Star.
London, England, 1809-11-13 00:00:00

RONDA, OCTOEFA 24.

Rumours of favourable events both in the North'
and East, of a victory at Ciudad Rodrigo, and a naval
success in the Mediterranean, have reached this place.
The first must be known in England before my letter
can arrive ; the latter is only report ; and [ will not
incur the censures so well deserved by my country-
men, of propagating favourable news without ascer-
taining its truth. Gerona, however, still holds out,
and a town, which the great engineer Mariscant re-
ported last year to Napoleon to be incapable • of de-
fence, has employed a French army of 25,000 men
near five months, though chiefly, if not entirely de-
fended by its inhabitants. It absolutely rivals, nay
exceeds Saragossa. Is it true that the CAAlero Wil-
son is recalled ? We could spare another English
General much better; for if he is, as I learn by your
public dispatches, only a partizan, he suits us much
better than your consummate Generals do, who de-
spse our troops, calumniate cur Commanders, con-
sume our provisions, and, with the bravest army in
ettivere, do us no good at all. Cuidad Rodrigo
is now the scene of ,or triumphs. The preservation
of that place with small means, and in the worst pe-
rtte Ow waro is owing; to the exertions of that Ca-

baler° Wilson, whom you call a partizan, but whom
we Spaniards rely upon as a steady auxiliary ; be-
cause we have seen him unshaken in the midst ()lour
severest calamities. General Equia is removed, or
has retired. He was of Cuesta's school, and nearly
of the same age. As a gallant veteran he is entitled
to praise ; but
Non tall nec defensoribus Istis

'l'empus eget.
And both in our civil and military contests we have
had too many feeble Priams throwing their lances at
Achilles. Venegas, who is said not to be entirely satis-
fied with the conduct, and still less with the language
of the British Commander, and his brother the Mar.
quis, had at one time solicited permission to retire on
pretence of health. It is now said that Blake is to
replace Equia, and that Venegas is to take the com-
mand in Catalonia. The appointment of Blake will
give general satisfaction to the army, who place great
confidence in his military talents and experience :
and in the present state of our Government it will be
no small consolation to all good Spaniards to see the
armies of Andalusia and Catalonia under the direc-
tion of two men like Blake and-Vcnegas, who are not
less attached to the liberties of the people than zea-
lous in the cause of national independence. We are
on the eve of great changes, if Napoleon, from em-
ployment in Germany, leaves us leisure to effect
them. Our improvident Junta cling to the shadow
of precarious and nominal power with a childishness
truly contemptible. The Provincial Juntas disobey
and insult them ; they are surrounded by spies, ene-
mies, and intriguers ; they inspire neither confidence
nor fear in any class of the community ; and they
have themselves acknowledged, by their public acts
and private resolutions, the necessity of concentrating
the executive and extending the legislative branches
of the government—measures which would at once
allay all our discontents. They rejected the scheme
of a Regency ; and if the Cardinal of Bourbon were
to be the Regent, who can blame their derision ?
They have resolved on an executive commission ;
but the only plan chat has been submitted to them
they have rejected, and it is feared they will feel equal
repugnance to every other submitted to their appro.
bation. They decree I ti. ! necessity of a Cortes as far
i back as last May ; yet ti •.‘• nave neither fixed the 1
! period, nor arranged the I; 1P of assembling them.
I Six months have passed. an. --nave not yet settled
whether there shall be one C oer or more! Their 1
I conduct about the press is ye 'lie intolerable ;it is
dictated by the basest nn tn. , oi fear, and produc-
tive of the most mischievous c,-nsequences. I related
i to you in a former letter how tise editor of the semi-
mei. Pariatico was warned to ab tainirom certain
topics in his journal. He publicly declared his reso-
lution of suppressing the public..tion,rather than con-
tinue it subject. to any such illegal and impolitic re-
straint. The consde • honorable has once been made
i him ; a place under the Government has been offered
1 him ; but he has refused to accept it. It is true, that
through the influence of Jovt•ilanos and the wiser
7 part of the Junta, men of talents and acquirements
have been lately employed in preparing the regula-
tions for the Cortes; bu , alas ! the good party in the
Junta, though actuated by the purest patriotism, and
i directed by the soundest principles, have not that vi.
I gour, that activity, that enterprise, which alone can
ensure success in such revolutionary times, or over
come the obstinate and bigotted adherence of interes-
ted men to the corruptions and abuses of an arbitrary
Government.

