
pay promised on the King's departure, a circumstance that occasioned
much disquiet in several provinces. The funds for carrying on several
branches of industry, and several works of public utility were destroyed
by this great and sudden drain; and thereby much that had been begun
after the arrival of the court, and which it was hoped would have been
of the greatest benefit to the country, was stopped. Colonies that had
been invited to settle with the most liberal promises perished for want
of the necessary support in the beginning of their career, and the
wonder is, not that disturbances in various quarters took place after
the departure of the King, but that they were not of a more fierce and
fatal tendency.

[Note 36: It was of little avail at the time. But as soon as it was
possible, his royal highness's government began payments by instalments,
which are still going on, notwithstanding the total change of
government. This is highly honourable.]

The Prince who remained at the head of the government was deservedly
popular among the Brazilians. His first care was to examine into and
redress causes of grievances; particularly those arising from arbitrary
imprisonment and vexatious methods of collecting taxes. The great duties
on salt conveyed into the interior, were remitted. Something was done
towards improving the condition of the barracks, hospitals, and schools.
Books were allowed to be imported duty free, and every thing that could
be effected under the circumstances, was done by the Prince for the
advantage of the people, and to preserve or promote public tranquillity.

But the question of the independence of Brazil had now come to be
publicly agitated, and out of it arose several others. Was it to be
still part of the Portuguese monarchy, with a separate supreme
jurisdiction civil and criminal under the Prince? or was it to return to
the abject state in which it had been since its discovery, subject to
all the vexatious delays occasioned by distant tribunals, by appeals
beyond sea, and all that renders the state of a colony irksome or
degrading? Then if independent so far, was it to form one kingdom whose
capital should be at Rio, or were there to be several unconnected
provinces, each wit