JUSTICE AND CRIME — FINANCE
717
Justice and Crime.
There is a supreme Federal court of Justice at Rio de Janeiro ; »nd Federal judges in each State. Justice is administered in the States in accordance with State law, by State courts, but in Rio de Janeiro Federal Justice is administered. Judges are appointed for life. There are also municipal magistrates and justices of the peace, who are elected for four years, and whose chief function is to settle cases up to a certain amount.
A new Civil Code came into force on January I, 1917. Among the most important subjects covered by the code are those referring to legal capacity ; the registration of births, marriages, and deaths ; juristic persons and or- ganisations ; domicile ; real and personal property ; homestead (a new insti- tution in Brazilian law) ; legal acts ; domestic relations ; copyright (which was formerly very deficieut) ; mortgages ; contracts ; wills and the administra- tion of estates. Extensive commentaries are being prepared by eminent jurists on this important piece of legislation.
Finance.
Revenue and expenditure (gold milreis=2». 3d.; paper milreis =1*. Import duties form the principal source of revenue.
Revenue
Expenditure
1917 1918 1919
1920 1
1921 1
(Gold)
£
7,452,631
11,502,190
9,000,789
(Gold)
12,302.093
4,260,713 S.041,369 3,614,01 D
(Paper)
£ 34,961,351
34,269,933 39,971.905 47,442,666
1 Estimates.
The principal items of revenue aud expenditure for 1921 were estimated as follows : —
Revenue
I ini>ort duties, etc. Consumption taxes. Circulation taxes Industrial revenue . Extraordinary
Gold
milreis
Paper
milreis
90,935,000 I 92,800,000 — 171.740,000 ,000 106.500,000 ,000 141,751,000
50,1
2,020,000 j 49,721,000
Expenditure
Ministry of Justice and Internal Affairs
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Ministry of Marine
Ministry of War
Ministry of Agri culture
Ministry of Trans rortation and Public Works
Ministry of Fi- nance
Total (all sources) 102,005,000 ,624,761,000 Total expenditure
Gold milreis
Paper
milreis
3,177,000 ' 69,875,000
1,577,000
800,000
1,700 000
088,000
$67 J* ,•18,000
963,000 | 39,189,000
14,367 £088,1
188
251,151 318,000
75,680,000 TU, 640,000
The consolidated foreign debt of Brazil on December 81, 1919, amounted to 103,292,034/. and 322,249,500 francs. The former sum is made up of