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On the 7th of October, the duke of Abrantes, landed at Tavira, in Algarve, apparently with no formed plan of operations. A regi ment of chasseurs, however, which was stationed there, was induced to join him, and Don Miguel was proclaimed king. This body then marched eastward to Villa Real, where they compelled the governor of the town to take the oath to the new king, and were complimented on their success by the Spanish authorities of Ayamonte, a frontier town on the other side of the Guadiana. The insurgents were not joined by any part of the population, and the rest of the military in the province proved faithful. M. Saldanha, the minister at war, immediately proceeded into Algarve, taking with him all the troops that could be spared from Lisbon. Along with him were five judges, to form a military tribunal, which might move about from place to place, to try summarily, and punish instantly, such rebels as might be taken. But the insurrection, which was never formidable, had melted away before his arrival. The military commander of the province had checked the advance of the rebels northward, by taking post at Mertola; and when Saldanha reached that town, they had already dispersed and fled into Spain.

occupied by the rebels; the great body of the army had remained faithful; the population had shewn a spirit of quiet and contentment, and, on no occasion, had been seduced by the promises or profes sions of the insurgent leaders. If even now, Spain had done her duty, and kept her word, by acting up to the assurances given by M. Salmon on the 3rd of October, alarm and tumult would have disappeared from Portugal. But the folly of the Camarilla seemed to be equalled only by its persevering obstinacy. The retreating rebels were received as kindly as ever; greater exertions than before were now made to organize and arm them, and convert these predatory inroads into a more serious descent. The priesthood laboured with zeal to rouse enthusiasm, and to supply money; but, as yet, none of the higher ranks of the Portuguese ecclesiastics had manifested any disaffection to the existing order of things.

The charter had fixed the first ordinary meeting of the Cortes for the 2nd of January, 1827; but the executive possessed the power of convoking them at any time, in an extraordinary session, if any public emergency should render it advisable. In the present state of public affairs, it was found necessary that new taxes should be imposed, to meet the increased expenditure occasioned by the rebellion; and, as the continuance of that rebellion, aided by Spain, might force Portugal to claim the assistance of Britain, it was necessary to obtain the consent of the Cortes to the introduction of foreign troops into the kingdom. The Cortes were, therefore, summoned to meet on the 30th of Ocnow not a single spot in Portugal tober; and, on that day, their

The attempt made by the marquis of Chaves again to raise the province of Tras os Montes was equally unsuccessful. He advanced, in the beginning of October, as far as Villa Real; but all he could effect was, to induce about two hundred men of a chasseur regiment to desert; and on the 10th of October, he fled with his family into Spain.

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first session was opened by the Infanta Regent, with a speech which breathed a spirit of mildness and moderation, always becoming, but not often met with in a new constitution. "You are well aware," said she," that Portugal has never recognized, even in the most remote ages, any other government than that of a representative monarchy; but the prelates and the grandees of the kingdom formed the representative body; the people had no voice and no share in its institutions, which were almost feudal. It was the king of Portugal that, some time after the origin of the monarchy, conceded to the third estate those rights and that dignity which barbarous ages had denied them. Portugal then flourished, for the first time, under the protection of a purely representative government. There existed, however, no laws to give stability to institutions adopted by usage, and handed down by tradition: they fell, in consequence, into desuetude, and the Cortes were forgotten by the nation which they once represented. It has been reserved for our days to revive them by wise and stable rules. Such was the design contemplated by the royal mind of my august father, whose memory will be ever dear to Portugal-such is the design which, to his immortal honour, my august brother has consummated, by conferring upon this nation the boon of the constitutional charter. Avery few hours ago, I received from Vienna, intelligence that my dearly beloved and much esteemed brother had taken the oath to the constitutional charter, without condition or qualification, on the 4th of this present month; and that, immediately after this act, he had ad

