Star.
London, England, 1816-02-26 00:00:00

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MADRID, IMMO. t •

• PRIVATE LETTER. • •
" The ridiculous events which have just taken
place at Court, afford a new proof of the mean, pistions
of the servile faction which surrc'unds the throne with
the secret tricks of foreign diplomacy, arid of the
astonishing weakness of the King. We shall not
extend ourselves on the subject of those miserable in-
trigues, with which we are well acquainted ; but we
shall relate the manner in which the affair was con.
ducted, and the cabals which have contributed to
render it no less ridiculous than scandalous.
" The courtiers are divided into two parties. The
first, which is composed of the Council of Castile,-
Lardizabal, the Doke of Infantado, &c. undertook
to overthrow the Minister Cevallos, in order to raise
to his place some individual belonging to its own
factions. The Es-minister Vallejo was chosen as a
tool to be put forward in this enterprise. He ad.
dressed the King, and succeeded iii persuading him
that Cevallos was too ignotant for laii situation.—
The events of Bayonne in 1808 cupported that- asset..
tion. He even added, that on that memorable occa-
sion, Cevallos had written.to several persons in favour
of King Joseph. The King, who was already pre
disposed against him, became entirely so en readin:t.
the paragraphs which ap,-..ared in an English Pape,
of the 4th and sth Januaty, which condemned his
Government, and irritated him so much, that be
caused them to be transmitted instantly to the Coun.
cil of Castile, in order that it should examine the
sentiments expressed by that Paper, and report its
opinion on the subject. Vallejo did not fail to avail
himself of this circumstance, to depict Cevallos as an
indolent Minister, who, did not know how to support
the interests of his Master, or to procure and babe
writers in London to take his defence.
" The downfall of the Ministers connected with!
Cevallos once resolved, the King found himself so,
much embarrassed in the redaction of his Decrees,'
that he had them altered three times before they
were published in the Extraordinary Gazette of the
27th ult. The first of these Decrees spoke of nothing
but removals and sentences of banishment ; the third,
leaving Cevallos in his place, nothing was mentioned
but the rewards of his Colleagues.
" A league was then formed between the Infant
Don Carlos, the Captain• General of Madrid, and the
Grand Inquisitor, which compose the opposite party
to the Council of Castile, and are the support of Mi-
nisters. They resolved that the Inquisitor should
present to the King a Memorial in favour of Ceval-
los, in which they would speak of the great services
which he had rendered, and of his eminent talents,
and would declare that the facts asserted by Vallejo
were false and calumnious.

" The reaction was the more complete, as Vallejo
having no proofs to adduce, drew down upon himself
the indignation of the King, who banished him to
Ceuta for ten years.
His party, however, endeavour to support
and the Council has transmitted to its Attornies-Ge.
neral the decree of his condemnation, in order that
they should oppose it, as contrary to one issued some
time before, in which it was ordered that no one
could be tried, except by the Tribunals as by law
established. Should this party obtain that Vallejo
should be tried by the Council, there is every cNance
of his being acquitted, and in that case Cevailos
would be exposed to a second disgrace much more
formidable 0 an tlle first.

From the expected Report of the Council, it is
hoed that the 'Editor pf the English Paper will be
demanded to be punished in Spain, and should Eng-
Mild refuse to deliver him up, it is possible that An
bruit:Mk Annad.2. as in the time of Phili:p 11. may
be sent to force the British GArernment to oppose nu
obstacle to the punishment of that Writer ! !
It is asserted that very secret ruotitt,i produce
that obstinate struggk between the two punts, and
it may be noticed at the came time that Lardizahal
and the Council exert all th, power of intrigue, to
cause the m.rriages with the Princesses-of Brazils so
take place, whilst Cevallos, supported by a powerful
influence, opposes them with all his might.
" In the midst of all these ridiculous conflicts
public misery increases daily, and the national re-
sources are annihilated. No rations are now delivered
to the troops, whose pay is not the more regular on
that account."

MURDER IN JAMAICA.—A Coroner's Inquest was,
in the last week in December, held in Jamaica, on
the body of Mr. Felix Amestoy, a Spanish Gentle-
man, late Paymaster to General •Ilolivar's Guard of
Honour, who was found murdered at the lodging.
house of Raphael Poisa, corner of Princess and
White streets. A negro man, named Pen, the pro-
perty of General Bolivar, was appreheuded, and,
during his examination, confessed that he had perpe-
trated the horrid deed when in astate of intoxication,
about ten o'clock on Sunday night. The Jnry,
after a 100 consultation, returned a verdict accor-
dingly, and the Coroner, immediately after, coin-
.
muted Peo to take his, trial at a Slave Court. The
following statement has been published relative to
the above murders_" The negro was offered two
thousand dollars by some Spaniards (whose names
he will not yet mention) for the murder of his master,
which he consented to, not having sufficient fidelity
to wilistand so tempting an offer. The General
had quitted his late lodgings for a day, and in tit_
mean time' sent his baggage and effects to the apart
meats of Lieutenant-Colonel Paez, one of his lase
Aides-de•Camp, until lie went into his new lodgings,
which be expected to hhve done the next day.—
The General had slept one night at Colonel EWE'S
in his hammock, and the negro expicted he would
have reiurned the next night, but it genies late the
lights were put out, and the dl-lilted paymaster, laid
himself down to rest in the General's hammock, and
fell asleep. The negro, agreeably to his murderous
contract, when all was quiet, came up, and feeling a.
man in the hammock whom he took for his master.
plunged his knife into the neck of his supposed vie.
um; when thrunhappy man sprung up, and strug-
gled with the negro until lie received a second and
mortal wound in the left side, near the back ; he then
fell, and shortly after expired. The case of the knife
was found in the assassin's pocket, with some pow.
dered glasl, and other poison, and he confessed the
deed. A Spaniard was seen to have communication
through the window with him before he shut up the
house. This is the third tilde General Bolivar's life
has been attempted.",