Constitution of the United States of Brazil (1946)/Title 9
Title Nine
GENERAL PROVISIONS
Art. 195—The flag, the hymn, the seal and the arms in use on the date of promulgation of this Constitution are national symbols.
Sole Paragraph—The states and municipalities also may have their symbols.
Art. 196—The diplomatic representation to the Holy See is maintained.
Art. 197—The incompatibilities set forth in Article 48 extend insofar as may be applicable to the President and Vice President of the Republic, to the Ministers of State and to the members of the Judicial Power.
Art. 198—For the execution of the defense plans against the effects of the so-called drought of the Northeast, the Union shall spend, annually, upon works and services of social and economic assistance an amount never inferior to three per cent of all tax revenue.
§ 1. One-third of this amount shall be deposited in a special fund destined for the help of the populations affected by the calamity; this reserve, or part of it, may be invested at moderate interest in accordance with the provisions of law, in loans to farmers and industrialists established in the area embraced by the drought.
§ 2. The States within the drought area shall invest three per cent of their tax revenue in the construction of dams, on a cooperative basis, and in other services necessary to the assistance of their populations.
Art. 199—In the execution of the plan to increase the economic worth of the Amazon Valley, the Union shall invest, during at least twenty consecutive years, an amount not less than three per cent of its tax revenue.
Sole Paragraph—The States and Territories within that region, as well as their respective municipalities, shall reserve, annually, for the same purpose, three per cent of their tax revenue. The resources referred to in this paragraph shall be applied through the medium of the Federal Government.
Art. 200—Only by vote of an absolute majority of their members may the courts declare the unconstitutionality of a law or act of the public power.
Art. 201—Law-suits in which the Union be the plaintiff shall be judged in the capital of the State or Territory in which the other party is domiciled. Actions against the Union may be judged in the capital of the State or Territory in which the plaintiff has his domicile; in the capital of the State in which the deed or fact which gave origin to the claim occurred or in which the object be situated; or again, in the Federal District.
§ 1. Cases brought before other judges, if the Union shall figure therein as witness or opponent, shall come under the jurisdiction of one of the judges of the capital.
§ 2. The law may permit the action to be brought in another court, committing the judicial representation of the Union to the State Public Ministry.
Art. 202—Taxes shall be of a personal nature whenever possible, and shall be graduated according to the economic capacity of the taxpayer.
Art. 203—No tax shall fall directly upon author's royalties of writers nor on the remuneration of teachers and journalists.
Art. 204—Payments due by the Federal, State or Municipal Treasuries by virtue of judicial sentence, shall be made in the order of presentation of the claims and be charged against the respective credits, it being forbidden to designate cases or persons in the budget allocations and extra-budgetary credits opened for this purpose.
Sole Paragraph—The budget allocations and credits opened shall be consigned to the Judicial Power, the amounts being paid to the competent department. It is the responsibility of the president of the Federal Court of Appeals or, according to the case, president of the Tribunal of Justice, to issue orders of payment according to the possibilities of the deposit and to authorize upon requisition of any creditor deferred in his right of precedence, and after hearing the Chief of the Public Ministry, the sequestration of the amount necessary to satisfy the debit.
Art. 205—The National Council of Economy is hereby created, and its organization shall be regulated by law.
§ 1. Its members shall be appointed by the President of the Republic, after approval of the selection by the Federal Senate, from among citizens of notable competence in economic affairs.
§ 2. It is incumbent on the Council to study the economic life of the country and to suggest to the competent authority the measures that it may deem necessary.
Art. 206—The National Congress may decree martial law in the following instances:
I—serious domestic commotion, or facts evidencing its imminence;
II—external war.
Art. 207—The law decreeing martial law in the case of external war or in the case of serious domestic commotion with the character of civil war, shall also establish the norms its execution should follow, and shall indicate the constitutional guaranties that will continue in effect. It shall also specify the cases where crimes against the security of the nation or its political or social institutions are to become subject to military jurisdiction and legislation, when committed by civilians, but outside of the zones of operation only when related to them (zones of operation) and having a bearing on their development.
Sole Paragraph—When the martial law has been published, the President of the Republic shall designate in a decree the persons in charge of its execution, and the zones of operation that, in accordance with the aforesaid Decree, shall be submitted to military jurisdiction and legislation.
Art. 208—In the interval between legislative sessions, it shall be the exclusive prerogative of the President of the Republic to decree or extend the martial law, with observance of the provisions of the preceding article.
