The National Register. — London, England, 1822-01-20 00:00:00

)1/ Oationai No. 1,351.—V0L. XV.] CORRESPONDE.VCR FROM SPAM BILBOA, JAN. 3.—1 have the satisfaction of in forming you, that the banditti who hovered about this town, and who hoped to have an opportunity for blundering it on Christmas-day, are entirely dis persed. It was in vain that they took a position on a hi; from WhTch They ladle ;Agnes and fired tins ketry, either for the purpose of seddeing or alarming tla. inhabitants of this place ; for during the whole time every thing remained tranquil. The following circumstance mainly contributed to their dispersion: —The curata Guazala had engaged a person named Lendn, who had obtained the temporary command of the Regimcntary Militia, in a criminal correspond ence. The curate despatched an emissary to his correspondent with a letter, but in consequence of this messenger being in a state of intoxication when he reached i- the city, the whole plot was discovered. The emissary and the commandant were immediately arrested. The letter contained a request that the commandant would hold himself ready with all the men at his disposal, and that he would post at the gates of the city men in whom he could place con fidence, in order to facilitate the entrance of the banditti into the city. The immoral conduct of the curate of Guazala, who carries about with him a number of prostitutes, has lost him the favour of some of the Serviles, tt ho might otherwise have been disposed to encourage his proceedings. Two days ago he robbed an agent belonging to a neighbouring village, and took from him 3,000 reals, with which he had been intrusted to make several purchases. For a long time past the enemies of constitutional liberty had, by all the means in their power, how ever vile they might be, endeavoured to organize some elan in the provinces bordering upon France. Bayonne seems to 'have been the focus from whence the genius of evil spread its pestilential breath.— Several refugees in that town were planning how civil war might be brought about in these tranquil districts, and it is to be lamented that the French Government could permit conspiracies to be hatched against a government and a nation with whom it is in peaceful relations. About the middle of Dec. some discontented bands were observed in Arragnn,but quichiy sub dued by the firmness of General Alava and the troops : about that time, also, several small towns and villages in Navarra manifested the same dis content ; many young men left their homes and ihrmed themselves into strong bands. The dis effected or seduced have met with the fate they do served, for they have been completely dispersed, and they returned home cursing those who, under the cloak of a religion which they insult, had worked up their minds to bloodshed and violence. Navarra is quite tranquil now. There can be no doubt but that the plan had ra mifications in Biscay ; and what must. scandalize every man that wishes well to his country is, that priests have been the chief instigators and directors of these plans. Bilboa most fortunately possesses a body of vo lunteers composed of the select and most sound part of its population. In April last this very corps contributed to put a stop to the insurrection in the province of Alava. It was thereliwe natural to suppose that these ..;lunteers (who have armed and clothed themselves at their own expellee) were looked upon with jealousy and hatred Ly those m e n, unworthy of the name of Spaniards, who aimed at plunging this province into the most criminal ex . -acs. - The insurrection in Navarra was afterwards known, and on the 25th of December. in conse quence of circulars sent by a priest to some villages, :many men turned out, and armed themselves in the neighlanwhocd of Cerverio, four leagues from Bilboa This latter town had then only SI soldiers of the regulars, 50 of whom, together with 50 volunteers of infantry and 12 of cavalry, immediately net out for some of the refractory districts, which they soon brought to a sense of duty. However, the same priest, called Cluczala (tinmerly a guerilla chief of no reputation, (scoured other villages, and, aided by other priests and friars, held out to the peasants as a lure the plunder of Bilboa, which town being considered rich, could not but be a point of attrac tion to a set of wretches whose minds were wrap l•ed up in ideas of pillage and violence. roitittr. Ow Ding, Congittution, anb ;Lanni. - SUNDAY, JANUARY 40, 1822. Accordingly, on the morning of the 29th of Dec. Bilboa was beset on all sides by these bands of mis creants, accompanied by others who attended sharing the spoils. It must be recollected that Bilboa is surrounded by high mountains. It was then that the spirit and intrepidity of the volunteers were shone.. Jiterist.ese/lf &Mai into the ranks, parties of them began to leave the town in search of the rebels, and these latter, intimidated by the bravery of the volunteers, soon commenced flying on all sides, although they were more numer ous, and had better positions, than the Bilboa peo ple. In all quarters the rebels were defeated with loss, and they indeed showed a cowardice which is natural to such wretches : for, amongst many other instances, there was a friar at the top of a bill, with 40 armed men, whom he had seduced from their homes. These men, though attacked by only nine Bilboa volunteers, who had to ascend the steep place, fled after firing a few shuts. The nine vo lunteers pursued them fur half u league, killing four, wounding several,eand dispersing the whole set. The same was the result on all sides, and thus the whole insurrection was quelled: the small co intim of volunteers and troops that had gone to Ceverio returned the same day. The Chief of the disaffected bands is wandering about the mountains, accompanied only by a tew men. Some of the other—leaders have demanded pardon, and all their followers have returned to their homes, repenting their fully, imploring par don, and cursing those who had misled them. The whole province is pacified, and as exemplary pu nishment will be inflicted on some of the leaders, it is not expected that the peaciteal these districts win be again disturbod.4 ro the body of Bilboa volunteers, and only SO soldiers, is due the pacification of those parts of the province that ruse up. It must, however be added, that several districts of Biscay took no par: in the iusurrection. Thus in a few days have been wholly defeated and undone, the infernal plans of those who, ac customed to be slaves, wished to prepare the way, by partial insurrections to some extended plans directed towards constitutional liberty. What really must fill with indignation the breasts of all honest men, is that clergymen, whose duty, as com manded by our Saviour, is to preach the Gospel and good morals, should have been the firebrands of re bellion mid bloodshed. It is the priests who took the leau, are mmarkable for their bad morals, cha racter, and ignorance. One of the means of seduc tion was the etli!r of the plunder of Bilboa, our which they had prepared themselves with hatchets, bags, &c. ; and their intention was to have seized on every thing including British and all other foreign property. Thank Gcd, all their plans havekken destroyed, and every one has returned to his duty. A column of troops of the line is sincL, arrived, and scours the country, in order to take tip any miscreants if found. The tranquillity of Billion was never disturbed. - - FM/NTH:RS or SPAIN, JAN. 4.