Star.
London, England, 1808-12-20 00:00:00

FROM THE -DUTCH PAPERS.

We, Louis Napoleon, by the Grace of God and the Consti-
tution of the Kingdom, King of aolland, and Constable
of Prince, have decreed, and hereby decree,
Aar. I. The ports of Holland shall remiss shut, and no vessel
aka be peradtted to enter this kingdom, nor to land any mer-
chandize.
11. Vessels that may have touched at any port in England, or
any enemy's port, that shall be found to have been tarrying en
any prohibited commerce or intercourse, or to have brought in
therefrom merchandise, letters, or passengers, and also such
as shall have taken en board, at sea, and brought In mcrchandize,
letters, or passengers, shall not be warned off, but shall be detain-
ed and confiscated. •

111. The master and crew of all vessels that shall be known to

have put into England, or any enemy's port, and there to have
taken on board merchandise, letters, or passengers; and also of
those who shall have taken in at sea, merchandise, letters, ok
passengers, shall, without any distinction, be put on board any
one of our ships of war, to serve therein as common sailors.
IV. Should any vessels, sailing under allied or neutral flags, la-
den with neutral g(mtls, and coming from a neutral port, be stran
ded upon our coast, or through extreme distress be compelled to
linter this kingdom, and be-disabled from again putting to sea,
the cargoes of all such vessels shall be deposited in the Royal
warehouses, to be reshipped after they are repaired, or, in case of
a repair being impracticable, to be kept therein safe custody until
after the peace.
V. In eases where the said cargoes, or a part thereof, shall be
found to be damaged, we 'hall grant permission to dispose of the
aims by public sale, and the produce shall be deposited in the
Royal Treasury, until after the peace.

VI. The regulations enacted by Articles IL and lit are also ap-
plicable to fishing•boats and other small vessels, of whatever de-
nomination, and likewise to the skippers, captains, masters, and
crews of such vessels that shall be found to have carried nn any
prohibited commerce or intercourse, and to have brought in, or
to have been aiding and abetting in bringing in merchandise, let-
ters, or passengers.

VII. From the restriction imposed by Art. I. are nevertheless
excepted vessels laden with tea and other Chinese produce, which,
previous to our first decree of blockade, may have obtained a
ecnce from as to proceed for a Chinese cap. Such produce ,hall
be lodged in the Royal warehouses, and shall not be disposed of,
nor the proceeds of any sale paid ever to the owns, without our
special order.

VIII. Vessels laden with salt, and which shall not have brought
in any ether article of merchandize, nor any leters or passengers,
are not included in the above regulations. Nevertheless, if found
to have contravened the dispositions of Articles 2 and 3, the same
shall be applicable to them also, without excepting therefrom even
tie salt, which shall liktwise be conEscated.
IX. Marshals de WlNter and Dumonceau, and Lieutenant-
General Cartaret, are each in the district assigned to them by our
Decree of the 13th of October last, dharged with and made re-
sponsible for providing that no vessel arriving shill be suffered to
put to sea again, but that the same shall be effectually secured
until they have been apprised of our further pleasure, which shall
be made known to them by our Minister of Finance, with which
Minister they elan correspond on this inflect. and who shell
apply to us, and wait for our order, in the use of each vessel in
manner before decreed.

X. Our Ministers of Finance, Justice, and Police, are charged
%vith tie execution of the present Decree, of which notice 5h..11
be given to our hilnisters of Marius, and Colonies, and of War,
and which shall be published.

