Star. — London, England, 1810-10-24 00:00:00

t • SPANISH CORTE. MONDAY, OCTOBER 1. The Cones met at half past ten in the morning Tlv, doors remained shut for three quarters of an hour, after which the Galleries were opened for the admis sion of the publit. The first question was, " Whether anonymous do cuments should be rejected or not?" - HERMIDA, after , some debate, briefly explained what appeared whim proper to be done in such cases. He said, when the anonymous writings are relative to science, literature, &c. it will not be inconvenient to receive them ; the law prohibits that any person should be proceeded against in consequence of an anonymous information, but a writing, though it have no known signature, may be examined without any prejudice to the law, to see whether it contains any thing worth at. tention, or which maybe of any use to the Government. A tonnoittee should therefore be established for the purpose of examining papers of this kind, which, upon the perusal oPtheir contents, might er might not transmit them to the Cortes. LUXAN then read the order framed for the regula tion of the Cortes, and it was deterrail* that in fu ture the reading•thould be repeated daily, in order that the .Assembly, being better informed, might mo dify,, add, or, in fine, approve of all and each of the articles. Thi*.orcler is provisional, and experience • will Indicate its imperfections, or the improvements of which it- may be susceptible. ®means moved, that the Cortes should demand from the Regency a circumstantial account of all the branches of the General Administration, and in future • a mopthly account of the same, and a daily account - of all events and occurrences of any importance to the Government and information of the Cortes. This motion was approved of, and carried unani. mously. GONZALEZ moved the appointment of a Committee, to be called The Committee of Justice, for the purpose of forwarding causes pending before the Tribunals, ikc. It was interesting to see the zeal of this worthy Mem ber, and the frankness with which he announced his opisnon. Confessing he was a soldier, he said he knew nothing of the flourishes of rhetoric or the syllo gisms of logic, but be would speak his mind in plain Castilian. This motion was supported by several Members ; but the variety of opinions prevented any determination concerning it. It was then ordered, that the Regency should give an account of the promotions made since the Ist of April, 1808, and of the merits and circumstances of the persons promoted. It was also proposed that an account of the causes for high treason should be demanded of the judicial power. These propositions and motions, all the offspring of justice and rectitude, produced such an effect on the people, - that they were transported with joy, and penetrated with the warmest affection towards the' 4tigirst Congress, whence they proceeded for the con solation of the innocent and oppressed, and the terror Of the wicked. The American Deputies presented a memorial, which solicited the Cortes to declare America an in tegral part of the Monarchy, and insisted that a veil should be thrown over all the late disagreeable events. It concluded by requesting a general amnesty. Here the public sitting closed at two in the after noon, and the secret debates being finished about three, the Cortes adjourned. OBSERVATIONS oN THE DECREE OF THE CORTES, RESPECT ING THE EXECUTIVE POWER. • ' The contracted ideas that the People have of Pub- - Ilc•Law, have given rise to various discussions respect - ing the Decree which the Cortes have issued in answer to the request made by the Council of Regency, that having the Executive Power lodged in them, it should be pointed out to them to what extent they were to - iiircise those functions. As, in the kingdom of Spain, , tite three powers, the Executive, Legislative, and Ju- , diCial, have been almost always confounded, the corn ' 'pion people undeistand, that by the Decree of the • Cones, in which the Council of Regency is confirmed - kall-the plenitude of the Executive Power, the same functions ate granted by this confirmation, as those that the Executive formerly exercised. This, however, , • Ular from being the case, because before this division -x-of functions that has now taken place, the Council of ;.