GENERAL HISTORY. 



[193 



Santa Fe had been taken by the 

 royah'sts, and that an expedition 

 was fitting out against Carthagena. 

 Complaints were made from the 

 West India islands, that a number 

 of privateers from the latter port, 

 whose crews consisted of Ameri- 

 cans, Frenchmen, and Spaniards, 

 committed great depredations on 

 the coasting trade of the British 

 islands, and had made descents 

 upon some of them for the pur- 

 poses of pillage. 



Intelligence from the river Plata 

 in April, mentioned that the evils 

 attendant on a blockade had in- 

 duced many of the inhabitants of 

 Montevideo to escape to Buenos 

 Ayres, and that the Cabildo had 

 declared an intention of surren- 

 dering, if not speedily succoured 

 from Spain. A decree had been 

 published at Buenos Ayres, en- 

 joining that the consulate of the 

 city should open a register, con- 

 taining the names of all national 

 merchants resident in it, to be 

 transmitted to the. administration 

 of the customs, while registered 

 persons alone were capable of be- 

 ing made consignees; and that 

 their commission should not be less 

 than 4 per cent, upon sales, and 2 

 per cent, upon purchases ; all con- 

 signees taking a lower commission 

 to be struck out of the register. 



The Jamaica papers of June re- 

 ported, that news had been re- 

 ceived from Havannah that the roy- 

 alist army in Mexico was every 

 where victorious over the insur- 

 gents, that the communication be- 

 tween Vera Cruz and Mexico was 

 again opened, and that it was ex- 

 pected that the new constitution 

 of Spain would shortly be sworn 

 to by the whole country. On th« 

 other hand, it appeared that not- 



VoL. LV. 



withstanding the dissolution of the 

 confederacy of Venezuela, the in- 

 surgents were still in force at the 

 Caraccas, headed by the marquis 

 Del Toro and Juan Bolivar. The 

 latter, with 3,000 men, was said to 

 be within two days' march of Ma- 

 racaybo ; and the former had io 

 difierent engagements defeated the 

 royalists in Cumana. At Santa 

 Martha a convoy had arrived from 

 Havannah with 500 soldiers, whose 

 commander had dispatched a flag 

 of truce to Carthagena, offering a 

 general pardon to the insurgents, 

 on submission. 



Intelligence from Buenos Ayres 

 to August 1st, stated, that the 

 blockade of Montevideo was con- 

 tinued with unabated vigilance. 

 The first remittance of a gold and 

 silver coinage for the government 

 of Rio de la Plata had arrived from 

 Potosi at Buenos Ayres. The pieces 

 distinctly marked the prevalent 

 spirit of independence. They bore 

 on one side the arms of the gene- 

 ral assembly, surmounted with a 

 sun, and the inscription " Pro- 

 vinces of the river Plate :" on the 

 other, a sun in the centre, with 

 the inscription, " In Union and 

 Liberty.'' The new legislative as- 

 sembly, sitting permanently at 

 Buenos Ayres, declared its level- 

 ling principle with regard to rank, 

 by the following ordinance : ♦' The 

 general assembly ordains, that, in 

 filling up all offices, whether ec- 

 clesiastical, civil, or mihtary, of 

 every class, rank, or distinction, 

 neither age nor gradation be at- 

 tended to ; but that they be im- 

 partially conferred upon persons 

 who merit them by superior fitness 

 for such offices, and especially by 

 their approved valour, patriotic 

 zeal, energy, and constancy in sup- 



[O] 