Given at our Royal Palace in Amsterdam, the 27th Novem-
ber, 1808, and third year of our Reign.
(Signed) LOUIS.
AIII7ERDAM, NOVEMBER 29.
The following decision vas this day given by his
Majesty:—
" Every vessel, armed or unarmed, even thougit provided with
letters of inarque, shaft, if she has any nierchandize on beard, be
considered as a merchant's vessel, and as such, be subject to the
laws of blockade. (Signed) LOUIS."
On the 21st, his Majesty issued a Decree, reducing
the foiced Loan, agreed to by the Legislative Body
on tbi 30th of March last, from 30 to '2O niillions of
guildirs. The deficit of ten millions for the servic6
of the year 1808, and also ten millions for that of
1809, are * be supplieittbeye; velunt4ry Loan, to be
compretekrepaid pkpi yqft, tr:

PORTUGAL.
• • 1/41%
LISBON, DECEMBER & - A
The Board of War has °rated sis.lliitteibts OS
chasseurs tO be raised, under the-direction of Major-
General Don M. Pcirara Forjas Coutinho. Letters
from Spain state, that it is now known that the per-
son, who with very considerable clifEculty carried the
declaration of the Suprema Junta to Bayonne, was
Don C. Perk de Castro, Lae Secretary of Embassy
and Spanish Charge-d'Affaires in this capital.
PRIVATE LETTER.

" Lisbon, December 3.
" Affairs, according to appearanc.es, are less favour.
able than we could wish ; notwithstanding the disas-
ters which have befallen the Spaniards, however, their
patriotism and enthusiasm appear here to be una.
bated, and while this is the case we ought not to de-
spair of their cause.
" Ten thousand men are going from hence to
Spa'n, under the command of General Miranda, but
so slow are t'ie movements of the Portuguese, that
it would be hazarding much to say when they would
se. off.
" The inhabitants of Lisbon (those who have pro-
perty) seem to be unanimous in their determination
to leave thz country if the French return here : it is
not likely they•will contribute much to its defence
with their minds thus disposed, and to this, into be
attributed the great indifference we witness. The
Regency is disliked ; nor is it so active as it ought
to be.

" An Edict has been published here, calling on
every person who has horses to deliver them up for
the service of the country, either gratuitously or at a
valuation, at the option of the owners, under pain of
imprisonment ; whether these tardy measures of co-
operation and assistance will be productive of good or
not, time only can spew. The voluntary contribu-
tit.ns are not great, and if the spirit of patriotism in
'this country, of which so much has been said, ever
did exist to the extent described, he assured it has lost
most of its force. The general hatred to the French
is perhaps undiminished, but an indifference which
may prove destructive to the best interests of the
country, has succeeded in the capital ; in the pro-
vinces we hear things have a more favourable appear-
ance, and we are willing to hope it is the case.
" The differences between the English and Por-
tuguese troops at Oporto, have been settled without
bloodshed."

SPAIN.

ARANJUEZ, NOV. 29.

General Don Francisco Xavier de Castanos reports,
under date of the 26th inst. from Calatayud—
" That, on the 21st, he intelligence of the
enemy having advanced 1.3 y Coma with 12,000 infan-
try and 4000 horse. His intention not remaining
anyways doubtful, he immediately gave orders for
the army to fall back The same night to a position ex.
tending from Tarragona to Tudela ; the last point so
be occupied by the troops of the army of Arragon,
and the fifth division of the centre, which was n
Caparraso. .

