# Law No. 391 of September 20, 1948

> Brazilian law

**Wikidata**: [Q105649913](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q105649913)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/law-no-391-of-september-20-1948

## Summary
Law No. 391 of September 20, 1948, is a Brazilian statute that authorized the Ministry of Finance to open a special budgetary credit to provide financial aid to the Touring Club do Brasil. Promulgated by the Presidency of the Republic in Rio de Janeiro, this legislative act serves as a formal manifestation of statutory law concerning specific fiscal adjustments.

## Key Facts
- **Official Title:** Lei nº 391, de 20 de setembro de 1948.
- **Date of Promulgation:** September 20, 1948.
- **Jurisdiction:** Brazil (Federative Republic of Brazil).
- **Classification:** Statute; a formal written document that creates law.
- **Primary Subject:** Special budgetary adjustment (Crédito Especial) for financial aid (Auxílio Financeiro).
- **Beneficiary Entity:** Touring Club do Brasil.
- **Executing Agency:** Ministry of Finance (Ministério da Fazenda).
- **Approval Authority:** Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil.
- **Place of Publication:** Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
- **Language:** Brazilian Portuguese.
- **Legal Citation:** Lei nº 391/1948.
- **LexML Identifier:** urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1948-09-20;391.
- **Knowledge Graph Focus:** Included in the WikiProject Brazilian Laws focus list.

## FAQs

**What is the primary objective of Law No. 391 of 1948?**
The law specifically authorizes the Ministry of Finance to open a special credit for the purpose of paying financial aid to the Touring Club do Brasil. It functions as a targeted budgetary adjustment to facilitate this government assistance.

**Who approved this law and where was it issued?**
The law was approved and promulgated by the Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil. At the time of its issuance on September 20, 1948, it was published in Rio de Janeiro, which served as the nation's capital before the seat of government moved to Brasília in 1960.

**How is this law categorized in legal and digital databases?**
It is classified as a statute, which is a formal written document and a subclass of "written work" and "rule." It is indexed in the LexML Brazil system under the unique URN `urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1948-09-20;391` and is a subject of the WikiProject Brazilian Laws.

## Why It Matters
Law No. 391 of 1948 is a concrete example of the formal exercise of government authority through statutory law. It illustrates the historical administrative process by which the Brazilian state managed national finances to support specific civil organizations like the Touring Club do Brasil. As a statute, it provides the definitive, written evidence of a legal rule that governed fiscal conduct in 1948. Furthermore, as an official legislative enactment, it exists in the public domain, ensuring that the record of government spending and legal mandates remains accessible to the public, reinforcing the principles of the rule of law.

## Notable For
- **Targeted Fiscal Action:** Specifically created to facilitate a "Crédito Especial" (Special Credit) for a single named entity, the Touring Club do Brasil.
- **Historical Capital Context:** Published in Rio de Janeiro during the period when it was the active capital of the Republic.
- **Standardized Identification:** Recognized by the LexML Brazil project, which provides persistent identifiers for Brazilian legislative and sub-legislative acts.
- **Public Domain Status:** As a manifestation of statutory law, it is an official legal document not subject to copyright, similar to the "edict of government doctrine" applied in other jurisdictions.

## Body

### Legal Classification and Nature
Law No. 391 of September 20, 1948, is categorized as a **statute**. In legal theory, a statute is a formal written document that creates law, encompassing acts, executive orders, and by-laws. It is taxonomically classified as a subclass of "written work," "document," and "rule." As a manifestation of statutory law, this document is composed of legal norms and serves as the official record of a rule enacted by the Brazilian government. Its creation followed the standard legislative path, originating as a draft law caused by the act of legislation.

### Administrative and Fiscal Scope
The law's primary function was an administrative and fiscal directive. It provided the **Ministry of Finance** (Ministério da Fazenda) with the legal authority to execute a "Crédito Especial" (Special Credit). This type of budgetary adjustment is used to allocate funds for purposes not previously covered in the general budget. The specific intent of this credit was to provide "Auxílio Financeiro" (Financial Aid) to the **Touring Club do Brasil**. 

### Historical and Geographical Context
At the time of the law's promulgation on September 20, 1948, **Brazil** was a federal republic with its capital located in **Rio de Janeiro**. The law was approved by the Presidency of the Republic during a period of democratic governance following the 1946 Constitution. The document was written in **Brazilian Portuguese**, the official language of the jurisdiction. The location of publication, Rio de Janeiro, reflects the city's status as the political center of the nation prior to the inauguration of Brasília in 1960.

### Digital Presence and Authority Control
In modern knowledge systems, Law No. 391 is tracked through several identifiers and projects:
*   **LexML Brazil:** It is assigned the identifier `urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1948-09-20;391`, which allows for standardized referencing across Brazilian legal databases.
*   **WikiProject Brazilian Laws:** The statute is included in the focus list of this Wikimedia project, which aims to organize and improve the coverage of Brazilian legislation.
*   **Wikidata:** It is described as an "instance of statute" and a "Brazilian law," linked to the broader concept of legislation (equivalent to `https://schema.org/Legislation`).

### Legal Framework of Statutes
As a statute, Law No. 391 shares the general characteristics of official legal documents. It is a "part of" the broader legal system of Brazil and is distinct from abstract legal theories, serving as a tangible reference point for administrators and citizens. Under public policy principles similar to the "edict of government doctrine," such legislative enactments are typically in the public domain, ensuring that the mandates of the government are freely accessible to the population they govern.

## References

1. [Source](https://www.lexml.gov.br/urn/urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1948-09-20;391)
2. LexML Brasil