The National Register. — London, England, 1812-11-29 00:00:00

/16 TIIE NATIONAL lIEGI,Tr,II. aviin of the nation to be iolormed fur what pu:pose the surrender of t e fortresses was intended , notwithstanding the political manner in which they were given up. " Fr , m that epoch I have not quitted my arms, but resisted, to the tionoor of my country, the attempts which have been nude to in • :re her by a foreigner. Always intlexlble in remaining only a Spaniard, my country has femur me ready to support her under every encumstance, without regard to ire fortune, whith I have ever viewed, as your Highness niust admit, with the greatest inditkrence. " I was sorprised at learning that the English Generl Lord Wel noeton, was appointed Chief of the Spanish armies but a resolution heir of t'le Gene al Cortes. Tluy who, to preserve the reption c Fry, lie buried in their grave .—thousands upon thousands of our t.,nip.wi(.iis in arms—arc olacrving our proceedings - and I should net e onsiner myself as having been born in the kingdom of Arragbn, if f did rot submit te your Excellency, for the information of Govern ineimt, that I cannot coodescend to a determination that tarnishes the honour •of the Spanish name, degrading the Chiefs who are at their head; suppoting that they do not perceive, the certain superiority to which This measure must lead, particularly keeping in view the events of Parc- lone, Figuerns, Ike. which I have already mentioned, and whob took pl , ce with a itien with whom we were connecter by the ties rf friend hip and good understanding, and of whose bad taizh, and tai- !sroinise , , no I , ers. n can give a more satisfactory account than the Duke. del Infintado, F esiAla -I the Regency. " I have received an account of this event, and, in consequence, an order to mote thy :Iran) , an order which compiomiscs the honour of all the indivic,uals hel , n -in?, to it, either in the capacity of citizens, or miliury 'lnn , . I canhot hide this front them, without usurping the r.ghis h;ch belong to them, in the event of acknowledging Lord Wellington General in Chief of the Spain,h armies—and as the point question is of the utmost importance to the general good ot the count y, I wait the resolution of your Hit, - hness for my ulterior deter mination. " In the same order, your Excellency informs me, that Lord Wel lington returns thanks to the Gei.erals ot the widen, for the benefits, political and military, which they performed, to obtsin the present results of the allied army. Then, to whom is to be confided the coin. mind of the arnv:d force of the nation I Spain to be considered as a little kingdem of I'mengal ? Is not the origin of our revolutiop, to our licnour be it r.prdeen, diff:vnt from that of the Portugu ese ? Have we not the honour to bbl , tg to the greatest nation in the world ? II eve not our arme resowided in the four quarters or the world ? Can we r ive the - c,...innund of our a:mt to a toreigner, whatever may be uur pot; mai ~ituau,:o, without disgraci. g the nation ?—No, Spain st 11 her rc:ources ; her Generals, Chiefs, Officers, and Soldiers, forti.mite:v preserve the honour they inherited froth their fore fathers ; anti in the present war have convinced the English and French, ilia in hattte they display equal valour and discipline to themselves, and. that their Chiefs Ittoiw how to conduct theta to victory " The fields of Bay len, Album, Saragossa, and Gerona, with many ethers, wlOcit I omit. to state, because I would not be thought to boast of myself, are indelible testimonicz, this truth ; - and the Ith army which I command, may tell the nation that in these qualifies they are not infaior to any soldiers in the world ; and that without ~ttv•adution thsy ca not descend to submit to obscure the glories they. hive acquired, and the extraordinary service: they have podocuird, o ut of compliment to Lad Wellington, although they are always ready to act in con-lbination with him. " Lastly, I (ntreat your Excellency to demand the opinion of th l national arinic.; a nd citizetts ; and if they agree to this nomination, •r ill resign mV e mployments, and retire t o m y house ; to convince, in this manner, all the world, that only honour, and the goad of my country, lead tee to this exposition, and no ambitious views, as to fortune, which mad ce may sometimes attribute to me, without re specting the notoriety cf my patriotism, acquired by weight of con et alley, and signal services. " Head-quarters, Grenada. Oct. 9.4. F. BALLASTE ROS." To his Excellency the Minister at War. w.? OF DON FRANCISCO lALLASTEROS TO THE nisr.t•rcu By WATCH liE RIXEIVED 11'S DISMU:SAI. FROM 11:3 COMMAND. Most Excellent Sir,—This morning, while engaged in the ordi nary dispatch ot business, I received . your Excellency's dispatch, dis charging me from the command of the Captainship General of the four kingdoms of Andalusia, and of the 4th army, informing me at the ;•3:11C time, that my troops had formed , and were marching in the direction-cif Alcala ; I immediately mounted my horse to learn from what source proceeded a measure so contrary to the spirit of the royal ordinances; and the discipline with which I have always endeavoured to improve the army, and of which I have given so many proofs. On going out of the village I met a picquet of the first battalion of Royal Guards, with advanced sentinels, and arms ready to give tire, and a number of peasants in fr ont. I was surprised at this novelty, and asked the officer what it meant ? He answered, as ofd the sentinels when they came up, that he had orders not to !et tic pass. A Colonel _Oen came, to whom I stated my displeasure at being treated in this Manner, which I considered as disgraceful. The peasants now broke ut into strong exprocsionso calculated to mat aft impression on the - ()V. it. soldiers, for whom they knew I hat; made so many sacrifices. 