The National Register. — London, England, 1820-09-18 00:00:00

:93 PORTUGAL. Extract of a letter from a Gentleman of known ral ectability, dated " PORTO, Alta. 31, 1820. AoMating the indepentleet principle., of your valuable jour nal, and be:eying that the greeter part of your reader. will be 'veined to lica: that another ain,idereble 'Keeton fit the human rate N., in Pee • ugal, rescued howl almost a state of Siiitety and thraldom, I hasten to transmit you an ticement of the Revolution that broke out in this city on the inurniiig of the 2-101 mama ; Revolution not only effectod without the shedding of blood, but without disor d or tumult of a.r,y description whatever; a Re volution which has spread like the rapidity of lightning in the neighbouring cities, and wheel by this time is expecteel w have ex:elided over this hitherto degraded and opprei set courtly in every direction. As witting our neighbours. the Spaniards, it was brought shout by the military, and was in contemplation more than a twelvemonth. You we aware that Peetugal was the tho.t despotic country in Europe, dila the people were prohibited from interfering or speaking upon any political topic. Of late, however, this probilation was partly relaxed, and it was Tait in coiners or in private houses only that the expected change was 'spoken of, Era even almost openly in our streets and in our public walks, find therefore it caused rw surprise whatever when it ocettired. Many motives email buted to make the people eager in the extreme, and nearly desperate for a change in the system of Government—the absence of the Royal Family in the Brawls, whete it was accent• panned by the flower of the Nobility—the continental drains of specie from the country to carry on the war between the Cabinet of Rio de Janeiro and Artigas, and also the funds arising iron* the Revenues of the Crown and those of the abeerdees—the al most total loss of our navigation—the distressed and runied state of our agriculture—the decay of our manufactories—our ineecurity in our person. and property, and the eusperaion of the army's pay, wench was more than seen months in anew . , and which &used much discontent among the soldiery. Surely, Sir, these are strung causes, and I exaggerate twilling, but there are others that also contributed to the change, and which it is unne• ceseary to enumerate; State it to say, that the l'oreuguir are the most patient of people, that they meth*: mosta•oly goYsrned of all European nations, that their lo) shy to the reigning family of Braganca continued unabated, and yet such was the miserable state of the country arising from bad policy, that even thir peo ple at last found it past all endurance. •• To proceed then, Sir, on the night of the 23d instant, the conspirators (if these Noble Patriots who rescued their country from the brink of destruction deserve such an appellation) as. sembhal at the house of Sepuldeva, the Colonel of the 1 tith regiment; they consisted of himself, of Cabrcira, Commander of Artillery ; Gill. the Lieutenant Colonel of the 6th; the Coin mender of the Police Cavalry ; the Doctor of Law, Jose Ferrel. a Borges (a man of great professional ability) and the Commanders of two militia regiments. This handful of brave men having taken their measures during the night assembled the troops by disy-brcuk, and Cabreira addressed them. After which mess was celebrated in the camp of Santo Ovidio, and the troops took the oath of fidelity to the King, Cortes, and Constitution ; all this took place befure five o'clock in the moaning of the pith, at which hour the sun of righteousness shone with the most bril liant lustre upon the glittering arms of these deserting eons of stifle country, and appeared to animate them by its smiles to the giorious enterprise. At this hour a discharge of 21 pieces of swfillery roused from their beds the inhabitants of ()twit°, and gave them to understand what was going on. The troops then, headed by their respective Officers. matched to the Town house, in the Prase Nova, and the Public Authorities were im mediately summit:el to attend; there soon appeared the Bishop, 'the Chief Justice, the Military Governor of the Province. and tither Heads of Departments. All being assembled, a Provi sional Government was installed, consisting of 16 Members selected front amongst the Nobility, Military, Clergy, Judges, Merchants, and Citizens.; at its head was placed Antonio (be Silveira, a man of old and honourable name and family. and gifted with talent and integrity ; amongst