-Regency not only exercised the Legislative Power, but . , Mao a part of the Judicial, having sometimes had re • -(erred to them, a cause that had been tried in the tri bunals below, as the only depositaries of this power in the last resort, which cannot now be the case, because • when the National Congress separated the three powers ! - reserving to itself the Legislative, conferring on the Council of Regency the Executive, and confirming the judicial in the tribunals, it then defined, at the same time, by thii simple and well-known separation, the functions that belonged to each of them, as well as , _. their respective limits. Upon this principle the Exe c. jive Power, which the Cortes have delegated to the ' Regency, circumscribed and . defined from that mo ' spent its functions, without the necessity of any further explanation, which would have been, in all cases im , ' proper, but much more so in a decree, which, if ex pressed in terms that some proposed, would have been • 4 treatise on puldic tight, indecorous,.and unbecoming . 1 -leirher n body. What necessity was there to specify to -, ; i4kt Executive Power that they could not impose an). i, • stew taxes, that they were not to create new offices, &c. since all these are necessarily' functions belonging to the Legislative Power, and which the Depositaries i n of the Executive Power could not A i ppropriate to them- I selves uithout incurring . the responsibility reposed in tLern? Besides, in case it had been necessary, from ; --- pat ticttlar circumstances, to abridBe . or limit any of ... the functions peculiar to the Executive Power, this must bave been done by means of a formal Constitu ' • lion,' or at least of a provisional regulation, 'formed L. upon deliberation, and after such a discussion as so I • igsduous and delicate a subject would require. Thus , thin it appeared mire convenient and suitable to the n n :National Cony n ress (haring defined the limits of the three Powers by the separation k made of them) to confer on thte.gegency the Executive Power in all its ' r plcinilude, than to prescribe ill-digested limitations to i b' which vivid' haw" Appeared ridiculous in the eyes . of the enlightened world ; t: because it would have been 1 .., tjle.sltne thing psi if the functions and duties of a Co. , • *oil were io 'be -*limed out in his commission, 'pro- L - etstscing.lains to this.rtnk frortithat of LieutenaitKo• lonel a ibta*titis and functions . : c; military e;lopibis . • mots being already well %town tend defined. It is therefore unoecal‘ary to swkie, that ,he must abstaii , from creating noctifi ecers, from augmentinK the pay of the old, or bestowing rank, tcc l ,,Which (Actions do not belong to him on any account, and which L. could not exercise withoUt Incurring punishmeth anti dismission.—From the Spanish Pater El Concise. FOREIGN INTELLIGENCE. NAPLES, SEPTEMBER so. His Majesty embarked on the 28th September at Pirro, and came by sea to Amalki, where he landed yesterday. He travelled by land to Castellamare, where he passed the night, and arrived this morning at Naples. Before his departure from the army, his Majesty issued the following General Orders : " Head-quarter. at ScUta l Sept. 26, 1810. " Soldiers—The expedition to Sicily is postponed. The object which the Emperor had in view, bycausing that island to be threatened, has been accomplished; and the effect of the attitude which has been main tained upon the Strait with so much dignity for four months, has even surpassed expectation. You are about to enter your winter quarters. And you, also, brave sailors, you are about to return to your fami lies. You have done more than your duty ; you have supported with a courage above all praise more than fifty combats, against a force three times stronger than yours, and the success which you have con stantly obtained proves what you would have done against an equal one. Above all, you have solved one rand problem ; you have proved that the ene my's flotilla cannot prevent even the smallest boats from crossing the Strait, and that Sicily will be con quered when its conquest is seriously set about. Re ceive the testimony of my satisfaction. I also testify the same to the land forces, who have powerfully se conded you. The zeal which you have shewn in an swering the call which has been made to you, is a sure pledge for your King of that which you will al ways display when summoned for the benefit of his service and the good of the country. (Signed) " JOACHIM NAPOLEON. (Attested) .14 COUNT GRENIF.I4 General of Division and Chief of the Staff of the Army." REGGIO, SEPTEMBER 23. The Division Partonneaux and the Royal Guard embarked yesterday, and arrived in presence of the enemy ; the one at Bagnara, and the other at Scilla, without suffering any loss from the numerous can non-shots fired at them by the English. The latter, alarmed at the movement, continued all night on the alert, and were constantly throwing up blue lights till day-break. SCILLA, SEPTEMBER 25. His Majesty set out this morning from Reggio, breakfasted at the camp at Piale, and arrived about mid-day at Scala. General Manhes remains charged with the com mand of the Neapolitan division i be unites to these powers the command of tho'iwo piovinces of farther and hither Calabria, as well as the charge of their police. The General of Division Pactod commands the French troops. THE EVENING STAR. LONDON. WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 24. PRICE OF STOCKS THIS DAY AT ONE O'CLOCK. Cons. for money, 661--Ditto, account, 66 j. Reduced 65H-4 per Cent. 1394 Navy 5 per Cent. 10833—Oninium dis. Ex. BIM 6s. to 89s. prem.