Brazil’s imperial government granted Eduardo de Mornay and Alfredo de Mornay an exclusive 90-year privilege to build a railway in the Province of Pernambuco from Recife to the settlement of Água Preta. The decree explicitly frames the project as a measure to improve transportation “in benefit of agriculture and commerce” by making communication across the province easier. It required the railway to be realized through a company of nationals and foreigners organized for that purpose, under contractual conditions attached to the decree.
