560 PoUtleal Jffuirs in June. 



in social decline; and then the old removal of tlie miuktefs 



Continent will present, in the year 



3000, the sad spectacle of nations 



lallcn under the yoke of legitimacy. 



These observations are extorted 

 from us by the aspect of Spain and 

 Portugal. The drilled slaves of Bour- 

 bon-France, tlie treachery of many 

 Spaniards and Portuguese, the igno- 

 rance of the mass of the jjcople, t!ie 

 desperate stale of an enraged priest- 

 hood, and the financial resources whicli 

 unprincipled Jews embark in any 

 cause, seem to have rendered Spain 

 an easy prey, and to have undermined 

 the hopes of Portugal. We subjoin 

 the last French accounts from Spain, 

 in which there must be a colour of 

 truth ; and accounts direct from 

 Lisbon: — 



Lislxni, May 27. — The President sus- 

 pended a debate to read a communication 

 ♦Vom the Permanent Uepntutions, stating 

 tlie defection of the i;3d regiment, and 

 the flight of Don Miijuel ; and (liat it had 

 sent to Gencial Sepiilveda to concert mi- 

 litary nicasnres of defence. 



Seiior Borsjes Carneiro showed, that the 

 motives of the faction were tlie same as 

 those prociaimed by the despots of Europe, 

 a<hipted by the infamous Silvcira, and 

 trnJiiig to depose from tlie throne the best 

 ot kings, Jolni VI. He proposed to refer 

 the above communication to a committee, 

 which sliould report without delay to the 

 «.'oi'tes, that speedy measures might be 

 taken to obviate the evils that threatened 

 the country. 



Oilier members enforced the necessity 

 of cttcrgeiic and prompt measures, and 

 \vi!-hcd the sittings to be declared pcj-ma- 

 lunt. The Committee of Public Safely 

 a:id Defcnco, to which the matter was re- 

 ferred, proposed — 



1. That the country be declared to be 

 in da'ijjer. 



i'. Tliat a niCEsage be sent to the King, 

 respectfully soiicitmg his i\l;ijesly to dis- 

 iiii-s the whole of his ministers, and to 

 cl'.oosc new ones. 



.J 'I'hat, according to the form of the 

 extraordinary powers which the Constitu- 

 tion ^ives. General Sepnlveda be charged 

 to" niiiintain the peace and security of the 

 capital. 



.Article 1 passed without debate. Witli 

 respect to Article 2, a debate arose : some 

 members thought it was yielding to the 

 factious, others declaiing that it was cer- 

 tain the present ministers did not enjoy 

 the public confidence, and ought, there- 

 fore, to be removed, for the good of the 

 nation. 



Senor Moura menlioiied the letters 

 •nutten by Sousa to General .Sepulveda, 

 in which he declared that he required the 



[July 1, 



That to agree 

 to the report of the Committee would be 

 conceding the tiist thing decreed by the 

 factious ; and General Sepulveda being in 

 an adjoining ajwrtment, a niesseniier was 

 sent to ask him for the letter, which was 

 then read. 



Some other membei-s having spoken for 

 and against the report, General Sepulveda 

 was called in; who, being asked to give 

 his opinion, replied, thaf since the late 

 events he had been to the Palace of Beni- 

 posfa to s])cak to his Majesty, whom he 

 found surrounded by his counsellors of 

 state, profoundly afflicted at the disobe- 

 dience of Don Miguel ; but that he remain- 

 ed firm in his purpose, that is, to maintain, 

 even at the expense of the greatest sa- 

 critices, the Constitution promulgated by 

 the Cortes of 185i2, and to which he had 

 voluntarily sworn. 



The deputies and the spectators could 

 not contain their enthnsiasra. Cries of 

 " Long live the Constitution, the Constitu- 

 tional King, and the Portngnese, who pre- 

 fer death to slavery, ' resounded through 

 the hall : the royal image was uncovered, 

 and the acclamations were renewed. The 

 general continued, saying that public opi- 

 nion demanded the dismissal of all the 

 niinisiers, and this was the general opinion 

 of the troops. Being asked by M. G. 

 Palma what was the spirit of the troop* 

 in the capital, he answered they were en- 

 tirely in favour of the Constitution to 

 which they had sworn. The general hav- 

 ing withdrawn, — 



Article 2 of the report was pnl to th« 

 vote and rejected; and an amendment by 

 M. Fieire being substituted to the effect 

 that a message be sent to his majesty, cod- 

 gralulating liim on his firmness ; requesting 

 liini, in concert wilh the Cortes, to laboor 

 for the salvation of the country, winch 

 they had declared to be in dan};er; and 

 farther requesting him to consult the 

 Coinicil of State ; and, if he thought it ne- 

 cessary, to remove the ministry, and also 

 some other persons in office, and choose in 

 their stead persons worthy of full conii- 

 dence. 



Article 3 was approved, with the addi- 

 tion, "Till other nieastnes shall betaken, 

 or a new ministry be appointed by his 

 majesty." 



The Assembly then broke up at half- 

 pa^t five o'clock. 



The Diario states that the greatest tran- 

 quillity prevailed in Ijisbon, that the 

 troops were at their posts, and all the 

 citizens comprizing the civic guard showed 

 the greatest zeal and activity. 



Lisbon, 3Iay '^B. — NotwitlistaniLng the 

 paternal exhortation of our beloved king, 

 the infant Don Miguel persists in his in- 

 considerate project. 



The following new ministers ^re ap- 

 pointed ;— « 



Justice, 