Sole Paragraph—After martial law has been decreed, the President of the Senate shall immediately convoke the National Congress to meet within fifteen days to approve or disapprove the law.
Art. 209—During the martial law decreed in accordance with Number I, Article 206, only the following measures may be taken against individuals:
I—obligation to remain in a determined locality;
II—detention in buildings not destined for common criminals;
III—banishment to any locality, populated and healthful, of the national territory.
Sole Paragraph—The President of the Republic may moreover determine:
I—censorship of correspondence or publicity, including that of radio broadcasting, cinema and theater;
II—the suspension of the right to hold meetings, including that exercised by associations within their own premises;
III—the search and apprehension in private houses;
IV—suspension from office or employment of any public official or employee of any autarchy, or entity of mixed economy, or concern holding concession for public services;
V—intervention in the public service concerns.
Art. 210—Martial law in the case of Number I, Article 206, may not be decreed for more than thirty days, nor may it be extended, in each instance, for more than this period. In the case of Number II, it may be decreed for as long as the external war shall last.
Art. 211—When martial law be decreed by the President of the Republic, in accordance with Art. 208, the latter, as soon as the National Congress is assembled, shall, in a special message, relate the motives which determined such action and shall justify the measures that may have been adopted. The National Congress, in secret session, shall then deliberate upon the decree issued in order to revoke it or maintain it, taking note, also, of the Government's action according to the information furnished and, when necessary, authorizing the extension of the measure.
Art. 212—The decree of martial law shall always specify the regions it is to cover.
Art. 213—The immunities of the members of the National Congress shall continue during martial law; nevertheless, the immunities of certain Deputies or Senators whose liberty becomes manifestly incompatible with the National defense or with the security of political or social institutions, may be suspended by vote of two-thirds of the members of the Chamber or of the Senate.
Sole Paragraph—In the interval between legislative sessions, the authorization shall be given by the President of the Chamber of Deputies or by the Vice-President of the Federal Senate, according as members of one or other Chamber are involved, but ad referendum by the respective Chamber, which should immediately be convoked to meet within fifteen days.
Art. 214—When the martial law has expired, its effects shall also cease.
Sole Paragraph—As soon as the martial law shall end, the measures applied during the period of its effectiveness shall be reported by the President of the Republic in a message to the National Congress, with specification and justification of the measures adopted.
Art. 215—Failure to observe the provisions of Articles 206 to 215 shall make the restraint illegal, and shall allow the parties restrained to appeal to the Judicial Power.
Art. 216—The possession of lands by aborigines who may be permanently dwelling there, shall be respected, provided that they do not sell them.
Art. 217—The Constitution may be amended.
§ 1. An amendment shall be considered proposed, if presented by at least one-fourth of the members of the Chamber of Deputies or of the Federal Senate, or by more than one-half of the Legislative Assemblies of the States, in the course of two years, each of these manifesting itself by majority of its members.
§ 2. An amendment shall be considered accepted if it be approved in two discussions by an absolute majority of the Chamber of Deputies and of the Federal Senate, in two ordinary, consecutive legislative sessions.
§ 3. If the amendment shall obtain in one of the Chambers, in two discussions, the vote of two-thirds of its members, it shall immediately be submitted to the other; and if approved in this Chamber by the same process, and by equal majority, it shall be considered accepted.
§ 4. The amendment shall be promulgated by the Boards of the Chamber of Deputies and of the Federal Senate. After publication, over the signatures of the members of both Boards, it shall be appended, with its respective sequence number, to the text of the Constitution.
§ 5. The Constitution shall not be modified while martial law is in force.
§ 6. Bills tending to abolish the Federation and the Republic shall not be admitted to consideration.
Art. 218—This Constitution, and the act of the Constitutional transitory provisions, after they have been signed by the Deputies and Senators present, shall be promulgated simultaneously by the Administration of the Constituent Assembly, and shall become effective on the date of their publication.
