cities and districts, which had thrown off the yoke of civil obedience, proceeded in their mischievous career; the most audacious addresses were presented to the king, and thanks were returned to the Cortes for the course which they had followed. Other cities were encouraged to act in a similar way. On the last Sunday of the year, the militia of Barcelona, with the regiments of the line of Arragon and Soria, which composed the garrison, and with the first regiment of artillery, swore, in the most solemn manner, not to acknowledge in future a ministry, which, said they, "according to the happy expression of the Cortes, has lost its moral power of governing, and which is going to plunge us into an abyss of disgraces, compromising our laws and our liberties. Viva la Constitucion! Viva Barcelona!" The regiment of Cordova at first refused to join them, and a serious affray was expected; but a deputation from the militia met a deputation from that regiment, and, upon explaining to them that their object was by no means to establish a republic, but to support Cadiz, Seville, and the other towns of Spain, which had determined to refuse obedience to any mandate of the present ministers, and not to receive any public functionaries appointed by them, the latter acquiesced, unanimity was established, and a declaration to the effect above stated was signed by their chiefs.

In fact, at the close of the year, political union and subordination seemed to be nearly at an end in Spain. The secret societies were active popular

demagogues were restless; while the ministers, finding no sure aid on any side, and meeting with resistance everywhere, were un→ able to act with efficiency. In consequence of their financial embarrassments, the persons employed by them were not paid. The military force either threw off subjection to the civil power, or, ceasing to look up to the central government, obeyed only the impulse given by the local authorities: while these authorities, in their turn, formed themselves into juntas, and decided supremely on the affairs of their respective provinces.

To these evils, which must be ascribed exclusively to the folly, the wickedness, and the dissensions of the partizans of the new order of things, were added others occasioned by attempts to re-establish the antient despotism. In the month of December, insurrections broke out in different parts of Arragon, Catalonia, Navarre, and Biscay. The insurgents proclaimed their purposes by their shouts of " The absolute king for ever." They nearly succeeded in surprising Gerona; kept Pampeluna in alarm, and threatened Bilboa: but they acted in separate bodies, without any regularly concerted plan. The ministers, on the other hand, showed themselves not wanting in energy: troops were dispatched from all quarters into the disturbed districts; many skirmishes took place, in which the military were generally victorious; and the insurgents, if not completely put down, were at least everywhere checked, and were prevented from collecting upon any point an imposing force.

The effective produce of the taxes was only 342,951,456 reals. From the 1st of July 1821, to the end of the year, the receipts of the exchequer little exceeded ninety millions of reals.

Considerable debts had been contracted by the old govern ment in Holland. The Cortes had, on the 11th of September 1820, recognized this debt, and engaged to repay both the capital and the interest in arrear. But, in the course of the present year, a resolution was adopted, without the consent of the holders of the stock, or their agents, that the payment should be made in paper money (creditos), which was afterwards to be received in pay ment for the national domains. Towards the end of the year, a loan was contracted for at Paris, with MM. Ardoin, Hubbard, &c. The principal conditions of the contract were, that M M. Ar

doin and Hubbard should supply Spain with 140,000,000 reals, for which they were to receive inscriptions of 5 per cent rentes, at the rate of 10 piasters of capital for one of rente; and, as they were allowed a commission of 5 per cent, it follows, that Spain received for 5 piasters of rente only the sum of 47 piasters.

The Spanish government was to receive from MM. Ardoin and Hubbard, at certain specified rates, the bonds and premiums of the loan of Paris, the bonds of the Dutch loan, and notes for arrears of interest on the Dutch loan.

If the contractors anticipated their payments, they were to be allowed a discount of 5 per cent. The interest was to be paid, without deduction, on the 1st of May and the 1st of November, in Madrid, Paris, and London.

In September a most destruc

tive pestilential fever made its appearance in the eastern and southern provinces of Spain. Catalonia, Arragon, Malaga, Grenada, Murcia, and parts of Andalusia, were afflicted by it; but Tortosa, and, above all, Barcelona, suffered more than any, other place. The malady as sumed many various aspects. It generally lasted seven or nine days; the body became cold, and the pulse low. The stomach was the organ which usually exhibited the first symptoms of the attack; and the kidneys, those which first ceased to perform their functions. It was calculated, that, in Tortosa, upwards of seven thousand persons had died before the 26th of September, and about seventy each day afterwards. In Barcelona the mortality was at the rate of 350 daily, from the 25th of September to the 5th of October. From this time it gradually abated. Towards the end of October, it still amounted to more than a hundred per day; by the beginning of December it had nearly disappeared in Barcelona; and by the end of that month, even Cadiz and Xeres, where it had broken out latest, were free from its ravages. The vicinity of Barcelona to the French frontier had

