The Statesman.
London, England, 1823-01-23 00:00:00

PO ItTUOA L.

The following important intelligence has arrived, anti
is thus prefaced by a Ministerial paper :
" The account which we yesterday gave, (eon?
French Journal, of the statement made by tbe
guese Minister for Foreign ilTtirs, was so confuse,T
that' wet' scarcely knew whit intelligible inference t.,
draw from it. The subjoined detail, however, clears
all. that was obscure, and developer the basis upon wkic.i
the fatale relations between this country and Por!upti
are to rest. Many important considera•ions Are 'write,
eil by this conmanication to the Portuguese Corte';
which we cannot touch upon to day. EnJanl, it
seems, is pledged to support Portugal, in case of attack:.
vet, Portugal is about to form an alliance, offensive an&
defensive, with Spain against leaner. In that case, tbc
close of Sp.:;n will become the clunmon cause of II:-
Peninsula ; and if so, will an attack upon die one
try be cons:rued by our Government into such .v
danger, as affecting Portugal, as will call up in it
to redeem its pledge of assistance and protec:ion
" JAN. 3.

" In the Sitting of the Cortes, on the ;fist of Deer's.
her, the Minister of State for Foreign A.irs, preseni...t
a ff
Report on the state of the relations Of Portuguese Jl.._
patchy with foreign nations. In this very Ling Iteone‘
the Minister first gives a view of the commercial p -qtr
of Portugal. He recapitulates the discussion o ills tireat
Britain relative to the imposition of an additional defy.
on British woollen manufactures. The slide was sub-
mitted to the Extraordinary Cortes, which could cot .1..
cide it, on A, count of the accumulation of business wita
wbich they were engaged ; and it is therefore very ne.
cessary that the present Uortes should take it into their
consideration, since ;en their resolution depend not
the maintenance of the friendship and good.understand-
ing happily subsisting between the two countries, bur
also the beginningol negotiations for a new treaty infer,
favourable to the interest, of Portugal than that of !trio
which it is intended to amend.
" When His Alajestv's Government proposal eauruae.
dal arrangements with Great Britain, it not only has in
view to promote the national industry, but, considering-
well understood interests to he the most solid basis of
every liance, the Government hoped that the more in-
timately the interests of Portugal were united with
those of Great Britain, the more ready that Power would
he to declare against any project of aggression ward fist d
by other Powers, on account of our present politic.
revolutions; a project which it was impossible not to
see, was meditated against the Peninsula by France, at
the head of the Holy Alliance.
" So long, (says the report,) • as these demonstrations
had not become so evident that it was impossible to detiv
them, the British Cabinet refused to allow that any !mine
project of invasion existed; and then e lit it needless to
give us any assurances, to allay our fears, which it con-
ceived to be chimerical, beyond what were contained in
the declarations by which His Britannic rl.cjesty
and soleuiiilv protested against ibe resolutions of tLe
Congresses of' Troppau and Laybseh.'
•• The Portuguese Government, however, seeing the
armies on thn Pyre. eat increase (e%ilimtiv de-tined
against the political institutions of the Peninsula,
urged the necessity of a more explicit declaration,
considering how unequivocal ti ose of the Holy :illiance
Were. •

The British 31inistry, whether it perceived tbnt the
time was arrived to show its opposition to projects
whirli could nut now be denied; or whether the
changes in that Alinistay had caused a change in its
views of the ptejects of the Holy Alliance, declared to
our charge des Affaire:, that if ever, contrary to:exp,,c-
tation, the independence of Portugal should br menace....
his Britannic Majesty would never he an intlifferrnt
spectator of so important an event, but would afrord
to this kingdem all the assistance which it had a ti;;ltt
to exprct from °real Britain, by virtue of its ancient
connections.

