had shown towards that city. The corregidor expressed to his imperial and royal majesty, the happiness which his presence shed over the city, and the desire with which all the inhabitants were animated to deserve and to justify such a peculiar mark of favour. The corregidor observed, that his imperial and royal majesty had condescended to converse with him in the most benevolent manner, and added, that the object of this meeting was to acquaint the deputies of the city of Madrid with the beneficent intentions of his majesty. Accordingly he had to repeat to them in the same terms he had heard them, the sentiments of his majesty, and the favourable dispositions he entertained towards the whole of Spain; adding, that the fate of Madrid would depend upon its own conduct. That that would be a happy and prosperous one, if the inhabitants adhered faithfully to the constitution, and acknowledged with sincerity, for their legitimate king, Don Joseph Napoleon I; but that, on the other hand, Spain should be reduced to a province of France. Here, the corregidor drew a faithful picture of the good nature of king Joseph, who had employed his best offices and entreaties for the conservation of that capital, as well as of the neighbouring cities, and who treated them with the tenderness of a generous father. The corregidor impressed upon the minds of all the deputies, that the presence of the king in his capital should be considered as the greatest advantage that could be wished for.

Accordingly the deputies, deeply penetrated with the same sentiments, and anxious to contribute

their best endeavours for the happiness of the inhabitants of Madrid, determined humbly to implore his imperial and royal majesty to indulge the capital with the presence of the king, that city, and even all Spain, being convinced of thesignal advantages which must be derived from the wisdom of his government. The deputies insisted, that a fresh tribute of thanks should be presented to his imperial and royal majesty, for the kindness with which he had treated that city, which his triumphant arms had conquered, and for the generous pardon of what had happened during the absence of king Joseph. His imperial and royal majesty is also to be implored to extend pardon to those whom fear had induced to desert the city, as well as to all the peasants who had taken up arms. His imperial and royal majesty is also finally to be implored, that he will be pleased to order his troops to respect property, the holy temples, the religious institutions; in a word, the property of every class. This humble supplication is to be laid before his imperial and royal majesty, and is to be presented to him by a deputation taken from among the representatives of the city of Madrid. It was resolved, in the same sitting, that a tribute of the most lively gratitude should be presented to the king Joseph Napoleon, whose happy intercession with his august brother, the emperor of the French, saved the city of Madrid. His royal majesty shall be humbly supplicated to grant the favour of his presence to the city of Madrid, that under his just and beneficent government, good order, justice, and tranquillity, may be restored within its walls.

His royal majesty shall be implored to employ his royal good offices with his imperial brother, that pardon may be obtained to the absent, and to those inhabitants, who had taken up arms.

The present proces-verbal shall be presented to his imperial and royal majesty.

[Here follows several thousand signatures.]

On the 11th a similar meeting was held, for the deputies of the inhabitants of the parishes, and who acceded to a similar measure, which was likewise accompanied with a vast number of signatures.

BRITISH ARMY IN SPAIN.

From the London Gazette, dated Downing-street, Jan. 10, 1809. Dispatches, from which the following are extracts, were, on the 8th instant, received at the office of lord visc. Castlereagh, one of his majesty's principal secretaries of state, from lieut. gen. Sir John Moore, k. b. commander-in-chief of his majesty's forces employed in Spain:

Benevente, Dec. 28, 1808. Since I had the honour to address you upon the 16th, from Toro, the army has been almost constantlymarching through snow, and with cold that has been very intense. The weather, within these few days, has turned to rain, which is much more uncomfortable than the cold, and has rendered the roads almost impassable. On the 21st the army reached Sahagun; it was necessary to halt there in order to refresh the men, and on account of provisions. The information I received was, that marshal Soult was at Saldana with about 16,000 men, with posts along the river from Guarda to

Carrion. The army was ordered to march in two columns, at 8 o'clock on the night of the 23rd, to force the bridge at Carrion, and from thence proceed to Saldana. At six that evening, I received information that considerable reinforcements had arrived at Carrion from Valencia, and a letter from the marquis de la Romana informed me, that the French were advancing from Madrid either to Valladolid or Salamanca. It was evident that it was too late to prosecute the attempt upon Soult, that I must be satisfied with the diversion I had occasioned, and that I had no time to lose to secure my retreat. The next morning, lieut.gen. Hope, with his own division and that of lieut.-gen. Fraser, marched to Majorga. I sent Sir David Baird, with his division, to pass the river at Valmira, and followed lieut.-gen. Hope, on the 25th, with the reserve and light brigades, by Majorga, Valderas, to Benevente. The cavalry under lord Paget followed the reserve on the 26th; both the latter corps entered this place yesterday. We continue our march on Astorga.-Generals Hope and Fraser are already gone on; Sir David Baird proceeds tomorrow from Valencia; and I shall leave this with the reserve at the same time; lord Paget will remain with the cavalry, to give us notice of the approach of the enemy; hitherto their infantry have not come up, but they are near, and the cavalry is round us in great numbers; they are checked by our cavalry, which have obtained, by their spirit and enterprise, an ascendancy over that of the French, which nothing but great superiority of numbers on their part will get the better of.The diversion made by our march

