"As to public works, much has been done. The police office in the Praça da Acclamaçaŏ has been rebuilt: that large square has been drained of the marsh water, and has become an agreeable walk, with paved paths on all sides, and others across, and we are still continuing to embellish it. The greater part of the aqueduct of Carioca and Maracanaŏ, have been repaired; besides the numerous bridges of wood and stone which have been renewed, several new ones have been made, and a great extent of roads has been mended. "Besides what I have mentioned, and much more which I have not touched on, the funds for these works, which in April, 1821, owed 60 contos of rees, now is not only out of debt, but possesses upwards of 600,000 crusadoes. "In different departments we have made the following progress. We have greatly increased the national typography; the public gardens have been put in order; the museum repaired, and enriched with minerals and a gallery of good pictures,--some of which were purchased, some were already in the public treasury, and others were my private property, which I have ordered to be placed there. "Every exertion has been made on the Caes da Praça de Commercio, so that it is nearly finished; the streets of the city have been new-paved; and in a very short time this house for the assembly, with all the rest adjoining, were properly fitted for their purpose. "Many works which are of less importance have been undertaken, begun, and finished; but I omit them, that I may not render my speech too long. "I have encouraged the public schools, as far as I could; but this will demand some peculiar provision of the legislature. What has been done is this:--In order to augment the public library I have bought a large collection of choice books; I have augmented the number of schools, and increased the salary of some of the masters, besides licensing innumerable private schools; and, aware of the benefits of the method of mutual instruction, I have opened a Lancasterian school. "I found the college of San Joaquim, which had been designed by its founders for the education of youth, employed as the hospital of the European troops. I caused it to be opened anew, for the purposes originally intended; and having granted to the _Casa de Misericordia_, and the foundling hospital, of which I will speak farther, a lottery for the better maintenance of those useful institutions, I assigned a certain portion of the said lottery to the college of San Joaquim, that it might the better answer the useful end which its worthy founders had in view. It is now full of students.