these Members there are a few of very considerable ab:lities, and doubtless they are all animated by the welfare of then country. The Junta being formed, its first act was to publish a elanifesto to the people, enumerating in moderate but firm terms the insults, the injures, the oppressions, the cruelties, in short, all the miseries witch the nation suflared for such a length of time from the incapacity and mimes of those who directed the affair. of the state; it recom mends, however, a total oblivion of the past, and gives the Por tuguese well grounded hopesof prosperity for the future. After the oaths were taken to the King, Cones, &c. and the Govern ment established, the Assembly broke up, and the troops retired to their quarters, where they were regaled by their generous officers with knead, beef, and wine. During this day there was nothing beard or seen but cries of joy and congratulation ; it was, indeed, a day of festival, situ not the smallest accident occurred to cloud the general joy; no deaths, no insults, no arrests, no suspicion, no tumului• in short, no commotion of any description. All theeltops were open, and at the conclusion of the Constitution being moclainied, the industrious part of the com munity went about their usual avocations; the thing appeared more like a birth-day parade than any thing else, judging by its order and regularity, and not like a resolute and dem 111 l Med body of men, who. with arms in their hands, and courage in their hearts, assembled to throw °lithe yoke of tyranny and demotion, and to restore their once celebrated name to its proper rank and cetimation among the stations of the Continent. You are aware, Sir, that there are many English Officers in the service of Portu gal, and the Patriots, from motives of just and laudable pride, determined that the salvation of their country should be effected by themselves Outlet accuitlingly, on the e3d, letters were sent to all our military countiyinen, apprising them of what was to take place, and desiring them not to ince/fere one way or another, and these instructions were all obeyed; had they resisted, the consequences would have been unpleasant to themselves; and perhaps to us, who arc quietly pursuing our commercial pursuits, it might have been inconvenient. la truth, the conduct of the Erighsh officers is highly laudable, and duly app reeietel by the Poitu n eitee ; they sic suspended from actual service till the pleasure of the Cones be known, but in the mean time euntinue possession of their pay and rank in the army ; in Let, so pleased is the Provistoual Genetimient with their cunduct. that it has issued a Circular stating the above, and complementieg them in the highest terms fur the services which they rendered the country, awl tor which services they will always eel grateful ; in the meantime a modetate and cautious behaviour is TvCOlll - ineeded them, but with a hint that such iecommendetion is unnecessaty, from their education and situation in life, and, above all, from their being now witnesses of a whole people fin inunoudy and zealously stepping unwind to assert those r gilts wiech alike belong ai all men. The whole country, fruid the river Minho down to Leiria (within 21 leagues of !ashen), has declared for the I'ruvisiunal Government, woo has pow iu its command from yes to e 5,000 ineu. and the Quiruga of Portugal, e ellonei Sepulveda, has gone South, in order to pre pare grad organise the: array, in case it should be necessary to marce to the relief of their countrymen at Lisboa; the army here is ale° prep ing. All this may nut be necessary, but it 1, certainly prudent, and the; really appear to be enameled, not with a wild and giddy en:Med:urn, but with the most Stiutt anti most determined resolution of not stopping until such time as the sativution of their connuy is accomplished ; arid as Etignele men, we pray that the (sal id A niece may accompany and guide then in all their operations. Many peume enuetain duals ot Lisbon coming into die view of um Nei elite n l'rovincts ir.. eta asneoudy, and they judge this :loin the many intent ti that together in tae metropolis, and item its abounttiog with tile var. THE NATIONAL REGISTER. min that bask in the favour and sunshine of the most despotic and the most corrupted or Courts; but the wishes and desiies of the nation are so universal in favour of a change, that it does not appear to no; consistent with the Course of human tot the thing to stop, or to admit of much delay. We all pray that it may be brought