PRIVATE LETTERS.
CADIZ, OCTOBER so.

The Marquis of Wellesley remains at Seville, not-
withstanding all that was apprehended to the con-
trary ; and we are now perumded things must take
the turn every well wisher to the cause, endowed
with a know ledge of country, has been long
anxious for ; if so, the Peninsula will not bend to the '
deminion of her invaders : but the materials she pos-
sesses to resist and crush this band of barbarians un-
doubtedly deserve wise:, more experienced, and more
enes getic leaders.
Tins most de,iiittly desired consumnation has, I
hope, come at last : the minds of the people are now
more quiet since important changes have evidently '
taken place in the system of management.
Sp :nisi) families daily arrive here, having made
then ,cape horn Madrid ; a vessel is also just
:om Port Passage with a number of emigrant
Sp:.:. wh3 fly fram the atrocious conduct of the
Fre h, which never can long lie endured by the na-
tiv Persons at the capital are daily compelled io
gin .''rafts on their fr.ends and partners in other parts
of ;- .ain for the supply of the coffers of Joseph.
immortal Gerona has, we fear, fallen.
Id your good folks at home be only persuaded
to ,t
.c:e a radical reform in the Commissariat de-
p at, and place hbnourable experienced mercan-
tie mt..: at the head, with full powers to act, your
would then be useful allies to the Spaniards ;
as matters stand they are only in the way, and de-
st- i►t one week that which, properly husbanded,
might serve a month.
It is a long time since I heard from you, but I have
not failed to write to you ever since I have been here,
giving you an account of the occurrences in this City,
by way of Cadiz, and by the same channel you may
write to me.

We hope to be delivered from the hands of our
enemies, but some unlucky events have protracted
this happy period. It will not, however, be long, as
the army of La Mancha is only 12 leagues, (48 miles)
from hence, with 50,000 well disciplined infantry and
9000 cavalry.
_

The army of Estremadura is also near Talavera,
with a great force, as it is united with that of the
English under General Wellesley, who is the Com.
mander in Chief. I believe that these armies are on
the best understanding with regard to each other, and
that the present attempt will be the last they will have
occasion to make, as the French receive no reinforce-
ments, and have no competent army to penetrate into
the interior. On the contrary, instead of advancing,
they make retrograde movements, abandoning the
stations they had before established. They have' ost
in the whole above 300,000 men. Their present
strength, comprehending all their different posts, is
from 90 to 100,000 men, but from these should be
deducted 18,000 sick and wounded, which are in
Madrid.

LISBON, OCTOBER es.
A serious affray took place last night, at Belem :
some of the Ist Dragoons, drinking in a• tavern, quar-
relled amongst tbetnielves. The PM of the house

wont out anti called to tba Progr4c
Poke,
attacked the dragoons and sh • one of them dam,.,
The dragoons immediately drew their swords,
three of the police and wounded several. One ol'
police placed himself behind a door where hcext-2cai
some of the dra,oons would enter ; but L. ilapi:tned
to be his owaollicer that first came in. 11,-.
pflact
man ran him hough the heart, and he instantly ex.
pircd.

The officers with great difficulty got the drags,
into their barracks, otherwise they would hay:. c:t
the Portuguese to pieces.
There is nothing new from the army. The ac, . r.;
from Spain say, that the French are retreating tk ,
their frontiers.

THE.EVENING STAR

LONDON.

ERRATUM IN OUR tasT.,—For the date 14th Sep.
axed to the Seville article, read 14th Octuber.

MONDAY, NOVEMBER
PRICE OF STOCKS THIS DAY AT ONE O'CLor77
3 per Cent. Cons. forponey 69}—account
3 per Cent. Red. 611iFmnium 94} prem.
PRICE 01' STOCKS ON SATURDAY.
Bank Stock 282 India Bands 335. 345. pr.
3 per Cent. Red. 69 69;1 Imp. 3 per Cent. 7:1,-
3 per Cent. Cons. 70it irish 5. per Cents. t
4 per Can. twei Excheq. Bills, i 3s. 173. pre.
5 per Cent. Navy 10214 Omnium prem.
L. Ann. 18 11.16thsi 11-18ths COLS. for acc. 70ft

We have this day laid before our readers futile
extracts from the Spanish and Portuuese papers, als3
from private letters to the 31st ult. A letter from
Cadiz supposes Gerona to have at length been re.
duced to the necessity of surrendering ; but a !mar
from Tarragona, near the scene of action, shews
so late as the Bth ult. Gerona still triumpliLd
the attacks of the enemy.