—Bonds 225. 235. prem. PRICE OF STOCKS YESTERDAY. Bank Stock 254 253} 153 Long Ann. 18 17 13-16ths 13 I s per Ct. Red. 653# Omniurn 534 dis. 3 per Cent. Cons. 66 414 India Bond; 245. 21s. prem. 4 per Cent. 82431 Each. Bills 6s. 9s. pre. per Cent. Navy 100344 Cons. Acc. 663 67 661 We do not recollect, since the commencement of the present war, a period of such goneral interest, such varied hopes and fears as the situation of the armies in Portugal has excited. The overthrow of the one or other of the armies depends on the issue of the ap proaching conflict—an issue, perhaps, now decided. The fate of the Peninsula depends on the victory.— , The ruin of MASSENA' S a r my m i g h t b e t h e s i gna l o f revolt to all the kingdoms that BONAPARTE has over. run. The ruin of Lord Wsuallorort's army would be to England the forerunner of a descent on her own or sister coast. Every man of both armies must be penetrated with the, magnitude of the stake, and it will and must be a most sanguinary field. The subjoined letter holds out the most consolatory hopes at the present eventful moment. In giving it 'a place we would not be understood as having no ap- Whbnsions for the result of the portentous battle ; but in a moment of such general anxiety the public should know the opinion of those who from long habit and experience are best qualified to m lice a prb. per estimate of actual circumstances. The leuerhos this to recommend it—it is free; an Officer of high rank, of tried valour, andlong experience, lo LISBON, OCTOBER 11. 44 MT DEAZ Sta...6.Bince I wrote you last, our army have occupied entirely 'their lines, and the Fritsch troops are advanciniaqd taking up their ground in front. The &bite of iiriar is opposed to that of General HILL at Villa Frinca, and it is expected that an attack will take place there in a few days. The French have no idea of our strength being so great, and are, therefore, by the accounts of deserters, very confident of success. " A letter of MAssuA's was intercepted yester day, in which he says his army is in great spirits, although they have had nothing but potatoes and Indian corn to eat for these ioyeraldays past. Be. assured that if the Tench u*j/sit tyak, hardly a n iqii4trY .145' 4 41ticii,VIerotik; Pow to tial :01 , 9A 1 010014bownessOPPAiiianit Osial ssooo THE ARI(Y. 4 • Porterage in gotsi order, and tesatarrow tb0 .4 .111 be reinforied by ROMIANA wit 4 10 6 00 D mac ; they are at the Aldea Gallega, oti the optosits'side - of .the river. Independently of this immense force, making 80,000 bayonets, there are above 20,000 Militia gone from this town. The French force, lam confident, does not now much exceed 50,000, if so, many. In tea days I think the battle will be fought, and be as ' sured it will be a fortunate one. Our army have now got all under cover, which, in this dreadful bois terous and rainy season, is a great object. They are plentifully supplied with provisions, and are in great health and spirits, anticipating, with much satisfaction, the scrape which the French have got into, and anxi ous to put their paws upon them. On the other lrind, the French army must be suffering severely from the effects of bad weather and want of provisions. A very intelligent French serjeant, who was taken pri soner and brought in here yesterday, says, the French have been completely deceived in regard to our num& hers, which they do not estimate above 40,000 men, and that he is now convinced, by their advancing, that they have got into a scrape, from which they cannot extricate themselves. Our Government will not now, I hope, relax in their exertions to send out reinforcements, but push them out as speedily as possible ; but they should be landed at Corunna or Oporto, where they will join the Spanish and Porta: guese divisions, which are cutting off the supplies of provisions for the French army, and which may arrive in time to cut off the retreat of their troops into France. " If exertion is now made in all (planers, there will not be a Frenchman i• Spain in six months ; and nothing will tend to shake the power of BONAPARTE in France more than the annihilation of his great arm', in this country. P.S.—OCTOBER 13.