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dressed his holiness, for the purpose of obtaining the necessary dispensation for solemnizing his marriage with my august niece and sovereign Queen Donna Maria the Second. Our legislative enactments will eminently concur to the maintenance of public tranquillity, and in giving stability to the political system established by the charter. They will establish, on the solid basis of justice, the civil and criminal codes of the empire; they will give regularity to our municipal bodies, and to our pro◄ vincial tribunals; and add, at the same time, a new impulse to com merce and agriculture, the sources of our national prosperity. mentioning commerce, I cannot refrain from communicating to you the very flattering hopes I enter tain of seeing its activity doubled, both in Portugal and Brazil. Your attention will doubtless be directed, with very particular care, to education and the public instruc tion of the community, which contribute so efficaciously in purifying the morals of the people, which times of trouble have corrupted. Nor will the re-establish ment of education, bottomed upon the principles of the holy religion which we profess, and which we shall ever defend, less contribute to the stability of the monarchy, and to the production of that per fect harmony in which all the members of this great family ought to dwell.

"Worthy Peers of the realm! in your capacity of legislators you are called upon to take part in those important labours; but you are also called to exercise the high functions of the magistracy. By the wisdom, firmness, and patriotism which shall distinguish your efforts you will serve as an example

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to those who may succeed to your hereditary dignities. It is with the solemnity of treaties, the ties of blood, and the vicinity of territory, have so long consolidated."

you, gentlemen deputies of the Portugueze nation, that all measures which respect the recruiting of the army, and the taxes, will of right originate. The establish ment of our public credit also demands your most serious attention. The ministers of state will furnish you with all the explanations which the charter requires from them. Finally, from all of you conjoined, worthy Peers of the realm, and gentlemen deputies of the Portugueze nation, I expect, and the whole nation hopes, the accomplishment of our brilliant design. To you the throne looks for its firmest support; and you have placed before you, as the great recompense of the interesting labours which you are about to enter upon, the delightful satisfaction of being able, one day, to say to your countrymen, We found Portugal weak and languishing: we leave her vigorous and flourishing?

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The language used in alluding to the relations between Portugal and Spain was equally conciliatory. "All will speedily learn that the representative government of Portugal is truly just and moderate, and that it seeks not to carry disquiet into any other State, on account of diversity of institutions, but limits its intentions to the steady and energetic defence of its own. Already have facts more forcibly than words shown the prudence and good faith of this government. These have in a great measure diminished the apprehensions of a neighbouring nation. The government of that nation are now convinced, that difference of political institutions ought not to diminish that friend

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The first care of the Chambers was, to provide for the security of the kingdom against domestic treason and foreign aggression. A law was passed, suspending for a limited period some of the safe guards of personal liberty established by the charter; and another, for making an addition to the army, by the formation of a select body of troops, under the name of Guards of Security. In the Chamber of Deputies a proposal was made to authorize the government to arm regiments at pleasure, and to employ all foreigners, whether soldiers or otherwise, who had taken refuge in Portugal. This last measure was intended to alarm Spain, by sending back armed into her territory, the libe rals who had been exiled on the restoration of Ferdinand, as well as some troops who had deserted on the establishment of the constitution in Portugal. But although, as a measure of retaliation, it would have been perfectly justified by the conduct of Spain, yet, as a declared act of government, it would have been inconsistent with the moderation which Portugal and her ally still wished to display. The proposal was sent to a committee, but was never adopted. To secure the fidelity of the army already existing, it was resolved that the pay of such soldiers as might be killed in the rebellion should be continued to their wives and daughters.

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In the budget of the year, as brought forward by the minister of finance on the 7th of November, there was a deficiency to the amount of two thousand contos of

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reis, without making any allowance for new expenditure which might be found necessary, and which, in regard to the army estimates, would be unavoidable. The minister stated, however, that there were means of providing for this deficiency without having recourse to direct contributions, which, he thought, in the present circum stances of the country, would not be advisable. The chamber accordingly authorised a loan to be effected, to the extent of the deficiency, at five per cent, with a sinking fund of one per cent. Twenty contos of reis were to be annually employed in paying the interest and redeeming the principal, by buying up the bonds of the loan. To meet this charge, certain new duties were laid upon some articles of importation, par ticularly on cards and foreign wines. A small impost was likewise laid on the importation of grain.