In the Meeting Hall of the Constitutional Committee, September 9, 1946:
Rio de Janeiro, 18th September 1946, 125th year of the Independence and 58th of the Republic.—(signed)—Fernando de Mello Vianna, President; Georgino Avelino, 1st Secretary; Lauro Sodré Lopes, 2nd Secretary; Lauro Montenegro, 3rd Secretary; Ruy Almeida, 4th Secretary; Carlos Marighella; Hugo Ribeiro Carneiro; Hermelindo de Gusmão Castello Branco Filho; Alvaro Maia; Waldemar Pedrosa; Leopoldo Péres; Francisco Pereira da Silva; Cosme Ferreira Filho; J. Magalhães Barata; Alvaro Adolpho; Duarte de Oliveira; Lameira Bittencourt; Carlos Nogueira; Nelson Parijos; João Botelho; José da Rocha Ribas; Clodomir Cardoso; Crepory Franco; Victorino Freire; Odilon Soares; Luis Carvalho; José Neiva; Affonso Mattos; Mauro Renault Leite; Raimundo de Areia Leão; Sigefredo Pacheco; Moreira da Rocha; Antonio da Frota Gentil; Francisco de Almeida Monte; Oswaldo Studart Filho; Raul Barbosa; Deoclecio Dantas Duarte; José Varella; Walfredo Gurgel; Mota Neto; Janduhy Carneiro; Samuel Duarte; José Joffily; A. de Novais Filho; Etelvino Lins de Albuquerque; Agamemnon Magalhães; Jarbas Maranhão; Gercino Malagueta de Pontes; Oscar Carneiro; Oswaldo C. Lima; Costa Porto; Ulysses Lins de Albuquerque; João Ferreira Lima; Barbosa Lima Sobrinho; Paulo Pessôa Guerra; Teixeira de Vasconcellos; Ismar de Gois Monteiro; Silvestre Péricles; Luiz Medeiros Neto; José Maria de Mello; Antonio M. Maffra; Affonso de Carvalho; Francisco Leite Neto; Graccho Cardoso; Renato Aleixo; Lauro de Freitas; Aloysio de Castro; Regis Pacheco; Arthur Negreiros Falcão; Altamirando Requião; Eunapio de Queiroz; Vieira de Mello; Froes da Motta; Aristides Milton; Attilio Vivacqua; Henrique de Novaes; Ary Vianna; Carlos Lindenberg; Eurico Salles; Vieira de Rezende; Alvaro Castello; Asdrubal Soares; Jonas Correia; José Fontes Roméro; José Carlos Pereira Pinto; Alfred Neves; Ernani do Amaral Peixoto; Eduardo Duvivier; Carlos Pinto; Paulo Fernandes; Getulio Moura; Heitor Collet; Silvio Bastos Tavares; Accurcio Francisco Torres; Brigido Tinoco; Miguel Couto Filho; Levindo Eduardo Coelho; Benedicto Valladares; Juscelino Kubitschek de Oliveira; J. Rodrigues Seabra; Pedro Dutra; José Francisco Bias Fortes; Israel Pinheiro; Gustavo Capanema; Francisco Duque de Mesquita; Wellington Brandão; José Maria Alkmim, Augusto das Chagas Viegas; João Henrique; Joaquim Libanio Leite Ribeiro; Celso Porfirio de Araujo Machado; Olyntho Fonseca Filho; Francisco Rodrigues Pereira Junior; Lahyr Paletta de Rezende Tostes; Alfredo Sá; Christiano M. Machado; Luiz Milton Prates; Goffredo da Silva Telles Junior; Novelli Junior; Antonio Ezequiel Feliciano da Silva; José Cezar de Oliveira Costa; Benedicto Costa Netto; José Armando Affonseca; João Gomes Martins Filho; Sylvio Campos; Horacio Lafer; José João Abdalla; Joaquim A. Sampaio Vidal; José Carlos de Ataliba Nogueira; José Alves Palma; Honorio Fernandes Monteiro; J. Machado Coelho e Castro; Edgard Baptista Pereira; Pedro Ludovico Teixeira; Dario Delio Cardoso; Flavio Carvalho Guimarães; Diogenes Magalhães; João d'Abreu; Albatenio Caiado Godoi; Galeno Paranhos; Guilherme Xavier de Almeida; J. Ponce de Arruda; Gabriel Martiniano de Araujo; Argemino Fialho; Roberto Glasser; Fernando Flores; Munhoz de Mello; João Aguiar; Aramis Athayde; Gomy Junior; Nereu Ramos; Ivo d'Aquino; Aderbal Silva; Octacilio Costa; Orlando Brasil; Roberto