When the order was received to retreat, the enemy
,was already in motion to attack his advanced parties,
having advanced in the course of the morning against
Calahorra with two pieces of ordnance and taken post
in the heights, within gun-shot from Calahorra, which
movement was undoubtedly made with the intention
to commence the attack at day-break. Notwithstand-
ing this movement, the army continued to retreat, in
the darkness of the night, with some trouble, and
the divisions reached their respective points by march-
ing that night, and the following day, but were de- ,
tamed from the removal of the park 4: artillery from
Cintruenigo, and on the 25'd, the four divisions of the
army were in the position which they had to occupy,
without having sustained any loss. On the 23d, the
advanced parties reported that three columns of the
enemy were marching in the direction ,of Tudela ;
the general was beaten, and while the troops of dra-
goons were passing the bridge, the enemy occupied
the points of attack, which began at eight o'clock in
the morning; at ten o'clock the whole line was en-
gaged. Our troops maintained their position with
the utmost valour, stud the enemy was repulsed on
all sides. He renewed the attack, and rendered him-
self master of an olive 'grove on the left, whence he
descended with a tremendous fire, but was so well re-
ceived by our gallant troops, that, after a most obsti-
nate conflict, he was compelled to retreat. While
our troops were pursuing the defeated enemy on
our left, another division of the enemy penetrated
through Tudela on the right, and took our pur-
suing troops in the rear. This decided the fate of the
day, and,, nothing was left for our army but to re.
treat to Borja. While tliis was going forward in
TudJa, the fourth division, commanded by General
Lapena, which was in Cascante, two hours march .
from the field of battle, and had received orders to
attack the right flank of the enemy, found 3000
French infantry and 1000 cavalry opposed to them,
in the act of offering battle ; Lapena immediately
engaged, defeated, and pursued them to the heights
of Tudela, whence he was attacked by the enemy's.
troops, who occupied the heights ; Lapena retreated
to the position of Cascante, where he defeated the
enemy, and at• the fall of night began to fall back to
Baia, according to the last order he received. On
his retreat he was again attacked by the enemy, but
our troops checked their progress, and the tfivisions
reached 'Borja, whence they marched' to Calatayua.
" The forces of the enemy in these actions of Tu-
dela antfCascante, amounted to from 3(3. to 40,000
infantry, and from 6 to 7000 cavalry. Their loss
has been very considerable, as has likewise ours, in '
missing and prisoners, but the number cannot be
accurately stated till the Generals of the divisions
have trade out, and delivered in their lists."
In a letter of the 27th, General Castanoi sends ad-
vice that net having in Calatayud the means of sub-
sistence, and having received notice that the enemy
threatened to attack Somosierra ; for these eirsi
and wishing to be near the Capital, in case tht Frei-Ikb
should endeavour to advance, be had determined to
go to Siguenza. •
The Mithr-General Don Benito S, Juan, posted in
the Puerto (Port) of Somosierra, sends advice, in a
letter of the 28tla fast. that at break of day that morn-
ing, the division of troops under his commanewere
alarmed and immediately under arms; expecting to

beAsie force by the totem et ads advice%
g the night konenried in stating, that;
iii7g7...herni; of thy proceiling day, great numbers
of the enemy's troops had fled by Aranda Mier°,
trecting their march, tovr eneaMpMsnt .of Btu.
gaellas and La Grange, th many pieces of artil-
lery ; and that during the whole day they were con-
veying artillery and other military stores. Accord-
ingly, a little after six in the morning, were heard in
the heights of Somosierra various discharges of artil-
lery and small arms, continually increasing, and all
in the direction of the pass of Sepnlvidas, ivhich left no
doubt that an attack would be made ' • and though he
could confide in the resistance of the brave garrison,
which had been reinforced the day before (the 27th)
with 1000 fusileers of the regiment of Jaen, the nuns- ,
be7s of the enemy could not but excite solicitude: and
' from the moment of the attack, proper measures wive,*
taken to send succours of infantry, artillery and am-
munition ; but without the assistance of these, he ef-
fected the complete defence of this point, notwith-
standing the attach lasted more than four hours, the
enemy having attacked With 40(10 infantry, 1500 ca-
valry, and four pieces of artillery, besides the rein-
forcements which were at hand to support these troops.
Brigadier Don Juan Joseph Sarden, Colonel of the
regiment of cavalry, of Montisa, -who commanded at
the post of Sepulveda, writes, that he was attacked
at break of day by the enemy, with from. 0500 to
4000 infantry, 1500 cavalry, and four pieces of artil-
lery, and that lie had reptilsed them with glory to the
arms of the King and the country. lit proposed,
soon to send the circumstantial details of the action,
in which he says, we have suffered some loss, but he
supposes that of the enemy must have been double,
the firing having continued till ten o'clock,