Star.
London, England, 1831-03-18 00:00:00

DZCCAW PRIZE MONEY.

Col. SIBTHORP asked when the prize money on account of Deccan
would be decided ? He regretted to say that many persons were kept
in a state of suspense in consequence of the uncertainty on the subject.
Lord A LTHORP replied that the only remaining question on that
subject was referred to the Solicitor-General, who had not been engaged
in the cause on either side, and as soon as that was attained the distribu-
tion would take place. Left sitting.

GENERAL MINA.
EXTRACT OF A LETTER FROM BORDEAUX.

" I am happy to inform you that our brave and indefatigable
general is fast recovering from his late illness. We conti-
nue at present in winter quarters, but in the spring, I have
no doubt, but what he will recommence operations to try
and rescue our enslaved country from the yoke of tyranny.
There is a force of patriots now within a few days' march,
that might be mustered to about 7,000 in number, all ready
to undertake a coup-de-main ; as for arms and ammunition
we should not want for, and with freedon and determination
on our side, success is more than probable.
" The accounts we receive here from Madrid, and other
parts of Spain, are of the most despairing nature ; the
royal coffers are nearly without a maravedi to support the
extravagance of Ferdinand ; and the Minister, to keep in
favour, does not care to what extremities he goes so as to
procure for his Royal Master money wherewith to gratify
his propensities. The clergy, once his staunch friends, are
now turning against him, as they feel that their pockets are
put into requisition , and the greater part would support the
Carlists, if they dare openly do it ; as to the troops, they
are in the most wretched state for clothing, pay, provisions,
and other necessaries; and, as the old proverb says, " Sin
dinero no hay soldado," (no pay no soldiers,) they are con-
sequently much dissatisfied at the present aspect of affairs;
and every thing appears more and more favourable to the
sacred cause of liberty.
" The causes which led to the result of the late ill-fated
attempt of our brave General to restore freedom to Spin,
have never been properly made public ; and many misrepre-
sentations have appeared in the foreign journals on the sub-
ject. At the period Mina left London for Bordeaux and
Bayonne, to assemble those patriots who had been obliged to
seek refuge in England, France, and other parts, he was
acknowledged unanimously by us all as our Chief, and as
the one who was to lead us to freedom and to victory.
When he fist undertook to rescue us,there was no oppo-
sition shown to us by the French Government; we were
allowed to muster. arm, and drill our men without the
slightest interruption from the local authorities, and every
thing appeared favourable to our cause, at that time ar-
rangements were making by Mina with our compatriots in
vat ious parts of Spain, that as soon as we should pass the
frontiers the Constitution should be proclaimed, and thou-
sands would have been ready to have joined us ; but suddenly
imperative orders were given by the French Government,
that they could not allow us to form ourselves into a
corps d'arnu'e on this side of the Pyrenees, and that
if we did not immediately pass them, we must be disarmed
by force. Such was our position soon after the revolution,
when our cause ought to have been considered the same.
Mina, finding himself placed in this predicament, long be-
fore he could complete the arrangements, and the plan of
attack he had contemplated, was however determined that
the attempt should not be thus frustrated, and issued his
commands for us all to be ready in marching order to pass
the frontiers—an unkind or rather ambitious feeling then
existed on the part of Valdez, which injured us much, and
tended to create disunion ; notwithstanding led on by our
chief, we once more re-entered our native country, and
took possession of different military passes in the Pyrenees,
but we scarcely had money, or provisions, and had to un-
dergo great privations ; surrounded as we were on every
point by a superior force of the descamisados or royalist
troops, we were not able to communicate with our brethren
in arms, and as they were not aware how suddenly we had
been driven by the French authorities to enter Spain, we
consequently were deprived of their support, and they not
being prepared to encounter the attacks oe the enemy—
Mina found that to continue any further contest against
such superior force, would only be uselessly sacrificing the
lives of his officers and men (for bad there been the slightest
chance of success, he and all would have perished in the
,itteiript), issued an order for us to retrograde on to
the frontiers of France, which we accordingly did ;
but on being strongly pursued by the enemy, we
re- passed the frontiers into France, whilst Mina,
in the most heroic manner, and at the imminent
danger of his life, remained in the intricate ravines
of the Pyrennees, to watch the movements of his most in-
veterate foes who were thirsting for his blood. On entering
France, we were met by a number of French troops, who
bad received instructions to disarm us, and we were therefore
deprived of all means of rallying again, and orders were
issued that we should be sent to various parts of France,
and not be allowed to form any sort of corps, which order,
however arbitrary, we were obliged to comply with. Mina,
who had been suffering from ill health for some time, suc-
ceeded in escaping from the searches of his enemies, and
with several other officers, took up his quarters in this city
(Bordeaux), until a more favourable opportunity should
occur to render that service to liberty and his country that
jaw strongly required from his patriotic arm. Such was the
result of that ill-fated expedition, in consequence of the
most unforeseen obstacles, but the cause is not an hopeless
one as long as there is a Mina to lead us."