about in the metropolis in the same manner as this city, which has gained immortA glory .by tl:c moderation of its proceedings, and the giving an example which was so readily fidlowed by the oeighlxiuring places without the least delay, hesitation or accident. The great author of our re stored liberties is Sepulveda, the Colonel of the loth ltegt. of Foot ; he is a very young man indeed, and ardent lover of his country, enthusiastically fond of his profession, anal an excellent officer ; he is an very ancient and noble family, and his father s as the first to raise the Portuguese standard against the French, in Tras os Montes; for this and the oilier eminent services which he rendered the State, he was raised to the dignity of Viscount of Ilerbadoaa, a title now inheritial by the elder brothel ; front these circumstances something might have been hereditarily expected of the son, and I hope, Sir, we do not profane the name of the most renowned patriot of antiquity, when it brings to our recollection the circumstances of the deter and the younger Brutus ; these hallowed names have stood the test of 19 centuries, and it is but tint. to anticipate that the names of Quiroga and Sepulveda will be lisped with gratitude by succeeding ages, and when the present generation will hare been swept away from nu: face of the earth. Copy of a proclamation posted up in the streets of Lisbon by the friends of the Revolution, in the night of the ;18 t h August : Portuguese!—The happy moment of salvation for our country is at length arrived: the thick veil of illusion, with which usurpers nave shrouded our rights, is rent to pieces. Arise ! the h.ur is cat hand when our country is to be saved from the ignominious yoke of slavery and opprobrium. The thrice-holy busmen of liberty already float in the air, of that liberty, the child ,d reason and of nature, of which we have been fur so many ages deprived by the fewciuus power of tyranny and misrule. Let us run to embrace our immortal brethren already on their way to this capital with a powerful army, after having 'sworn to and proclaimed that Constitution which will ever be the dread Of our oppressors, but under which our persons and our property will henceforward be secure. Let us restore our ancient Cortes, and let that palladium of Spanish freedom also be the worthy model of our independence. And where is the Portuguese who shall Mae to raise his arm against his country ? No one, unless he be some degenerate man, unworthy of the heroic name, and let out to hire to the enemies of his nation. In short, enough of suffering; let us put limits to the Royal authority and that of its Ministers. by the adoption of a sacred Constitutional Code, since by this wise step we shall be cared as well from the evils of anarchy as or slavery and shame. Lung live the heroic Portuguese nation I—Long live our Religion—Long live our Constitutional King ! FRENCH PAPERS. PARIS, SEPT. 10.—The Commission of the Court of Peers sits daily, to interrogate the individuals implicated in the conspiracy. By a decision of the Royal Court, the indictment azainst the ex-Captains Gravier and Bunton will be pre ferred at the October Assizes. It will be recollected they were taken into custody upon a charge of hat ing deposited the booth, winch exploded tinder die window of the apartment of her Royal Highness the Duchess de Berri. The Journal of the Department of l'lscre states— " A courier from Lyons has arrived at Grenoble ; the authorities hate not communicated to the public the contents of the despatches of which be was the bearer, whence it is concluded, as obs•rvei the journal of Gre noble, that they relate to the removal of some Adniims [ratite Functionaries. Darnig ssveral days past the po lice have been extremely ❑ctive in that town ; the inn , keepers are rigorously rorpiired to supply lisisof strangers. A melancholy circumstance took place the day before yesterday, in the botanical garden. The following arc the particulars communicated by an eye-witness.—" A person, about. 65 years of age,genteely attired, was, with several other people, whose curiosity led them to the spot, looking at the bear Marti, lying in his kennel.