—As the APOLLO did not sail as I expected, I open this to say that the French will certainly make their attack in a day or two. All is in readiness for them, and they will get it warmly —k will be a glorious day t" The following is an extract of a letter from an offi cer (of the light division of the army), subsequent to the battle of Busaco, which as it rectifies an inaccu racy in the official report and contains other informa tion, it is desirable that it should be made public : " On the morning of the 27th the enemy detached General Sr. SIMON, with 3000 men, to force the hill at the point where the light brigade were posted.— We suffered them to come pretty close to the top, before we made our appearance, and then charged them in high style, with the 43d and 52d light regi ments, and drove them down the hill with immense slaughter. The 43d took General ST. SIMON and a Captain prisoners, and the 52d and 95th a number of inferior officers and men. The General is badly wounded. It is said by those who were down the hill, that we killed between six and seven hundred, a pretty decent proportion you will allow; and, when compared with our trifling loss, is truly astonish ing, and can only be accounted for from the superio rity of our ground, and the invincible courage of our brave fellows, who advanced to the charge with the intrepidity peculiar to British troops, and with the 0 confidence of troops accustomed to victory." Colonel BARCLAY, who commanded one of the wings of the Light Brigade, I am sorry to say, i% wounded in the left knee and right foot. At the same time General Plc-roles division repulsed, with equal gallantry, a body who endeavoured to penetrate where they were stationed, and took half a battalion prisoners. " We have 84 pieces of cannon now in the field, but hLve not as yet had an opportunity of bringing them into play, as the enemy, with a praise-worthy caution, keep out of range. Several of our men have been well rewarded for their exertions on the 47th, having got gold watches, and others large sums in doubloons and dollars. The Portuguese behaved with an unexpected degree of valour, steadi ness and discipline, as absolutely to rival the British. " Poor Major NAPIER, who was so severely wounded at Corunna, has again received a serious wound—a ball entered near his nose, and has-been extracted near the ear. His brother, Captain NAPIER, of the 52d Light Infantry, was slightly wounded on the 27th and another, who is a Post Captain, and with the army, was hit a few days ago, and the youngest, al Captain in the 43d, at the brilliant affair of the Coa." A tenet fleet a Gentleman who holds a situation of Ingh 'trust at Cadiz, speaks with rapturous confi dence of the effects which may be expected to result from the deliberations and decrees of the Cortes. One happy consequence has already resulted—the people are now confident of success a and men of information view their proceedings as calculated to lay a stable foundation for the restoration of their National Inde pendence on the subversion of NAPOLEON'S usurped power. 4 The Princess AMELIA was yesterday worse, and remained so during the evening. Her Royal High ness becomes every day more enfeebled, and is now in extreme debility. The KING did not come to town to-day, in consequence of the continued illness of the Princess AMELIA. In sit weeks, Colonel Rocue has sent to Gibraltar 1000 German deserters, enlisted into our service.-.. 'may are all extremely fine young men. The 2d battalion of the 71st Regiment, 6)O stung, are at present stationed in Glasgow Barracks; and the Argyleshire Militia, among the inhabitants of chat city. The two companies of Royal Artillery Drivers are still wait* at Plymouth for traqu i tsar to carry dean to Lisbon. i Reinforcements aro proceeding from Portsm oit h and Plymouth,•for Lord WaLLINGTON% Wly, of Officers and men. A detachment of the 3d Dragoon Guard s , station e d at Blachington, are under orders to proceed to P)rts• mouth, to embark, with other detachments, to rein. force our army in Portugal. The Hussar Brigade, consisting of the 7th, 16th, 15th, and 18th regiments of cavalry, is expected im mediately to go on service. The Zenobia, Captain M4l4.nre, is ordered to sail for Lisbon. The DOLPHIN 44, with army transports, is still detained by contrary winds. The Baum; frigate, of 36 wins is arri ve d at Harwich, with the AGINCOURT off Fele:stew, for the pu:pose of receiving on board the 4th regiment tithe brie, now at Colchester barracks.