The National Register.
London, England, 1822-12-30 00:00:00

PORTUGAL.

LISION, Dec. 4.-011 the Ist instant the Ordi-
nary Cortes assembled, and opened their first session.
The business commeneed.by the deputation, which
had been directed to inform the King that the Cortes
were installed, reporting that they had fulfilled their

mission.
A letter from the Ministers was afterwards read,
which stated " That his Majesty was resolved to be
present at the opening of the Cortes, and had given
the necessary orders fin- fulfilling that intention to
the officers of his palace ; but that his Majesty felt
himself seriously indisposed by the same disorder
under which he had laboured for some days past, and
thereffire multi not enjoy the satisfaction of person-
ally participating in that august and solemn pro-
ceeding."
A short time after the President announced that
the Ministers of State were in attendance to act in
the name of his Majesty.
The Ministers were then introduced into the hall
of the Cert2s with the proper flirmalities, utter which
they took their seats on the lower platform to the
left of the President.
The Minister for Foreign Affairs rose and read
the following communication addressed to him by
his Majesty, and entirely written by his royal
hand
As the session of the Cortes is to open to-morrow, and I
tear it will be impossible fin me to be present, I wish you, when
my speech is read, to state to the Cungitss sty regret ut not being
able to LI& my anxious desire to co-operate personally m the
asanony of that national f.sti eat.
(signed) THE KING DON JOHN VI."
The. Minister then stated to the Congress, that
notwithstanding his Majesty bad written the above
lettei yesterday, ho liOd this day caused himself to
be removed from the Quintu deAlie:\te to the Palace
de Bemposta, with the design of making un effort
to attend the Cortes, but that his indisposition had
increased, :aid the Physicians opposed his leaving
-the palace.
The speech of his Majesty was then read, and
the
.President, • addressing the Ministers, made a
reply.
Dec. 7.—ln the sitting of the Cortes of the 4th,
a report was made on a despatch from the Minister
for the Home Department, in which the Congress
was informed that the Queen, having refused to
take the oath to the Constitution of the Monarchy,
the King hail resolved on carrying into execution
the decree of the Cortes, ordaining that whoever
shall refuse to swear to the Constitution shall quit
the kingdom, and renounce the rights of a Portu-
guese citizen.. But that the Queen having repre-
sented that her delicate state of health would not
permit her to travel without endangering her life,
and the physicians of her household having con-
sulted together, and unanimously declared that her
life would actually be endangered, if sho were
compelled to undertake a journey either by sea or by
land ;—his Majesty issued a decree, commanding
the Queen to retire to the Quints de Ramalliso with
the necessary attendants, but refusing her request
to take along with her the Infants her daughters
adding, that this retirement iu the Quints de Ha-
mania° should continue until the state of her health
might permit her to travel beyond the kingdom,
The despatch was accompanied with an exact
account of all thai bad been done in this business,
together with the orders which had been given, the
opinions of the Council of State, the votes of the
Ministers, the propositions made by the King to the
Queen, her objections, and the declaration of the
Lenity, &c. •
The President proposed that the Cortes should
consider of the manner in which these papers should
be disposed of.
Senor J. Monteiro moved. that they be printed,
for the information of the whole nation and that
the originals should be referred to a special commit-
tee. This motion wits carried.
In the sittirg of the following day, (the sth,)
&nine. Pato Muria read the - tollowing motion:-
1 It Leing indispeusab e that the law should be car-
ried into effect, as well with respect to the ex-
Queen r.f Portugal, as any other person who may
refuse to swear to the political .constitntion of the
=zaftig ; and its excel:Lieu having been delayed