The recent advantages gained by tl.e ;;puni,i,►!:
over the French at Salamanca u ill be
in a letter from Colonel CA►Utnl., given in o r evract.
from the Gazette of Saturday.

Since our last Dutch papers to the 10th, cenuiaiii
Paris intelligence to the 7th inst. haVe beea tc:eivei
The reported action in the Mediterranean is mentioad
in the Rotterdam Courant of Thursday laic, in an ars
tide dated Nismes, 28th October, wl.:cl, st..tes, that
on the night of the 26th, between 10 and
two violent explosions were heard :n the dirccuon
the Coast, and that it was aftenvard; asce7tain,d that
a number of French and Engli.,h 're seen
between Cette and Auguesmortei, two c.f which hr..l
been driven on shore and blown up. L.lt,.:rs n ceiv
at Rotterdam from Paris also state, that t 1 convr,
trom Toulon to Barcelona Ir.d been hAert:;:pt:.ci
captured by the English Mediterranean fleet. W
wish we could add, that no doubts are enlercaine,lc,
the accuracy of this intelligence, but .1:, re is a
crepancy in the dates which makes Eli
it Lull credit, though we arc strongly -aelinzd
lieve it will yet be confirmed.
I Two great Convocations are to assemble at
in the course of the current, or early in the
' month ; one of the Members of the Collie-Jen:tit n
the Rhine, anotlier of the Cardinals. The ti liner
probably called to witness the apportionment of tie
Tyrol and Saltzburgh ; the hotter to sanction the tia
position of the present POPE, and the elevation
Cardinal FESCII to that dignity. The BavariaLs,ana
other German trcops, it appears, are to be sent t 9
Spain.

A Cabinet Council was held on Saturday at the
Foreign Office. All the Members in town were p:e.
sent. They sat from two till five o'clock.

The late Earl of ARRAN'S ribbon has been given :q
the Marquis of TIIONIONL4
Mr. PERCEVAL and family arrived on Saturday at
his official house in Downing-street, from his seat at
Ealing.
We are happy to announce, that the Princess
AMELIA is a little better since her return to Windsi;r.
Thursday his Grace the Duke of ALUIL3OROL(iIf
and family returned to Blenh im.

The receipts of the Customs for the present yt'r,
will, it is said, exceed by one naillion six hut h!:,%!
thousand pounds those of the I:Lst.

The honourable and ancient office of High Stew:74
of the City of Bristol, vacant Ly the death of hi;
Grace the Duke of PORTLAND, remains yet undi,-
posed of. Some say the Body Corporate, in wh,,q-
gift it is, intend to offer it to the Duke of Nousq.K.;
others speak of Lord GRENVILLE, as likely to be lo
Grace's successor. Certain it is, that the Corpora•
tion of Bristol are very anxious to select a Nobleman
for this distinguished office who will support their
claims and customs with zeal and effect.

The canvass for the Chancellorship of Oxford
now carried on very warmly. It has been erronectoly
stated that the Archbishop of YORK favours the Duke
Of BEAUFORT. His Grace, with the Bishops of Los-
' DON, ST. AsAril, and OXFORD, are all the strenuous
advocates of Lord GRENVILLE. The- majority o:
Christ Church is certainly in favour of his Lorthlop,
with the two learned Censors, Dr. WennEtt and ll:.
Coto, at the head of the party. Professors \V!;::-..
and ATTERBURY, with Messrs. TARPLEY, HAND! :01
and SMELT, have not yet declared themselves. Th:,
Vice-Chancellor, with the whole of University Col-
lege, St. John's and Worcester, are the Patroiyi c:
Lord ELDON. The Duke of BEAUFORT has a very
considerable party in most of the other
The Ladies, though it may be doubted whether gall,:
consistently with propriety, are extremely aeuve.
Miss .BURTON and the Lady of Sir C. Puow, hay"
particularly distinguished themselves in the canvas
for Lord GRENVILLE.

A Report hay ingbeen circulated that Lord anus
was likely to withdraw from the .contest for tl►e Chi::-
ce►,ocsnip of the University of Oxford, .we :tie titalte-
rizcd to give it this public contradiction, and to assure
j the Iviernber3 of Caavoc4ion that it is altogether un.
fotukg,ed,