Grossenbacher; Rogerío Vieira; Hans Jordan; Ernesto Dornelles; Gaston Englert; Adroaldo Costa; Brochado da Rocha; Eloy Rocha; Theodomiro Porto da Fonseca; Damaso Rocha; Antero Leivas; Manoel Duarte; Souza Costa; Bittencourt Azambuja; Nicolay Vergueiro; Glycerio Alves; Mercio Teixeira; Daniel Faraco; Pedro Vergara; Herophilo Azambuja; Bayard Lima; Manuel Severiano Nunes; Agostinho Monteiro; Epilogo de Campos; Alarico Nunes Pacheco; Antenor Bogéa; Mathias Olympio; José Candido; Antonio Maria de Rezende Corrêa; Adelmar Rocha, Coelho Rodrigues; Plinio Pompeu; Fernandes Tavora; Paulo Sarasate; Gentil Barreira; Beni Carvalho; Egberto Rodrigues; Fernandes Telles; José de Borba; Leão Sampaio; Alencar Araripe; Edgard de Arruda; J. Ferreira de Souza; José Augusto Bezerra de Medeiros; Aluisio Alves; Adalberto Ribeiro; Vergniaud Wanderley; Argemiro de Figueiredo; João Agripino Filho; João Ursulo; Ribeiro Coutinho Filho; Ernani Ayers Satyro e Souza; Plinio Lemos; Fernando Carneiro da Cunha Nobrega; Osmar de Araujo Aquino; Carlos de Lima Cavalcanti; Alde Feijo Sampaio; João Cleophas de Oliveira; Gilberto de Mello Freyre; Antonio de Freitas Cavalcanti; Mario Gomes de Barros; Rui Soares Palmeira; Walter Franco; Leandro Maciel; Heribaldo Vieira; Aloysio de Carvalho Filho; Juracy Magalhães; Octavio Mangabeira; Manoel Novães; João da Costa Pinto Dantas Junior; Clemente Mariani Bittencourt; Raphael Cincura de Andrade; João Mendes da Costa Filho; Luiz Viana; Alberico Fraga; Nestor Duarte; Aliomar de Andrade Baleeiro; Ruy Santos; Luiz Claudio; Hamilton de Lacerda Nogueira; Euclides Figueiredo; Jurandyr Pires; José Eduardo de Prado Kelly; Dr. Antonio José Romão Junior; José de Carvalho Leomil; José Monteiro Soares Filho; José Monteiro de Castro; José Bonifacio Lafayette de Andrada; José Maria Lopes Cançado; José de Magalhães Pinto; Gabriel de R. Passos; Milton Soares Campos; Lycurgo Leite Filho; Mario Masagão; Paulo Nogueira Filho; Romeu de Andrade Lourenção; Plinio Barreto; Luiz de Toledo Piza Sobrinho; Aureliano Leite; Jalles Machado de Sigueira; Vespasiano Martins; João Villasbôas; Dolor Ferreira de Andrade; Dr. Agricola Pães de Barros; Erasto Gaertner; Tavares d'Amaral; Conego Thomas Fontes; José Antonio Flores da Cunha; Osorio Tuyuty de Oliveira Freitas; Leopoldo Neves; Luiz Lago de Araujo; Benjamin Miguel Farah; M. do N. Vargas Netto; Francisco Gurgel do Amaral Valente; José de Segadas Vianna; Manoel Benicio Fontenelle; Paulo Baeta Neves; Antonio José da Silva; Edmundo Barreto Pinto; Abelardo dos Santos Mata; Jarbas de Lery Santos; Ezequiel da Silva Mendes; Alexandre Marcondes Filho; Hugo Borghi; Guaracy Silveira; José Correira Pedroso Junior; Romeu José Fiori; Bertho Condé; Euzebio Rocha; Mélo Braga; Arthur Fischer; Gregorio Bezerra; Agostinho Oliveira; Alcedo Coutinho; Luiz Carlos Prestes; João Amazonas; Mauricio Grabois; Joaquim Baptista Neto; Claudino J. Silva; Alcides Sabença; Jorge Amado; José Chrispim; Oswaldo Pachedo da Silva; Caires de Brito; Abilio Fernandes; Lino Machado; Souza Leão; Durval Cruz; Amando Fontes; Jacy de Figueiredo; Daniel de Carvalho; Mario Brant; A. Bernardes Filho; Philippe Balbi; Arthur Bernardes; Altino Arantes; Munhoz da Rocha; Deodoro Machado de Mendonça; Olavo Oliveira; Stenio Gomes; João Adeodato; Café Filho; Theodulo Albuquerque; Romeu de Campos Vergal; Dr. P. Alfredo de Arruda Camara; Manoel Victor; Hermes Lima; Domingos Velasco; Raul Pilla.