The Statesman.
London, England, 1823-06-28 00:00:00

PORTUGAL.

Intelligence has been received from Lisbon, to the
-4th inst. three days later than the accounts in the papers
brought by the last mail. It is stated that Lisbon, at that
date, still exhibited an air of the greatest sadness, that
the shops were shut up, the Exchange deserted, and that
the cry of rice el Rey absoltdo proceeded only from the
soldiers, who commenced their return to their old qnar-
ters only on the 3d. They are represented to have been
in a state of indiscipline, and to have dismissed three of
their Colonels. It is also asserted that henersl Sepnl-
'veda is expected to die in consequence of wounds he re-
ceived from some of his troops.
On the 2d the Cortes held their last sitting. On that day
Bores Carneiro moved that the sittings be suspended'
until the Permanent Deputation again convoked the
Cortes, they not considering themselves to be dissolved,
and that they should now make a protest, and have it en-
tered on the journals. Several deputies spoke in support
of this motion, which was adopted, and the protest
was signed by all the members present. Votes of
thanks to all the volunteer corps who lt.ol remained
faithful to their oaths, and adhered to the coniti ration to
the last, were passed, and the Cortes finally broke up.—
The King was still at Villa Franca on the 31, on which
day the following proclamation wa • issued in his name:—
Portuguese.—lnstead of a constitution that might sus-
tain the monarchy, and instead of representatives chosen by
yourselves, there appear under those sacred titles a tissue
of ma%ims promulgated with the view of disguising sub-
versive and unstable principles, which have frir their secret
purpose the destroying the reigning dynasty along with the
Portuguese monarchy ; and representatives who are almost
all elected by iirtifice and subornation.
" The virtuous citizens have been oppressed by the yoke
of the factious; and fidelity to the King was, according to
the principles which corrupt men in exalted stations held,
and fearlessly prosecuted, branded as a crime.
" A structure composed of such materials, could not
longer endure; experience condemns it, and if its authors
for some time maintained their power in spite of your
wishes, it was by virtue of promises which they could not
realize by the course they had adopted. Recovered from
their errors, they have dissolved themselves de facto—
they had united themselves de facto, and I dissolve them de

joie.
" Solicitous for your interest, I determined to save my
royal dignity by restoring the monarchy, which should be
the foundation, and not the sport of every constitution.—
Portuguese fidelity had shone with the brightest lustre even
among those who were the authors of all these evils; since
they have, in a great measure, voluntarily renounced their
delusion.
" Portuguese—your King. freely seated on the throne of
his ancestors, is about to secure your happiness, by giving
you a constitution, in which, before all things, are pro-
scribed, the principles which experience has proved to be
incompatible with the peace of the state. Your sovereign
can only consider himself happy, when lie sees all his sub-
jects united. lie forgets past opinions, and only requires
fidelity in future conduct.
(Signed)
(Countersigned)
" JO %QUIN PEDRO GOMEZ DE OLIVEIRA.
I " Villa Franca de Xira, July 3, 1523."

" JOHN.

SPAIN.

Seville papers to the 13th inst. have arrive], contain
ing the debates in the Cortes on the removal of the King
from Seville to Cadiz. They commenced on the llth
of June, on the reading of the following proposition sub-
mitted by senor Galiano
tt I pray the Cortes, that in consideration of the situ-
ation of the conntry, they will be pleased to make a call
on the Government, to inquire of it what our situation is,
and what are the measure which have been adopted to
place in security the person of his Majesty and the Cortes,
and that the Cortes adopted the necessary resolutions in
pursuance of the reply which shall be made."
Senor Argnelles moved as an addition to Senor Oa-
liano's motion, that the Cortes should continue in a per-
manent sitting until the proposed object was obtained.
The proposition thus amended was agreed to.
The President announced that the Searetaries of State
were now present, and that the motion of Senor lialiano
was about to he read to them.
Senor Gallant) said, that in the first place he wished
the Ministers to state the position occupied by the enemy.
The Secretary of State for the War Department said,
the Cortes are already acqnainted with the difficulties the
military commanders experience in obtaining informa-
tion of the enemy's movements. The French have availed
themselves of the factious by sending them two or three
leagues in advance, for the purpose of disguising their
intentions. The factious, treat the citizens with the great-
est severity. On this ground Brigadier Plasencia, of
whom the Government had asked an explanation why he
did not circumstantially detail the force that had entered
Madrid, represented to the Government the impossibi-
lity of exactly knowing tne enemy's movement.—
Nevertheless the Government has succeeded in
obtaining an account nearly correct of the force which
the French have in our territory. To obtain possession
of the capital, the French divided themselves into three
corps; and the Government calculates, that about 30,000
men, including, 7,000 cavalry, arrived at Madrid. As
for the centre corps, it is not understood to consist of any
other force than Molitor's division. Its object is to
cover Arragon as far as Lerida. The troops Which have
entered Catalonia under the command of Marshal Mon-
cey amount to from 15,000 to '241,000 men. They are di-
vided on three points, always concentrating themselves
towards Manresa. General Mina, -at the head of his va-
liant troops, continues to maintain himself in advantage-
ous positions ; hut in his last despatches he point out the
necessity of sending him reinforcements, as he has to
cover the important fortresses of Figueras,Barcelona Tar-
ragona, and others, in which duty a great part of his
force is employed; so that there only remains to hint a
corps of 5,000 men, divided into different columns. The
total force which has entered Spain, the Government
estimates at upwards of eighty-thousand men, includ-
ing ten thousand cavalry. The enemy's force in
the capital was formed. jipto three divisions ; one
advanced upon Tllavera : soon after another marched
towards Aranjuez to take the line of the Tagus. 'They
began by operations against, our troops ',Weil occupied
the bridge of Arzahispo. According to the information
communicated by General Castehlorrios and General Lo-
pez Banos, these troops of the enemy amounted to 5,000
men. Later despatches, and particularly one dated
tl
4th, stated that the enemy's corps which had been
at Talavera, bad obtained a reinforcement moult.-
ing to other 5,000 tacit. The troops of the enemy's
centre corps advanced by the way of La Mancha. The
Government had difficulty in ascertaining its progress ;
but under date of the 4th, it was learnt that a vanguard
had arrived at Madridekos, and afterwards that -these
troops belonged to the Royal Guard. The third column
which forms the enemy's left, has been approximating
to the Serrania de Cuenca, to repel the troops under
General Ballasteros. The Minister then proceeded to
describe the advance of the French towards Seville; the.
main facts respecting which are already well known. In
the course of his statement, he observed, that the Go-
vernment being sensible of the necessity of forming a
second eschelon at Cordova, succeeded with difficulty in
sending a battalion thither. It was fit the Cortes should
know that the army of reserve, the establishment of
which was 11 bittialions of infantry, was reduced to
four b ittalions, and must remain in that state until the
new draughts arrive, which will be slowly. In conse
gnenee of the deficiency of resources, the Government
applied to 'the Cortes, who have invested them with
ample powers; but notwithstanding, the efforts made by
the provincial deputations to meet the demands made
upon them, all that is wished to be done is not yet ac-