—Since the night of the 26:h ultimo, the troops of the line have seen nothing of the insurgents, except at Artajona, where a few musket shots were exchanged on the evenin or the ‘4701 ; but the banditti speedily fled. They are completely discouraged in consequence of Oh: flight to Frame of some of their leaders, who, it is said, are to be tried before the Court of Assize at l'an, for having violated the French sanatory. laws About 30 men belonging to Pampduna, who had been seduced to the banditti, had taken advantage of the amnesty, and returned home. There has been for some time in Madrid 11 rumour of a formation of an Upper Chamber in the Cortes, in imitation of the French and English legislatures. One of the journals of that city speaks of this plan in the following terms : " To what are we indebted for liberty in Spain? To the people. To that people who triumphed at Aranjucz and at Madrid on the 2d of May; at Sa ragossa, at Valencia, at Seville, and throughout all Spain. The people, in fine, were their own deli verers; and to them it is solely owing. that Spain did not bend to the French yoke, and that Ferdi nand recovered his crown " What menu then these reports of the establish ment of an Upper Chamber, which spread alarm PRICE 94d. among the lovers of the constitution, and give plea sure to the friends of despotism? The Spanish nation is fairly represented, end what more can be wanted?" The journalist then enters into an examination of the composition of Chamber of Peers, and demon strates that such an institution► in Spain would sm. nihilate liberty and the constitution. It is asserted that the Marquis of Campo Verde is appointed Commandant General of Seville, with the understanding that as soon as he is installed he shall give up the command to Don Salvador Sehastien. These schemes are however useless, tbr it is certain that the people of Seville will not part with General Velasco, and the Political Chief Esuovedo. BARCELONA, Dec. 19.—Upon entering the city ten days ago, first after the cordon was raised, it was most affecting to see those few who were entering at the same time, embraced by their friends and ac quaintance, who had not seen them fur four months, as if they had come from a far distant country, after an absence of many years. The streets lonely, the public walls covered with mourners, the ringing of bells, the passing of religious processions, and nume• rous other indications, all pressed upon the mind the recollection of the recent sufferings of this fine city. The number of the dead is given in by the Junta at between 9 and 10,000; bnt it is the general opinion, and from what I mentioned, ill founded, that the mortalit3, especially at the commencement of the epidemic, was represented by the municipal autho rities as much lower than its actual amount, which it is believed approached in all to very nearly twenty thousand. We have had here quite a conclave of physicians. Besides the resident practitioners, who are numeroas, we have had five commissioners from the French Government; one from the French Se cretary at War; one (Mr. Lassie) the author of a respectable work against contagion, on his own ac count, or on account of the French Academy; four cominissioners from Carthagena, sent by the Spanish Government; one from Madrid (Mr. Leymerie) at tached to the French or American legation there; and two volunteers from London (Drs. Maclean and ('Halloran.) The two hitter gentlemen wtse called in to visit one of the physicians of Barcelona, a very promising young man of the name of Duran, who had been attended by all his colleagues of the city, had been despaired of, and, as is customary in such cases, had received the sacrament and extreme unction. He is now in an advanced state of con valescence. These two gentlemen had been received by the constituted authorities, and continue to be treated with the most marked distinction. They have been directed by superior orders, to be supplied with every infbrmation they may require. Dr. Maclean came here from Madrid, by the immediate orders of the King of Spain. He is understood to be preparing a history upon epidemy. His works upon epidemic disease have been laid before the superior Junta of Health of the metropolis; and the Cortes are said to have suspended the consideration of the laws of health, in consequence of the impres.- s;on which they have made, until more ample in formation shall have bmn obtained. It is expected that the report which he is preparing fisr the Cortes, concerning the fever of Barcelona, and epidemic diseases in general, will be unusually circumstantial. Dr. O'Halloran is also preparing a report upon the subject. He has distinguished himself much by his dissections. About a week ago died of the prevail ing malady, a priest, who, after having resided for some time in the country, visited Barcelona, and, as lie was a good deal known, his death has occasioned many of the fugitives to suspend their intention of returning fur sonic weeks longer. The communica tion is, however, entirely free, and both contagionists and non-contagionists consider the city a perfectly‘ „ ? ...Citre:4) safe residence, at any rate until th e next autumn. A, But nut so the French Government, it seems; for it Vl*/:' ' is :.aid they have no intention of raising their cor4 tin "' ' 1 of troops until the summer, a report winch configns .',A f a great proportion of the people of Spain in the set t'f'' . ! !):71 picion that tile French cordons continue to be, ,„‹ .. - ..... - s t , they believed them originally, a political stra / A .. directed more against the contagion of Spanish • ' I .'` - s 17 ,0 2, :a ciplcs. than of the fever of Barcelona. If so, ante: Ic - V they should venture to make any attempt against the . constitution ut Spain, I feel myself authorized, from • all that I have seen or heard in that country, to pre- • dict that they will find tliewsclves egregiously mIF taken in the result. . I fl . At_ .~ rim