Star.
London, England, 1823-11-06 00:00:00

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vernment. It is easy ea conceive how this 'occursewee
must have had au extraordinary influence, Utah in eni-
boldening the Servilei, and discouraging theleinstitua -
tionalists; more especially when the French lAid the
power of obstructing • all communications through. ut
the country, and could give to this event whatever
colour might pest suit their purpose. We shall abstain
from further comment, and lay before the Reader, in
No. 2, thesexplanations given by his Britannic Majesty's
Minister on this point.
It was of immense impokance to the maintenance of •
public spitit, anti the defence of the sacred cause of
liberty, that the British Government, since it took. no
direct part in the support of that cause, shonld continue
its good offices for the re-establishment el peace on
seasonable and honourable terms, and that the conduct
of its Minister should not of ground for interpreta-
tions unfavourable to the Constitutional Government :
for this reason the accompanying Note, No. 9, was on
;the 20th of July addre,sed to the Ambassador. Neither
t1115.6116e, nor others more energetic and expressive,
which were afterwards dispatched, expressly soliciting
tbaniediation.of England, predated any sensible effect,
either in the way. of adisicroventouragement to the Con -
'sti,utionalists, who now regarded themselves as abandon-
ed by the whole world, while the enemy persuaded
Spaniards that all the Powers of Europe were against them.
Notwithstanding that the Cortes found themselves et
this unfortunate situation, they never belied their prin. .
ciples, and were always ready to make any possible.s:es
crifice, rather than fail in their duty, or do leytliina;
which might stain their cause. Uids these feelirigs,
they concluded, on the 6th of August, their ordinary
Session, after having invested the Government aVit!l
all the powers which the Ministers 'thought neees-
sary for maintaining the honour arid independence
of the nation. Though, according to the Constitua
tion, the Deputies,- after the 6th of August, had isa
reason to suppose they ought to assemble again and
deliberate, end were not bound to continue in Cadiz,
they imposed upon themselves the law of residing
in that city, lest the Government should consider itde.
cessary to summon them as Cortes Extraordinary. We
are not aware, that in passing this law, any of the 118
Deputies, who had at length arrived in Cadiz, were
absent,. for only two were wanting in the last sit-
tings, and they probably could assign some lezaiti-•
mate cause for not being present. Having their
property confiscated by the decree of the Regency,
receiving no part of their allowance from the nit.
tional treasury, and plundered of their property on
leaving Seville, the Members of the Cortes submitted
to the most severe privations. How unjust, then, is it,
to rob them of their honour, which is the only wealth
they now possess, and which they have preserved at ro
great a sacs ifice ?
When the Cortes terminated their ordinary Session, of
the 6th of August, the defence of Cadiz presented an as-
pect sufficiently flattering. The enemy had been &-
leated in the sortie of the 16th of July; the stimulus of
private interest was sufficient to discover the means of
introducing provisions, so that no want was experienced,
nor any other inconvenience than the rise of prices ; the
besieged army, though small in number, was animate:3
by an excellent spirit, and the people of -Cadiz $1,4'.1.•
fested a devoted zeal for liberty.
Fresh disasters and reverses soon put to the proof t'aa
virtues of the Constitutionalists. Ballasteros capitelicett
with his brilliant army, in which the nation had piace:t
its last hope; and the Trocadero was taken by *smrt
in the night of the 30th of August. Previously, on the
17th of the same month, the Duke of Angouleme had
addressed to the king the letter No. 4, to .which Ferta-
nand VII. replied, as in No. 5.. At the same time the •
Government addressed to the British Minister the Ne.ie
included in No. 6. The answer of the British ftliniiter
stated that the Duke of Angouleme would nut adMit
the mediation of England, and that he had dispatched
a courier to his Court, from which he had receiver**,
reply during the whole of the month of September:
On the 6th of September, the Government. convoked
the Cortes Extraordinary, and submitted ,to them an
Recount of the state of the nation in terms which were
briefly reported in the Cadiz Papers. 'Among the. do.
cuments presented by the Government, was the RiC(nri.,
panying paper, No.-1, which Comprehends the Report
of a Junta of Generals on the 31st of August, stating
that the defence of Cadiz was eery difficult, and at-
tended with great risk. The Ministers proposed that
the Cortes should hold a secret sitting on this report ;
but the Cortes, desirous of giving complete publicity
to their decisions, resolved to discuss It in a public 'sit-
ting. This was the resolution of the secret sitting-LSetv-
N 0.7. Nothing could be expected from the Cortes ex■
cept grants of further powers, or contributions in men
and money; but as every grant in their power had
already been made, there was now nothing to be done
but to acknowledge the communication; but at the
same time the Deputies earnestly urged the Ministers to
exert themselves with energy in increasing the means of
defences and preserving the honour and independence
of the nation.
On the 9th of September the Government convoked
the Cortes for another Secret Sitting, the nature of which
is explained by N0..8. The Cortes also passed in a Pub*
tic Sitting, the resolution which does them so ninth
honour, on the opinion of the nation, and the rules which.
the Government ought to observe in its Conduct. It
is not necessitit to say in re on this resolution, as it haS
Already appeared: in the public journals.
17 No. 9. contains the 'account of thethird Settet Sitting,
for which the Cortes were convoked by thelliove!notem
on the 18th of September. On this occa-itio the
Cortes found no business to transact,. but the '
ment gave the assurance of having done sill that had
been recommended.
Afterwards, on the
.9.3c1,, the. French squadron stood.
,in to attack Cadiz, sending a-head a sloop which direst
tWelve-pouud, bombs, 11 tartans and bomb-vessels,-
whiefrfited9Pound grenades, and 13 gum-boats, cam-1
tying 36-pounders. They had in serene :90 other,
armed vessels to inpfort the combat, and abort *lip'
, fleet, with trooPsior disembarkatioo, wits.inisserkek,j4
is impossible to describe the valour and ..opthnsiaassii, . •
iihicls,were on this occasion •displtieoy.dickgeutigot
tlictiabbnsit inilitikandthe pulp . _
batteries most exposed to the enemy s tire, it was nem-