— The spectator suddenly seated himse:f upon the parapet, turned his legs inwards, slid down the wall and lay on the ground. The bear sprung from his kennel upon the unfortunate man, seized him by the neck, and ahoked hint. The ferocious animal wept twice round the deco, holding his prey as he had seized it, and seemed to ex hibit it to the horror struck spectators, who tittered hideous cries. He then carried the body into his kennel, and soon came out again, dragging it by one of the legs. The people threw stones, and turned dogs into the place, but tney durst not advance. Some young persons coiled upon the sentinel to tire upon the beast : ins piece was out charged. besides, the twin was dead ! The animal was at length (Intel) into his den, and the body taken out of the place. The indUrtuttate man had no papers in his pocket, that could lead to a discovery wilt) lie was, hut he hil% snice been found to be a 111411 in good circum stances. If it be true, tit.tt the mail t% ho makes all attempt upon his life 'mist necessarily be mad, what name can be given to that species oh madness which prompted this unfortunate creature to Berk aud to find death by a suicide of this limn! description r' An Edinburgh Paper satys, " Sunday, a little past four o'clock in the afternoon, a most distressin3 ac cident occurred oil Portobello. A party of 15 left that place for a pleasure sail to Inchkeith. On re turning, when about a mile front the shore, by song; mismanagement, the boat upset, and the whole were thrown into the sea. Luckily some boats were near, which picked up nine of the party, who, on being carried to the baths, were all recovered, except a boy, who died shortly after. The other six were untiirtunately drowned, and although persons have been dragging for the bodies, none of them had been found up to Monday morning ut ten o'clock.— One of them has lett a widow and nine children." The Imperial l'ultency Hotel, in Piecadily, op. the Green Park, is the last house proposed by Government to the Queen. Iler Majesty has no• tified her approbation in a letter tbrwarded some days since to Colonel Stevenson, to which as yet her Majesty has received no tukswer. ZVOJ€FOLK PETITION. To the llonounible the Common ;of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and I rehmil, in Parliament assembled; the humble Petition of the Ftecholders and Inhabitant: of the County of Norfolk, slieweth. that " Your Petitioners are apprieed, with the most serious concern, that a Bull of Pains and Penalties, against the Queen Consort of England, is now betere the House of Lords, having for it, objcet • to deprive her .Majesty of the title of Q ueer, and of all the prerogais es, rights, and privileges appertaining to her as Queen Consort Of this realm, and for dissolving the marriage between their Majesties, and undoing the same null and void,' and that the said Bill may come before your Honourable House. " Your Petitioners ate by no means dieposed.at present, to give an opinion on, or to interfere in the question of the guilt or innocence of the Queen Consort, but item it their duty us Englishmen, to protest against any mode of proceeding with respect to a.l accused person, in any rank of life, where power and uudue influence, or tiny other cause, is likely to affect the course of public justice. Your Petitioners beg leave humbly to state to your Honour able House, that ' Acts of Parliament to indict Pains and Pe nalties beyond, or contrary to common law to serve a special purpose, can never be warranted, except by some imminent danger to the State, to be removed in no othei way, because they enable die Government to create the (deuce (where no offence existed befine) to reguitue the moot, to decide upon the evidence, and to apportiam the punishment ; and dine plainly to tainfaund the executive. le.;islative, and judicial authorities, upon the se pal:item of w Men the liberty and justice of the country depend. " Your Petitioners beg leave, moreover, humbly to state to your Honourable House, that the advisers of the Crown have instituted a negotiaton with the Queen Contioit upon the subject of the present prosecution, and have thereby virtually admitted, ttat no imminent danger to the State would accrue from not entering into an enquiry, which, by their own acknowledgment, it must he iErogatory to the dignity of the throne, and injurimie to the interests of the nation.' And this said negotiation entered :nto by command of your Honourable House, was rendered null and void, because Ministers would not advise the Crown to re insert her Majesty's name in the liturgy, from which it had been erased before any proof of ofiimce. • 6 That the Bill aforesaid was brought into the House of Lords in consequence cf a report of a Secret Cenumittee of the said House, nominated by Ministers, and that the omission in the said Bill of any