Star.
London, England, 1808-07-09 00:00:00

greater formality to the substantially amiable rcla
tionlibetireen the two ceertries.
The arrival of the AtrueAt as b nsuaj, gar rise
to various rumours. We have not,been able to:aseer•
tarn the truth of any of Them. The most irsaixerAintt
and at the same time the most alarming of these re-
ports stated, that General DIMONT, with from twelve
to fifteen thousand men, who, we were before in-
formed had been defeated in. the Siera Morena, had
indeed been attacked in these defiles but not vanquished.
On the contrary, that he had succeeded iriforcing his way
and was within five days march ofCadiz. To this it was
added, that there was soma chance of his being joined
by a French force, said to be proceeding from the
South of Portugal. The inference from all this was:
that f4le Spaniards had committed a great blunder in
refit-sing the cooperation of the British in reducing
the French ships ; and that there were grounds for
alipAheridingi ie the event of the same slow measures
being rived, that the French force might reach
Cadiz in aisne to save their ships from safferingmuch
by the fire from the batteries.
It is true that the Spaniards desired to have the ho-
nour of subduing the French ships, The desire was
very natural, and we highly approve of the conduct
of tabs. Cinimandeee in acquiescing in their wishes.
Ter there is no evidence of the Frenchiraving passed.
the'Bieta Mcrena ; and if, they should, the force of
the Patriots in Andalusia is estimated at 60,000 ment
15,09e0f whom are regulars; besides which, Gene-,
sal Seexesn's corps is at Cadiz, and a British fleet off'
the harbour, so that there is no chance whatever of
the French ships being relieved or protected.
By a letter from a French Officer at Madrid, which
was intercepted by the Spaniards, it appears that the
French had no hopes of obtaining any kind of relief
iin their present perilous situation. The letter says 8.,
" If the Spaniards at Bayonne do not keep their pro.
mice of reducing the insurgents in the provinces, we
are all lost."

It appears that the French ships, apprehensive of
the danger to which they were exposed, had, on the
commencement of the negociation between the Au-
thorities at Cadiz and the British Commanders, placed
themselves in a defensive position, out of the reach Of
the guns of the fortress, in the channel leading to the
dock-yard. The attack on them was, therefore, con-
fined to the-batterief on the side of the Leon.
The chief-condition required by the French Admi-
ral when he proposed terms of surrender, was, it is
said, that. tie Should be permitted to dismantle 'hit
ships. This of course was rejected.
Some affirm that before the ALPaItA came away
, General SPENC'EttiS corgi had been landed, for,the pur-
pose of counteosedng an attempt which it was sup-
posed the French in Portugal were going to make, to
force a passage into the Province of Andalusia, froth
.the South-western corner of Portugal. We have not
' been able to ascertain that there is any truth` in this
statement, and we rather belieVe that when the ALT
Pima left our squadron, the British-troops continued
on board their transports, and no British line-of-battle
ship had entered the harbour of Cadiz. Two of our
frigates, however, were at anchor in the outer harbour,
amongst the Spanish ships of war.
Catalonia, there is no question, has declared for
the patriotic cause ; but our Readers may recollect
that Barcelona, its capital, and the fortress of Mon-
, jute, by which, the town is commanded, were in the
possession of a French force. Accounts, however,
received by the ALPHZA cutter, state, that this force
had been surroimdedby the Spaniard& Yet the distance
of Barcelona from Cadiz may, perhaps, render-the
certainty of such a statement doubtful.
The 'islands of Majorca and Minorca have unani-
mously resolved tn'uuite with their fellow-subjects in
resisting the French.

Yesterday, after the arrival of the news from Spain,
a Cabinet Council was held at the Foreign Office.
Che whole of ;lie Members were present. The sitting
lasteerfrom three till nearly six o'clock.
General DI:NO:MIER sailed on Monday from Ply-
mouth, nr the PLOY Eli, of 18 guns, for Cadiz, with
two Spanish Officers, on their return to Spain.
Recent events of some kind or other (indeed the
public can Ascertain some of them) have caused-a. 7
considefable change in projected military movement!:.'
It is no* understood that a grand iapethtion, of which)
the Earl of CHATHAM is to have the command, is
resolved on, which will embrace troops that were
destined for other services. The Earl is to have with '
him. two Lieutenant Generals, Sir J. •MPORE and. Sir
ARTHUR WELLESLEY. His army will be in all.
44000 men. His Royal Highness the Duke
YORK was, and is extremely desirous to have the ch.
command ; and there are not wanting great author:.
ties for the rumour that he is yet determined to dairy
his desire into execution. The place and object of ,
the expedition are probably changed. It may be no
longer necessary for any part of it to go to Portugal.
An effectual diversion may be made elsewhere, and
the very uncertainty of the point of attack is itself a
diversion.
The Bishops, in their respective Dioceses, have
been instructed from high authority, to direct, that
in every Church or Chapel, 'where marriages cannot
legally be, solemnized, there should be placed a Tab-
let, stating the punishment which every Minister is
liable to suffer, if he solemnizes marriage in any place
not a:lowed by 26 Geo. U.UI.i dud likewise declaring
the sentence of the law, that marriages, solemnized
in improper plaEes; are null and void. We under-
stand the above measure is to be adopted, in order to
prevent future marriages being solemnized where they
ought not to be • and the premonition wilt be thus
[generally given, because the Lniilatare will no more
indemnify offending Ministers, or sanction irregular
Planiges, by special Acts in their favour.