—The men were ex. pected to embark at .Harwich this day, should,th weather be more moderate. No less than five corps have been sent round from Cadiz to join Lord WELLINGTON'S army —by t! is time likewise, the 50th, 92d, 71st, the Duke of Brous wick's corps, sod the regiments from IrelAnd have joined him. Further reinforcements will be seat to him from this country. The FYLLA, Captain RODNEY, having under her convoy several transports, with 4,ick, from . Portugal, has arrived at Spithead—we regret to hear that some vessels of her convoy, having sick and wounded offi cers and men on board, are missing. General Fictiousoses regiment, the Sicilian regi. ment, has of late received so many recruits from among the prisoners in this country, Psedmontess and Swiss, that it is supposed he will get a second battalion. We are sorry to hear that the General still labours under severe disease, for which Sir iAlltS FELLowes sent him home from Cadiz. Vessels, with French prisoners, are constantly ar riving at Portsmouth and Plymouth ; the prisons and prison-ships at both these ports, and at Dartmoor. are now quite full and from the great number of these prisoners, some alarm exists as to the safety of these important ports. A large detachment of the 21st Dragoons is shout to embark from Cowes for the Cape of Good Hope. The Diana transport, with recruits from Limerick for the Isle of Wight depot, has arrived at Cowes. Last week the Rgyal If:nines, at Poitsmotith, were reviewed by Lieutenant-General BARCLAY. Last week, Major-General Housrow inspected the regiments of his brigade in the susses dietrict. No department in the army in Portugal ends higher than the medical. This department has been ably conducted under Dr. Famta, and has given 'great satisfaction to the whole army. A letter we have just receit►ed from the Leeward Islands, dated August 20, says, a We are eery to hear that, Barbadoes excepted, all the Islands ale.very unhealthy, and all the regiments have suffered asuch: several of the regiments rose ten men a day, horn the yellow fever : among the sick were Generals WILE and 'CARMICHAEL : among the dead we are sorry to hear the name of Colonel FAIRCLOUGH, 63d regimolt." FOR THE STAR. [lt will appear from the following Letter that we were In titer, when we corrected an apparent mistake in the name or a dab lant Officer, alluded to in a late dispatch of Lord Weiliagton SlR—Major BIEWINGHASI, who is mentioned: in Lord WELLINGTON'S dispatches, is well known to me. In your paper of the 16th, yon sarthat the name of the officer who distinguished himself in the action with MASSENA, is Barnift:hso t : I can positively assure you of the contrary—M l le". WALTER BJRNIINGHAIIN of the Bth Portuguese Regiment, holds a company in the 29th Regiment Britith), and is one of thOseTlf. ficers who were allowed to• serve in the Portoplese army under General BERESEORD, with the tenißeterY rank next superior to what they hold in the British 'service, and who are still however borne on the strength of their Regiments in the British service. This gallant Officer's brother Lieutenant Ramat BIRMINGHAM, who was as brave as himself, was mom tally wounded at Vimieira. Lieutenant Hxway B. of the same regiment, is another brother. On reference to the Monthly Army List, it will be seen that the Officer whom you mention, has a D affixed to his name, which means that he is detached, that is, in the Portuguese service, where he holds the temporary rank of Major. I trust you will insert this in your paper as St a possible, in justice to the gallantry of this brave;Officer. I am, Sir, your most obedient servant, AMICUS. We have given from Paris papers to the 14th inst. Mutt tarewel address to his troops on the :than. donment of his grand project for the invasion of Sicily. The French have discovered thAt tills cannot prevent boats from crossing the Stf4it and that Sicily will certainly be conquered when its conquest is seriously undertaken." There can t be little doubt, we think, that however desirable conquest might be to NAPOLEON, the Britisls forces in Sicily have been kept there principally with a view to prevent their being employed in the South. of Spain. Letters have been received from L:mx, of the 29 ' d of June last. They state, - that the Revolutionatf Pbnt was spreading itself among the inhlabitattts of the long slam of Peru ; but that, iron' the prompt 4114 igo• rous measures taken. by . the Viceroy, be feat ed. He instantly collected a irge hod 4 . 11 . 1 0 P5 r in Lima, stilled the spirit in I _ts sent bnkly Of Orgliing wai to troops, with a Fiscal at their head, to P Ar,, whertruifte persons were beheaded ; and then pruceeJedto Quitlo furry more were hung. l'he Distrf trie,f• there not appearing sufficient. pri FOOVia he was acquitted, to thexreat reg:dt vsl:4hr.fis• The letters conclude . with an Opinlohielcit after strdng measures, tiothiarglerliNk sal aga in tliatkiarOpetc- -J - [Mu ps, The Countess of Cbic.hesier packet has arrived at pe rso n Falmouth with the mails from the B r a z il s . . O n t h e w h ere 26th ok - July the Dromedary; rorpoise p and Hindos. but th tan, arrived at Rio Janeiro, 'tram Ncv South Wales. him, 11 GOvernor 13,001 i and . 141)4 w . ei* on board the Bor. cal. 1 poise. The Etlilue brit ,4 ii,ai',l;itived at Rio an those i ;he 3d oc t hugust, witti't•Eill 114tii 44014 acme