specification of the time when, end the place where, the offence alleged to have been committed; and the re fusal also ofany list of witnesses whereby the accused may be pre • pared with the means of a fair defence is at variance with justice. •• Your Petitioners beg leave to declare to your Honourable House their sedum apprehensions, arising from the connexions and dependence upon the executive Government, in Parliament, which must have a tendency to attiset the judicial character of the Bill in its progress, and that concern for the characters and res. pousibility of Ministers, who arc the prosecutors, must have a tendency to mix itself unseasonably with the votes of Jae legis lative Judges. " Most earnestly, therefore, do your Petitioners implore your Ilonatuable House to reject the Bill of Pains and Penalties against the Queen Consort if the same should conic before your Honourable House, who, as the Representatives of die People, ought to be the peculiar protectors of the subjeet from injustice and oppression. " sot that your Petitioners are insensible to the evil arising in certain cases front even an iniputed breach of motality in the Queen Consort, when considered with regard to the public morals, or the danger to the succession to the throne. But in the present instance the latter danger can only be incurred by die present mode of proceeding against the Queen, and as to the former, they are convinced that breaches of morality ought only to be visited by the laws of strict justice ; that an appearance even of persecu• non raises pity for the offender, and defeats the impression which a judicial visitation ought to produce, and that it is better tar a State to leave indiscretion and vice to etnet their own disgrace, than by any act of violence to relieve itself from inconvenience ; it being better that a State should stiller than commit an injustice, or crust by power tli.i victim that it would sacrifice on the plea of public good. " Signed on behalf of the Meeting of the County of Norfolk, " GEORGE WALI'OLE." FROM TUESDAY XIGII7"S GAZETTE. DOWNING STREET, SEPT. 11. The King has been pleased to appoint Lieutenant General the Hon. Sir E. Paget, G.C.8., to be Governor and Commander in Chief of the Island of Ceylon. BANKRUPTS. G. Gadsby, Snareston, Leicestershire, maltster. Solicitor, Mr. Price, New Square, Lincoln's Inn. T. Ward, 'l'owcester, Northamptonshire, lace dealer. Sol. Mr. Clarke, Bishopsgate Church Yard. D. Truentan, Goldsmith Street, lace dealer. Sol. Mr. Clarke, Bishopsgate ChurchY and. E. Alaymon, Blackburn, Lancashire, cotton manufacturer. Sol. Mt. Biala:lock, Sergeants' Inn. W. F. Page, High Holborn, linen draper. Soh. Messrs. Willis and Co., Warueonl Court, 'llingtnorton Street. I;IVII)JLNDS. Sept. 23, J. L. Cope, Kingston upon &ill, merchant—Oct. 4, J. Ritchie and T. MAU., Liverpool, inercnsiits-4, W. Flinders, Boston, Lincolnshire, ironniotwer—t, W. Ilowdler, Cheops- I c, Alsncnester warehouseman-3: 3 G. Wrightson, set., Mar) port, Cumberland, herring merchant—ti, E. Nltusden, Bolton le Atoms, Lancashire, cabinet maker-4, P. Taylor and J. T. Smedley, Liverpool, merchants--6, W. Stonhill, Ste.a.kley, Bucks, butcher P. l.awrinson, Manchester, fustian manufacturer-4, M. 'Frokes, Liverpool, nierchunt-5, T. Muttley, Portsmouth, dealer-5, G. ‘Vriglitson, jun., Maryport, Cumnerland. herring merchant—Sept. 23, J. Baribot, Arundel Street, Strata!, sta tioner. _ _ CERTIFICATES to b.: granted Oct. 3. J. Steel, Sheffield, grocer—C. N-Ntuiliani, junior, Liverpool, merchant—W . Toll, St. Gdrolun's, Cornwall, intlier—.l. It itclite, Woolwich, bakix—W. S. Buttty. Sculedatcs, York, apothecary —W. Crook, Beahaere, %Vika, fanner—S. Ilargreaves, Liverpool, woollen draper. Since the unfortnnate Erte of the old man, who was killed by the bear in the menagerie of the King of France, the ferocious animal has been confined within the gratings of his den, and has not beca suffered to walk about his spacious pit, in which he has stabs' three men. A parapet is to be erected round the pit, to prevent similar accidents. On Thursday next, being St. Matthew's day, according to annual custom, the Lord Mayor, Al dermen, Sheriffs, and Governors of time scvmal Royal Hospitals, will attend divine service at Christ's Church. After a sermon by the Rev. Rice, A.M. they will repair to the Great Hall, M Christ's Hospital, where two orations will be dclL vered ; in Latin by Joseph Yates Cookson ; . English by Charles Stephens Mathews, the tl‘ , senior scholars of the Grammar School.