1, however, silenced them, ordering them w retire. I then I:rece ; ded my house, sensibly feeling a treatment which I believe was never ek. perienced in the Spanish armies by the most iriminal subdtaan cer. In a short time, the same battalion apptared in front of r. house, and a guard was placed at the door cf it. The peopie, mint at an act of this kind, made loud lamentations, fearing somathi L „ mightbe intended against my person. The sentimans el allecri, / ° expressed by these good Spaniards made a greater impressifsn on we than this military apparatus, which I did not cinccive to corrt.ionzi to the dignity of my station, nor is it possible to believe that it was by your Excellency's orders. ..From this moment I had sentinels placed urn me, and re ce ; ve i orders from Brigadier Virues, to set out early in the meriting for Inv destination, Ceuta, which 1 shall comply with, leaving the CVet the Staff to deliver up the army, titan which, I think, there is not a better in Europe, that has been organized, tegulated, equinpcd, structed, and disciplined, in only one fortnight. But I cannot hut represent to your Highness, that if my services have marized an) at. tention, I could wish that the destination of Ceuta might he clainaat to the Province of Estremadura, and, if possible, to Freeenal or its vicinity, as I find my health much broken ; and in that (omit!), not withstanding nay misfortunes, I could maintain myself- ith , espect, and my existence would not be burthensome to my country. Thais the manner in which I have been treateA with respect to my Nelson, hut I have felt still in re sensibly the attack made on my aeputatioa in the am xed paper*, which Virsits has published. He supimes it, that I hive distressed the people of Grenada, I.y levying cr flow:, which I never thought of, but which, on the contrary, I aiw. , %l opposed ; though I asked nrovey of the Intendant, which, lio..vrr, he refused, except as a loan , which 1 was to repay frets the first tends I obtained. I shall proceed towards my destination ; hut it my indisposiriat; creases, I shall halt at Coin, where your Excellency may aduie t. me your answer. " God prcservr vour Excellency many years, Grenada, Oct. 10. FRANCISCO BALLAS I'EROS." * The following. is the print& paper referred to : " NoT icy. To mcg: PUBLIC --The Ittgeiicy of the K'ngdom hit been pleased to discharge Senor Don leranciso Ballastetos tram ;1 : 1 command of t:eneral in Chietof the 4th army, a"d the Ca.uaincy nerd of the tour Kingdoms of Andalusia, and to nominate in hi:, ad interim, Don Joaquin 'Slimes, Brigadier of the royal armi....s. le cAisequenee, the contribution ordered by Win is stivended tl; car. responding orders are received frtmi Government. The public. !ere fore, are not required to make the se:vela' pay megts assigt.c,l II them. Grenada, Nov. SO. " VIRUES." IMP ERLA L PA RLL4 Ai EST HOUSE OF. LORDS. TUESDAY, NOVIEMBIAt OPENING OF PARLIA:' , IENT. Ab6l:t a quarter past two o'clock the LOA r, Cneecr Were the House, and stated, that it not being ceeeenient ter His Rree Highness the Prince of Wales , Rcgent, to attend in paean letter patent 11a , l been pee-sed end& the Great Scal; fur openteg ai.d drehir tug the causes for holding the Parli anent. Their Lordship . ; then adjourned to robe. About a quarter before three. th e Duke of \Perk, the Duke Cumbetland, the Lord Chancellor, the Elul of Westmoreland, sae the Earl of Liverpool, took their seats as his Majesty's Coineie sinners for opening the Parliament. Sir Thomas Tyrwhitt, the Gentleman 'Ater of the Black Roe was sent to the Commons to reqeire their attendance Shortly afterwards, Mr. Ley, the Clerk of the House of Core mons, accompanied y a great nmber of Members, came t the ar. The Commissionb for opening the Parliament was then o r ead at tie table. The Loeb Crape creetoe. stated, that as soon as a sufficient numbr of Members of both Houses were sworn, hi s Royal nightie) , to Prince Regent would declare t he causes for holding the Parliainee In the mean time, it being necessary that the Commons snott chuse a Speaker, it was the pleasure of his Royal Highness tha to tle t should return to the chamber in ei,hich the y sat, and proceed choice of a fit and proper person to be their Speaker, for his Majesty's appro bation to-Morrow at 12 o'clock. m The Commons retired from the bar, and the Lords Comissieer quitted their bench, and th e Lords ad j ourned to unrobe. The House having resumed , pr a y ers were read. a nd present h i , The Lord Chancellor took the oaths at the table. The Dukes of YOrk and Cumberland were then sworn at the table The oaths were administered at the table to the Lords piet:le' amongst whom were—the Archbishop of Canterbury, Marquis We! m lesley, Earls of Westneland, Liverpcol, Bathurst, }Sisley Chester, Lords Holland, Eilenbotough, Walsinghatn, &C. fir k; ( Y . •1 he Eai and ta il;, his The oatl 1 be Lc), r.trs took rite ter tii..n t ; of t .o' ..