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The regency had already fixed the salary to be allowed to the members of the Chamber of Deputies at 3,750 reis (about 17.) per day, during the session, with an additional allowance to the deputies from the distant provinces of Madeira, the Azores, and Asia. The Cortes now fixed the establishments of the different members of the royal family, as provided by the charter. To the infanta regent was voted an allowance of 1,500 mil-reis per day while she continued regent, and a further pension of 125,000 francs during her life, as a mark of gratitude on the part of the Cortes for the services she had rendered to the state on the introduction of the constitution. The young queen was to have an allowance of 2,000 mil-reis per day, payable from the

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date of her arrival in the kingdom, and was to receive, in addition, the sum of 2,000 mil-reis as outfit. The other princesses were allowed pensions of 125,000 francs; and the queen dowager, besides the appanage which she already enjoyed, a pension to the same amount, proper and becoming from her connexion with the royal family, but not merited by any manifestation of good will, either to the sovereign or the constitu tion. All these allowances were declared to be independent of any 'other sums paid to the personages on whom they were conferred, and the enjoyment of palaces or other property belonging to them!

The cares of the Cortes were speedily diverted from internal ar rangements to foreign invasion. The regent, in opening the session, had said, "That the Spanish go vernment was now convinced, that difference of political institutions ought not to diminish that friendship and mutual confidence, which the solemnity of treaties, the ties of blood, and the vicinity of territory, had so long consolidated." But so long as Ferdinand hated and feared the Portuguese constitution, it was impossible that mutual confidence or friendship could exist between him and the rulers by whom that constitution was supported; his fondest desire was, to witness its downfal, and his only anxiety to conceal his share in the conspiracies by which it was attacked. The assurances given by M. Salmon on October! 3rd, had been followed by the in vasion of Algarves and Tras-osMontes, by Chaves and the duke of Abrantes; and these traitors retired into Spain only to recruit their strength, and better organize their designs. It was now offici

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ally known at Madrid, that Don Miguel himself had been betroth ed, at Vienna, to the young queen, and had taken the oath to the new constitution, without condition or qualification. His alleged title to the throne, on the abdication of Don Pedro, had never been any thing more than direct usurpation; but, after he had solemnly recognized the charter, and the line of succession which it established, there could no longer be any supposed identity of projects between him and the rebels, and Spain could not lend herself to those who might still use his name, without being guilty of direct hostilities against the Portuguese government. Trusting to the effect which this occurrence might have had upon the Spanish ministry, the British and Portuguese ambassadors renewed their remonstrances against the refusal to recognize the regency. Spain did not dare to speak out the true reason of this refusal, viz., that she denied the right of a sovereign prince to establish a representative government in his states, and that she was resolved to oppose the exercise of his prerogative, because it was disagreeable to her; she had recourse to pretences so flimsy in themselves, and so inconsistent with fact, that she only exposed herself to the reproach of hypocrisy and double-dealing, without reaping any one of the advantages of concealment. She still shielded herself behind the necessity of waiting the decision of France and Austria, although both of them were known to stand in the most friendly relations to the court of Lisbon. In pursuing this course, she derived no small encouragement from De Moustier, the French minister at Madrid, who, whether

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he acted under secret orders from his government, or was the daring instrument of a faction who thought themselves powerful enough to counteract the policy of the minis try of Charles X., gave the utmost countenance to the delays and evasions of Spain. The marquis of Villa Real addressed a note to him on the 10th November, in which he stated, that M. Salmon assigned as the reason for not recognizing the Portuguese government, that neither France nor Austria, had made to him any official communication of a similar act of recognition having been performed by themselves, and added, "As your excellency cannot be ignorant that the communications which the duke de Rauzan has made at Lisbon, leave no doubt that his. most Christian majesty has recog nized the legality of the govern ment established in Lisbon, and as the chargé d'affaires, appointed by the infanta regent to your government, has already been presented to his most Christian majesty, I do not hesitate to inform you of the objection which M. Salmon has made to my application, in the hope that you will think proper to obviate them, in so far as regards the opinion of your government with respect to that of Portugal, and will be pleased to communicate to M. Salmon, that the opinion of the king of France as to the changes which have taken place in Portugal, coincides with that of the cabinets of London, St. Petersburg, and Berlin." The Frenchman's answer was evasive and laconic: "Being of opinion that the solution of the very complicated question contained in your letter cannot concern me, I beg you will not take it amiss that I confine myself solely to acknowledging the

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