The National Register.
London, England, 1809-01-22 00:00:00

NATl4Th4AtitEGi§ite

intend making any efforts to defend the country : hut • the
vigourous preparations made by the Regency, seem to in-
dicate a laudable determination to undertake something to
that effect. We confidently trust that the forts on the
Tagus, so often alluded to iu the discussions on the merits
of the Cintra Armistice and Convention, will be found as
strong as they were at that time represented by our com-
manders; and if' JIJNOT had it in his power to defend them
for ten weeks, or three mouths, that our army will be able
to maintain them, at least as long. We do not think,
when we were expressing our abhorrence of the Conven-
tion, that. the time was so near at hand, when the validity
of this plea of Sir Ifew DALRYMPLL Slotlld be tried by the
test of experience. We rejected it at that time, and feel
little inclination to acknowledge it at present. We sincerely
wish we might be mistaken, and would willingly nicer the
Mortification of having cousidered the affair rashly and in-
aldequately, if it can be only proved to our satisfaction,
that these forts are as tenable, as we were at that time in-
formed. How painful, how mortifying is every recurrence
to that ignominious transaction ! Whilst we blush at the
folly and weakness which was capable of devising such a
measure, we feet an indignant affliction at the calamities it
has already occasioued. Fie on the men, who have so
wantonly and wickedly disappointed the expectations of the
country, and sullied its fair reputation ! What shall they
now say, when they hear of a French force lording it once
more over that unfortunate country ; the liberation of
which they had so pompously vaunted. The battle of
Vi-
sclera, glorious and decisive as it was, produced no other
effect, through the mismanagement shewn after it, than to
irritate, we are afraid, the Portuguese people against us,
and to excite in their breasts a kind of apathy about the
concerns of their country,
hew accounts have been received yesterday from Lisbon,
confirming the intelligence of the march of a French
corps into Portugal, under the command of the Duke of
DANTZIC. It consists, it is said, of 14,000 men. We hope
there, assisted by the Portuguese, will be able to give a
good account of them. The expedition, which sailed on
Saturday and Sunday last, we are told is distilled for
Zisbon. If that be the case we have already a force there
equal to repel any attack on the part of LEFEHKE.

Both Houses of Parliament, which met on Thursday
Last, have commenced their legislative functions, under
eireuinstances awfully impressive. There 'never was a sin-
gls:. period in our history, which offered matter of more
imperative nature for discussion. The atlairs al!' Europe
are approaching nearer and nearer to a crisis, with esta-
blishes the independence or absolut, slavery of its immense
population. Their resolutions contflliqc powerfully to
either and the nations of the earth attend. with anxiety
to the result of their deliberatim•.. This imperious
and the arduous dillies .ftey have to perform,
will, vc ardently hope, prevail on them 'owlish selfishness
and acrimony from their assembly ; anal the collective
wisdom and experience of the senate rally round the Eye-
cutive, in order to save Europe and the country is this
portentous junct tire,
The speech of his MAJESTT, after adverting to the en-
creased prosperity of the country, and chewing the Meth-
carry of the enemy's edicts to prevent the circulation of
4.Ut industry, and to shut out, from the markets of the

SAN':

Continent,. the prodhce of our colonies, tenews the solemn
engagement our Government had previously contracted
with the Spanish.natlion.-:-61 His MAJESTY has renewed to
" the Spanish nation, in the moment of its difficulties and
66 reverses, the engagements which be voluntarily cou-
-6' traded at the outset of its struggle against the usurpa-
q tion and tyranny of France ; and we are commanded to
• acquaint you, that these engagements have been re.
" duced into the form- of a treaty
.of alliance ; which
66 treaty, so soon a, the ratifications shall have been ex-
" changed, his IVl,sissrir will cause to be laid before

6 6 yoll."
We were not a.little astonished at perceiving, in the dis•
cussion which ensued on moving the address, some objec-
tions made to the propriety► of this treaty dalliance, After
the most attentive and impartial examination we could not
discover the impropriety alluded to; on the contrary, we
consider the solemnity of the act, " in the moment of
Spanish difficulties and reverses," as equally commendable,
on the score of policy, as well as magnanimity. The high
opinion it must give the Spanish people and government of
British loyalty and honour, will have a great tendency
to raise the confidence and spirit of the natives, We are
happy to have remarked, that the greatest nnanimity
vails as to the wisdom of co-operating yigorously► in sup.
port of the Spaniards ; and with the exception of Lord
GRUNittLI.EI and two or three Members more in both
floases, from whom we would have least expected it, there
exists only one opinion on the propriety of making every
exertion to assist the Spaniards in the maintenance of their
rights and sovereignty. •

Slit H. DALRYMPLE.—CONVENTION OF CINTRA.
HIS MAJESTY'S DISAPPROBATION.
The formal declaration of his Majesty's disapprobation
of the Armistice and Convention in Portugal, has been nu.
tified to Sir Hew Dalrymple and the other Generals, as
follows;

64 The King has taken into his consideration the Report
of the Board of Inquiry, together with the documents aud
opinions thereunto annexed.
" While •his Majesty adopts the unanimous opinion of
the Board, that no farther Military proceedings is necessary
to be had upoir the transactions referred to their investi-
gation, his Majesty does not intend thereby to convey any
expression of his Majesty's satisfaction at the terms aud
conditions of the Armistice and Convention.
" When those instruments were first laid before his Ma-
jesty, the king reserving for investigation those parts of
the Definitive Convention in which his Majesty's immediate
interests were concerned, cattsed it to be signified to Sir
Hew Dalrymple, .by his Majesty's Secretary of State, that
his Majesty, nevertheless, felt himself compelled at once to
expron his disapprobation of those articles, in which stipu-
, lattous were matte directly affecting the interests or feelings
of the Spanish and Portuguese nations,
gg At the close of the Inquiry, the King, abstaining
from any observations upon other parts of the Convention,
repeats his disapprobation of those articles; His Majesty
deeming it necessary that his sentiments should be clearly
understood, as to the impropriety and danger of the unau-
thorsed admission into Military Conventions, of articles of
such a description, which, especially when ineautiously
framedmay lead to the. most injurious consequences.
64 His Majesty cannot forbear farther to observe that
Lieutenant-General Sir Hew. Dalrymple's delaying to trans-
mit for his information the Atinistice conelnded on the 22d
August, until the 4th September, when he, at the same
time, transmitted the ratified Convention, waa calculated
to produce great public inconvenience, and' that inch ia
couveuicuct: did in fact result therefrom."