Star.
London, England, 1811-08-09 00:00:00


SPAINgg PAPEItJ.

• •-•
• CORI ES.
'
SITTING ttr Jug's 15.
*ettor Ostolaza, adverting to the impression which
-bad been made'hy the current reports of the fall of
Tarragona, made the following propositions :
Ist. That the Sittings of the Cortes should be permanent.
9.1. That the Council of Regency ►hould deliberate about no
other topic but War ansl Finance; •ise Secretaries abstaining from
giving an account of measures on any other subject.
3d. That a Council should be speedily assembled, which the
Right Rev. Archbishops and Bishops should be exhorted to turns.
' Senors Golfin, Arguelles, and Villanueva, made a
number of apposite observations, in consequence of
which the motions were rejected.
The Senor Secretary, in consequence of this dis.
mission, which was introduced by the notice of the
fall of ,Tarragona, presented a letter from the Re-
gency, which stated that the place had been taken on
the '2Bth, hut professed ignorance of the causes which
bad led to that event.
Senor Arguelles moved the following propositions,
which were appointed for discussion ;
Thar during the urgent circumstances of the moment,
poe%er should he granted to the Council of Regency to su•pcnd
from their functruus such Provincial Juntas as it may not deem
use I ur.
'A. That Deputies be:appointed to repair to the Isle of I.eon,
in order to examine what foundation there Is for the rumours that
are afloat of the discontent of the Troops, or account of their not
being ,upplied with nect ssaries.
Id. That the Council ot Regency be authorized to dismiss from
their employment all those who from weakness or want of ener-
gy have not acted up to their duty, replacing them with other
persons properly qualified.
The dangers of the country, which are sufficiently
manifest, excited the enthusiasm of a number of de.
puties, who with warmth respectively proposed the
measures which they thought necessary for its salva-
tion. In the midst of this diversity of sentiment,
Senor Aner proposed the following Resolutions,
which were finally approved :
Ist. That the Council of Regency be required to present with-
Is 24 hours the measures which It deems necessary for obtaining
those resources which are required by the necessities of the State,
In such way that it may not omit any measure that can be direc-
ted to the salvation of the country.
td. The armed force of the nation being at the disposal of the
Council of Regency, they are therefore required to catry into
effect its assent lenient at all the most important points.
ed. That the Council of Regency, rising superior to every pre-
judice, propose those supplies and resources which circumstances
admit of, in order to a.sist the unfortunate Principality. of Cam-
bola, so that its distinguished patriotism be not sunk and de-
pressed.
The propositionsof Senor Arguelles were then taken
into consideration, when the first of them was reject-
ed ; but the second,
.appointing a Committee ot en-
quiry into the causes ot the discontents of the army
in the Isla, was carried.

SITTING OF JULY 16.
In pursuance of a Resolution adopted in the secret
sitting of yesterday, a letter was read from Tarra-
gona, of the 22d of June, transmitted from the Com-
mission of the Superior Junta of Catalonia, the sub-
stance of %%bids was as follows :
" se N ea—Yesterday evening the enemy wade himself master
of the fort, the curtain, and other points; ill the mean time Bri-
gadier Velasco took the command tat other points which had been
abandoned, iu ecnistquence of Brigadier Sarsfield having left the
fortress without leave.
" The place, in consequence, wIU not be able to holdout long
unless the army oblige the enemy to raise the siege. A letter
has, with this view, been transmitted to the General in Chief,
who, through indolence, has done nothing, though he has been
tcpeattdly incited by the Governor, Contreras.
" It is, !towel er, beyond a doubt,,thaGif this fortress is lost,
that of kigueras must also tall"
Senor Oliveros obseried, that they ought to suspend
their opinion of Sarsfield till that officer presented the
letters of the General, which summoned him to take
the command of his advanced guard.
Senor Utges said that be was acquainted with Eri-
gadier Sarstield ; he believed him to be a brave man,
who had distinguished himself on various occasions ;
and therefore they ought to deliberate before they
adopted any resolution.
It was resolved that the letter should be sent to the
Council of Regency, that it might proceed to the in-
vestigation of the facts, and to punish the guilty'.
EXTRACT FROM THE REPORT MADE BY THE CHIEF OF
• TILE STAFF OF THE EXPEDITION CORPS, TO THE CHIEF
OF Tint GENERAL STAFF, AND DATED
" Trigueros, July 1.
44 On the 29th some troops were ntarched from
Gibraltar, for the purpose of making an attempt upon
Niebla. With this view, the Marshal de Campo Don
Jose Zayas advanced with his ,ith division, winch pre-
sented itself before the said place on the 30th, at day.
break, with the cavalry and the artillery of the sth
army, at the, very time when the advanced guard,
under the command of its General Don Jose de Lan.
dizabal, took a position upon the high road tiom Vil-
larasa to Seville, with the cavalry of the Expedition
Corps.:—Niebla (the population of which is now re-
duced to 100 persons) presents, with its ancient wall,
in a good state of preservation, and a castle united to
its circuit, and forming a lind of citadel, a strong
post.; but the enemy had rendered it still more re-
spectable by the addition of a 12-pounder, two 7-
pounder howitzers, and other.seven pieces of artillery,
and by completely surrounding the place with vari-
ous works. Such is Niebla since it has become a
point of support fit the enemy in his ravages, and a
place of deposit for multiplied and grievous requisi-
tions, by wfiich the surrounding townships are ruined
and exasperated.
44 His Excellency the General in Chief, desirous of
trying whether the people of the district could be de-
livered from so distressing a situation, was disposed
to make an attempt upon Niebla, notwithstanding
that we were not possessed of all the means necessary
for securing success, nor could spare much of that
time which was to be devoted to more important ob-
jects. As span, therefore, as he learned that•the Go-
vernor had rejected the summons of General Zayas,
he proceeded :u reconnoitre the place, directing that
in the wean time ladders and other necessary imple-
Tnetars stuzind be required from the neighbotuipg vil-
lages, it not being considered prudent to undertake
Ithe,operation during the day.
" On this account the troops of the fourth division
and tile ..rtillery of the fifth army, did not commence
the at.ack until the moon was set. The right was
placed under the direction of the Marshal de Campo
Lon Joan de la CalZ Murgeon, and the left under
the litigadier of the Royal Vs'alloon Guards, Don
Carlos Dency. In the min time, some infantry
passed the gio Tinto, to make a false attack' on the
eastern side of the forties, , 7
The troops advaitee4 with the ladders under a