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.
18