• These clear and positive expressions soon resountlaal
on the banks of the Seine, and the Government of Eis
Slost Christian Majesty protested, that it bad never
conceived any hostile intentions towards Portugal : that
RS a Constitutional Government, it no; only considered
it unjust, het would be ashamed to maintain so slowed a
doctrine as the interference of one Power in the internal
political orzauization of any other; and that notsvith--
standing the fears which the army of the Preen. et
might naturally excite. it would never pass the frontier
line, unless it were first violated by the Spanish troops.
The horrors of a civil war in the provinces a.ljoinina to
France, obliged the latter to talc', every precaution
against the evils of all kinds, which such a neighhour-
hood gave reason to apprehend.
" The Minister proceeds to state the further negocia-
tions with France, whosedeclaretions oetir-1 contradicted
he the increasing armaments, and by the aid lent by the
French authotities on the frontier-,to :he fact in as; in (*Ur:se-
quence of which, his Majesty thought tit fr.:A:ly Is,
declare to France, that its preparations seemed mani-
festly to he intended for an aggress;on on Spai ana
therefore Portugal :oust unite with the latter, their caes.•
being one. Franee seemed offended that its siiicelity
was doubted, and repeated its assortions ; het his M..-
1 jesty seeing that the movetnents of the army on the
Pyrenees continued, thought it necessary to negeciato
an alliance with Spain, which is vow tirade concluded,
when it will be laid before the Cortes. Me4filiffi:.
special convention has been concluded to prevent the
factions from disturbing oar frontier provinces.--
His Majesty hopes also that it lien the alliances
are concluded, a Treaty of Commerce may he agreed
upon between the two nations, by which the prohibito:
system may be relaeril. His Majesty has also reason ti
hope, that n:ore liberal cormarci.l art a,reineots rice
be made vitt' other Powers, especially with Sweden;
and even France has sliewn a disposition to make a site-
vial Treaty with Portugal.
" The Report proceeds to st ate the eniumuniratines
made to the King of Great Britain. in consequenae
the principles declared a. Troppau anti la” barb, and the
necessity for a union with Spain in case it should be at•
tacked. But this invasion, !stiffly flit erred arainst tic'
most faithful and ancient Ally of Great Britain, woaai
never take place, if Great Britain would declare il?.i.nro
hand, that it never would surfer it to be effected, Porte-
gal having it. no manner prove ked such an ageression•
" It was, therefore, a insist (leanly of the ancient aa.l
so often protested friendship 1.1 Groat Britain, to teahe
this previous declaration in the most explicit suotnri.
that the Powers, tini;ed against the internal ins7itutia:.s
of the Peninsula, bring aware of the real intentions
tireat Britain, might understand that the in:leper:dr:+...
of the Portuguese nation, inseparable from the i:ee
choice of the constitutional system which it ntiO,t
choose to adopt, was supported by the alliance of Great
Britain.
" His Most Faithful Majesty asking front the frien:'•
ship of Great Britain such a declaration, did not
tate to assure it, that it would dispense Portugal fruits
the necessity of entering into othar alliances; het ths:
if his Britannic Majesty should not find it confor:nable
to the principles of his actual polity, to metre Saiii 4
declaration, or if by his at eangentents whet:
Powers, he found it impossible to give to Portugal ti:!,
new testimony of friendship, aria to the world an in-,
stance of his respect for the nataral independence 0:
nations ; his Majesty would not therefore coin.hler the
ancient relations of counnerce and harmony between tee
two nations to be impaired; only Ire woeld
' obliged not without regret, to seek in need alli oire4 ire
support which tile Peninsula re.tuirce, when it sets

self threatened by., the powerful league of the four
Great Powers who pretend to divide among them the
government of Europe." (Here follows the reply of
the British Government, already published.)

,ILs.

DOB. ARIL

DWI.

Y Dublin . - 1 0 Holland - 1
1 Waterford 1 0 Hiunbro' 6
O G. & Jersey - 0 0 France - • 1
O Lisbon , 0 0 Flanders • ii 0
U Metal:burg - 1 U Brazil 0

PRICE OF STOCKS TAI!
Rank Stoek. 24Se
3 per Ct. Red 7Bl 78
3 per Ct. Cons ni hi
se per Ct.
4 per Cents. gniglii
New Fours 98 971
6 per Ct. 1797..
Long Ann..
Imp. S per Ct
Irish 6 per Cents.

I DAY AT ONE O'CLOCK.
India Stock .
Ditto Bonds .. 41s. Ws. pm
South Sea Stook ...
South Sea Old Ann ......
Ex.9111.2d. 1
I 10001.
__ 5 $ 14s 12spm.

1.115129 pm.
-Small 14a 14s pm.
1 Con.for Aect......... . 7711
LotteryTicketa

Ziitt *tatetonan.

LONDON:
THURSDAY. MUSING, JANUARY 23, 1823.

SOMERSETSHIRE COUNTY MEETING.

In another part of our paper will be seen, the proceed-
ings ofthis meeting, which was bad on Tuesday. A
pour silly tiling of a petition was moved by Mr. HAN-
Nt ma, who was,* year or two ago, High Sheriff of the
county. Mr. HUNT moved another petition as an amend-
ment upon the former. This amendment contained a

prayer for Parliamentary &form. The High Sheriff
refused to put the question if reform was included in the
petition. After some dispute with the Sheriff, the latter
positively named Tuesday nest for holding the county
meeting on the subject of Reform. This part of the pe-
tition having been withdrawn by Mr. HUNT, and the
petition of Mr. liusT having been seconded by the Rev.

r.Cn esstveLt,,the question was finally put to the meet-
ing, and carried, almost unanimously. We have not time
for comment un this Important transaction; but we re-
quest our readers to look at the things prayed
for (eight in number) in Mr. HUNT'S petition ; and they
Will see what are the feelings of the County of Somer•'
set. Mr. I:1;NT, petition no prayer for reduction of the
interest of the Debt, either conditionally or uncondi-
tionally; and, perhaps, since Mr. Dtattmsos ant the
other Country gentlemen have such a horror of break-
ing faith with the public Creditor, it is the best way to
let them pay the interest of the Debt in full.—We were
very happy to see Mr. larssweLL second the petition.
IVe have no time for any thing more to day. We shall
worn to the subject to-morrow ; for, all circumstances
considered, it is one of the very greatest importance.