We received yesterday som...
The Times, 1824-02-14T00:00:00

We received yesterday some late numi-ers of .the Lima Gazette, of which the last, in point of date, is that of October 1. The fol- lowing decree shows that the ex-President, RIVA AGUrno, still held out against the auttbority of the existing Government of Lima, and that thb first. task assigned to BOLIVAR the Li&ernfor, was to crush the rebellious par,y which he headed :_ "The constituent Congress of Peru, in consideration of the obsti- nate resistance of the ex-President Don Jos6 de la Riva Aguero, by which, despising the generous offers of ce iciliation which have been made him through the.nediation of the D,liverer (Bolivar), he endeavours to excite anarchy, fights against his country, and thus prevents the body of the army from combating with the common enemy, has decreed as follows " That the Deliverer, in virtue of the supreme power with which the Congress ilas intrusted him, may proceeg in preference to attack the proscribed Riva-Agssero, employing force and all other means that he might think effective, to extinguish altogether the anarchy thus existing. " The islinister of War will see to the executidi of this decree. "Signed by the President of the Congress and the President of the Republic, "JOSE BERNARDO. "TAGLE." It would seem by the above decree, that overtures of conciliation had been madeto the.ex-President RiVA-AGUiEno, to whicIh hehad declined to accede, and that force was only resorted to when persua. sion failed. Another decrec in the same page would seem to indicate that the Peruvian army at Linma was not in a very fit condition to make head at once against a domestic revolt and the unsubdued re- mains ofa Spanish force. This decree is directed against deserters.and is introduced by the following preamble:-" The criminal conduct of mnany individuals who, deserting the ranks of iheir country at a timc when she has the greatest need of their services, remainLquietly at homc in their houses, while their brethren bravely face danger in the field of honour, obliges the Government to take serious nmeans to compel their return to active service. The voice of Justice, like- wise, appeals to tciose who harbour desesters." To remedy those evils, it is decreed that deserters who return to duty within a spe- cified period shall be pardoned, but that those who do not shall be sbot. Four years' imprisonment-is awarded against those who har- bour deserters. The sanme paper contains a espatch from General SANTA Cnuz,dsted Sopita, in Arequipa,August 26, claiming a bril- liant victory over theSpanish GencralVAL.lEz on the preceding day. By this success a great tract of country is said to bc freed from the iron sceptre of their Spanish tyrants, and the loss of the rich pro- vinces which cosaposed it, is described as a mortal blow to the Pe- ninsular army, which they supplied with provisions and enriched with treasure. The following is an abridgmeent of the despatch in which SAN TACnUZ details his success. Learning thatVA.&nEz was approaching with 1,800 men,he brdered Colonel CErDnExa,who was at Pomata, to fall back upon the Desaguadero,. and he himself pro- ceeded thither fronm his head-quarters at Viacha, followea by the battalions of Chasseurs, and of the Conquerors of Pichincha. and a squadron of Thussars. On the 23d SANTA Cnuz arrived at the 'bridge on.i the saguadero, where he remained on the defensive till, on the 24h and 25th, being joined by the corps which he expected, and a column of 1,3001 men, of different arms, he rmarched to meet the enemy, whom he expected to find at the towi of Sapita, which he ocupied, leaving tho bridge defended by two pieces of eannon, and two conmpanies of each battalion. The van. -uard of SANT A Cn s z came up with the enemy after two hours' march, but owing to some delay in the advance of the rest of the troops, he had timie to retire. in the neighbourhood of the town, the enemy vt'aited the Peravian force, and SANTA CIrUZ determined to attack him, tbough a third inferior to numbers. The Peruvian line was extended on a plain, having the battalion of the Legion on the right, the 4th dn t.he ceitre, and the Chasseurs on the left. The hattalion called ".The Victors"' formed the reserve, the third squadron covered the right, and the second the left; anti the two pieces, occupyingthe centre, kept up a well-conducted fire. The enemy withdrew his cavalry, in number 400, to tho rear,and placing his artillery on an eminence, replied to ours. His infantry, 1,400 strong, extended on the declivities, where alone they thought they could fight. When attacked by the Republicans in these pfositions, the Spaniards at first thought they had the advantage, and descended into the plain, where they were totally routed. The result of the victory was 100 Spaniards killed, and 184 taken prisoners, besides 240 muskets, 52 horses, &c. The Permvians had only 28 Illed and 84 wounded.