The Statesman.
London, England, 1823-04-14 00:00:00

ST

to, is as follows:
.64 It is trecessammoriover, that a can;
indite, In order to be elected Deputy of Cortes, should lie
possessed of a prop ortioaate annual income arising from
his own property." The 99d 'article. as the Constitution
stands at present, suspends the enforcement of the pre.
ceding article, until the Cortez shall declare that the
time has arrived for giving it effect, and then they shall
settle the amount of income, and the quality of property
from which it most arise, d that which they may de-,
' cree on this point shall be conoidered as much a part of
the Constitution. as if it had been originally inserted in
the fundamental code.—.---
" When Sir W. A'Coort received these propositions.
10 went to the Minister of State, and said " You have re-
quested Orli mediation to prevent War ; my Government
has exerted its best offices to comply with your request,
and here are the terms which the French Government
has transmitted to me to be submitted to your consider-
Intim Yonwill bear in mind that I, as the Minister of
!England, have nothing to do one way or the other with
!the character of these propositions. lam here in the
character of a mediator, or rather, indeed, as an arbitra-
tor, to hear what both partiee have to my, and as they do
not communicate directly with each other, it is my"stro-
ple duty to mention to one side whatever Las been said
or proposed on the other." I do not mean to have it
understood that these were the exact words which
Sir W. A'Court made use df, but his verbal communi-
cation was to the effect here stated about the 14th of
February.
" The answer of the Minister of State was also verbal,
apd to this effect—that the above propositions were in vio-
lation of the Constitution. and that they could not be sac-
cepted. This answer was Gent home, and a conitnuoica-
tioo was made to France by our Cabinet, showing the
necessity of making different propositions. After several
conferences, it was at length found expedient on the part
of the French Government, in consequence, no doubt, of
the determined attitude taken by England after the meet-
log of Parliament, to reduce her propositions to this effect
—that the Cortes should declare the time for enforcing
the 92d article of the Constitution to have arrived ; that
they should render the law on the press more effectual;
and finally, that they should declare the interpretation of
the 375th article of the Constitution. This article enacts,
that no alteration shall be madein the Constitution until
eight years shall have elapsed after it has been put in ext.-
cuttoo in all its parts. The Constitution was originally
established in 1812, but doubts are entertained whether the
six years from 1813 to 1820 should be included in its
epoch. The Cortes were required to resolve these
doubts, and to declare either the time when the eight
years had expired, or when they would expire. If
these terms were acceded to, the war would not take
place, and the French armies were to be removed from
tha frontiers.

" To these propositions the Minister of State sent
a written answer, declaring that the Government of
his Catholic Majesty had resolved to enter into no
negociations cf this sort with that of his Most Christian
Majesty.
" Notwithstanding this determination on the part of the
Ministry, you may hive perceived that a motion is pen ling
in Cortes for altering the law on the press, and I am well
assured that the other parts of tue latter French proposi-
tions have been agreed to by a number of the Deputies of
Cones, very nearly amounting to a majority, ■nd they are
resisted only by Augustin Arguelles and Lis friends.
" It is reported here that the Ultimatum of the French
Government has been, a few days ago, sent to Sir William
A'Court, and that he deems it useless to present It until the
new Ministers are in ofbee."—