on

had shown towards that city. The corregidor expressed to his imperial and royal majesty, the happiness which his presence shed over the city, and the desire with which all the inhabitants were animated to deserve and to justify such a peculiar mark of favour. The corregidor observed, that his imperial and royal majesty had condescended to converse with him in the most benevolent manner, and added, that the object of this meeting was to acquaint the deputies of the city of Madrid with the beneficent intentions of his majesty. Accordingly he had to repeat to them in the same terms he had heard them, the sentiments of his majesty, and the favourable dispositions he entertained towards the whole of Spain; adding, that the fate of Madrid would depend upon its own conduct. That that would be a happy and prosperous one, if the inhabitants adhered faithfully to the constitution, and acknowledged with sincerity, for their legitimate king, Don Joseph Napoleon I; but that, on the other hand, Spain should be reduced to a province of France. Here, the corregidor drew a faithful picture of the good nature of king Joseph, who had employed his best offices and entreaties for the conservation of that capital, as well as of the neighbouring cities, and who treated them with the tenderness of a generous father. The corregidor impressed upon the minds of all the deputies, that the presence of the king in his capital should be considered as the greatest advantage that could be wished for.

Accordingly the deputies, deeply penetrated with the same sentiments, and anxious to contribute

their best endeavours for the happiness of the inhabitants of Madrid, determined humbly to implore his imperial and royal majesty to indulge the capital with the presence of the king, that city, and even all Spain, being convinced of thesignal advantages which must be derived from the wisdom of his government. The deputies insisted, that a fresh tribute of thanks should be presented to his imperial and royal majesty, for the kindness with which he had treated that city, which his triumphant arms had conquered, and for the generous pardon of what had happened during the absence of king Joseph. His imperial and royal majesty is also to be implored to extend pardon to those whom fear had induced to desert the city, as well as to all the peasants who had taken up arms. His imperial and royal majesty is also finally to be implored, that he will be pleased to order his troops to respect property, the holy temples, the religious institutions; in a word, the property of every class. This humble supplication is to be laid before his imperial and royal majesty, and is to be presented to him by a deputation taken from among the representatives of the city of Madrid. It was resolved, in the same sitting, that a tribute of the most lively gratitude should be presented to the king Joseph Napoleon, whose happy intercession with his august brother, the emperor of the French, saved the city of Madrid. His royal majesty shall be humbly supplicated to grant the favour of his presence to the city of Madrid, that under his just and beneficent government, good order, justice, and tranquillity, may be restored within its walls.

on Sahagun, though at great risk to ourselves, has been complete; it remains to be seen what advantage the Spaniards in the south will be able to take of it; but the march of the French on Badajoz was stopped when its advanced guard had reached Talavera de la Reyna, and every thing disposable is now turned in this direction. The only part of the army which has been hitherto engaged with the enemy, has been the cavalry, and it is impossible for me to say too much in their praise. I mentioned to your lordship, in my letter of the 16th, the success brig.gen. Stewart had met with in defeating a detachment of cavalry at Rueda. Since that, few days have passed without his taking or killing different parties of the French, generally superior in force to those which attacked them. On the march to Sahagun, lord Paget had information of 6 or 700 cavalry being in that town. He marched on the night of the 20th from some villages where he was posted in front of the enemy at Majorga, with the 10th and 15th hussars. The 10th marched straight to the town, whilst lord Paget, with the 15th, endeavoured to turn it. Unfortunately he fell in with a patrole, one of whom escaped and gave the alarm. By this means the French had time to form on the outside of the town, before lord Paget got round. He immediately charged them, beat them, and took from 140 to 150 prisoners, amongst whom were two lieutenant-colonels and eleven officers, with the loss, on our part, of six or eight men, and perhaps twenty wounded. There have been taken by the cavalry from 4 to 500 French, besides a considerable number killed; this since we begun our march from Salamanca.

On his march from Sahagun, on the 20th, lord Paget, with two squadrons of the 10th, attacked a detachment of cavalry at Majorga, killed twenty and took above 100 prisoners. Our cavalry is very superior in quality to any the French have; and the right spirit has been infused into them by the example and instruction of their two leaders, lord Paget and brigadier-general Stewart.

Astorga, Dec. 31, 1808.-I arrived here, yesterday; major-general Fraser, with his division, will be at Villa Franca this day, and will proceed on to Lugo. Lieutenantgeneral Hope with his division, stopped yesterday two leagues from this, and proceeds this morning, followed by Sir David Baird. The two flank brigades go by the road of Penfereda. I shall follow with the reserve and cavalry, to Villa Franca, either this night or to-morrow morning, according as I hear the approach of the French. The morning I marched from Benevente, seven squadrons of Buonaparte's guards passed the river at a ford above the bridge. They were attacked by brigadier-general Stewart, at the head of the piquets of the 18th and 3rd German light dragoons, and driven across the ford. Their colonel, a general of division, Lefebre, was taken, together with about 70 officers and men.

The affair was well contested. The numbers with which brigadiergeneral Stewart attacked were inferior to the French; it is the corps of the greatest character in their army; but the superiority of the British was, I am told, very conspicuous. I inclose, for your lordship's satisfaction, lord Paget's report of it.

Benevente, Dec. 29, 1808.-Sir, I have the honour to inform you,

that