excited great anxiety in France, and a commission of five physicians had been dispatched from Paris to aid the resident practitioners. This commission, at the head of which was Dr. Pariset, pronounced the malady to be contagious, and directed their efforts to entirely cutting off all communication between the diseased and those who continued healthy. Towards the termination of this afflicting visitation, a different doctrine was held. It was then maintained, that, in the fever of Barcelona, there was not a particle of contagion; and that the propagation of that belief, under the authority of the French commissioners, had been the cause, by means of terror and barbarous restrictions, of increasing the otherwise inevitable mortality. The number of those who died in the city was stated by the junta at between nine and ten thousand; but it was generally believed, that the authorities, especially at the commencement, represented the mortality much below the truth, and that not fewer than twenty thousand persons fell victims within the space of three months to the fever of Barcelona.

ORTUGAL, though drawn into the revolutionary career by the example of her neighbour, continued during the year peaceful and orderly. Her revolution had not, like that of Spain, been brought about by the soldiers alone, nor in opposition to the wishes of the privileged classes and the great proprietors. The clergy and nobility had either co-operated in producing it, or had submitted to it, without much reluctance; and though men were not wanting, who showed an inclination to run into the wildest extremes of political fanaticism, and to urge their country through a succession of changes, these were speedily checked in their projects and deprived of power. Some theoretical doctrines were propagated, and some practices adopted in the constitution, which a more enlarged experience would probably have rejected: but in the mean time the order and subordination of civil society remained undisturbed; and if, amid the many

improvements that were made, a few ill-advised alterations found a place, there was at least time and opportunity to apply a remedy, before any serious mischief could be occasioned.

The Cortes assembled in the beginning of January; and, after some preparatory meetings, their solemn installation took place on the 6th of January. On that morning, at ten o'clock, the deputies being met in the church of St. Mary, solemn mass began, accompanied by vocal and instrumental music; at the same moment a flight of sky-rockets gave the signal, and immediately the castle of St. George, and the fortresses, the ships of war, and all the vessels in the river, fired a royal salute. Then the deputies proceeded to take the oath on the Holy Gospels, in the following

the political constitution of the Portuguese monarchy, and the reforms and ameliorations which they shall judge necessary for the good and prosperity of the nation, the Catholic Apostolic Roman religion, maintaining the throne of Senhor Don John VI., king of the united kingdoms of Portugal, Brazil, and Algarve, and preserving the Dynasty of the serene house of Braganza."

After the oath was taken, father Vincente de Santa Rota Lisboa ascended the pulpit, and delivered a discourse adapted to the solemnity; after which the members of the government and the deputies proceeded to the hall of the sessions, amid the acclamations of an immense multitude.

At two o'clock, the members of the government and the deputies began to enter, the galleries being already crowded with spectators. The members of the government took their seats on the right of the president's chair: and on the left and remaining places on the right, the preparatory junta of the Cortes. The archbishop of Bahia acted as president, and the deputy Felgueira as secretary. All being seated, count de Sampayo addressed the assembly in an appro. priate discourse, and declared the Cortes to be installed. They proceeded immediately to elect a president. The choice fell on the archbishop of Bahia, who had 64 votes out of 74. They then proceeded to choose the members of the executive government.

A preparatory junta had been appointed to draw up the bases of a constitution; and the consideration of the fundamental articles, which this junta had agreed upon,

was for some time the principal occupation of the Cortes. These articles, in all important points, were borrowed from the Spanish system; most of them were approved of by the national assembly; a few were referred back to the junta. An unsuccessful attempt was made to deviate from the Spanish model in one most essential point, by either introducing a second chamber, or giving the king an absolute veto. The proposition to this effect was made by M. Pinheiro Azevedo. The debate on it commenced on the 22nd of February, and was continued with much animation till the 26th. The people in the galleries frequently applauded the members who spoke against the proposal, so that the president was obliged to admonish them not to carry their marks of approbation to excess. It was resolved at length to reduce the question to three points, on which the chamber proceeded to vote :1st. That there should be only chamber Carried by 59

one

votes to 26;

2nd. That there be no absolute veto in the person of the kingCarried by 78 votes to 6;

3rd. That a suspensive vote should be given to the king; which was carried by 81 votes to 41.

An attempt was afterwards made to give the king the right of proposing laws; but this alteration was likewise rejected; so that the new constitution left the king of Portugal with little more power, than was possessed by his half-dethroned brother of Spain.

It was no easy matter to determine, how to behave towards the English officers, who had