76] 



ANNUAL REGISTER, 1814. 



in the place. Accompanied by 

 his nephew, he spent a part of 

 the night upon the ramparts, con- 

 ferring with his partizans, and ex- 

 pt Cling movements in his favour; 

 but it appears that he had not 

 sufficiently prepared his own offi- 

 cers for the attempt, for they sent 

 one of their number to inform the 

 viceroy of the transaction, and to 

 assure him of their fidelity to the 

 government. In conclusion, Mina 

 found it necessary to retire, fol- 

 lowed by those who were most 

 attached to hira, and take the 

 road of Puente La Reyna, where, 

 it is said, there was a great fer- 

 ment among his soldiers, a part 

 of whom quitted his standard. 

 The viceroy published a procla- 

 mation addressed to the deputies 

 of the province, informing them 

 of these events; and another pro- 

 clamation, to the people of Na- 

 varre, was issued by the bishop 

 and two other persons in autho- 

 rity, in order to excite their loy- 

 alty. 



A royal ordinance, issued by 

 Ferdinand on Sept. 15th, exhi- 

 bited a further progress in that 

 system of bringing every thing 

 back to its former state, which 

 seemed the leading, or rather the 

 sole, policy of his government. 

 It recited, that by a decree of the 

 General and Extraordinary Cortes, 

 on August 6th, 1811, all juris- 

 dictional seignories of whatever 

 class were incorporated with the 

 nation, and all payjients both real 

 and personal, which owed their 

 origin to a jurisdictional title, were 

 abolished, with the exception of 

 such as proceeded from free con- 

 tract, in the exercise of the right 

 of property ; abolishing also the 

 privileges called exclusive, priva- 



tive, or prohibitive, such as those 

 of the chase, fishing, ovens, and 

 mills: that in this state of things, 

 representations had been made to 

 him by various grandees of Spain, 

 and titulars of Castille, jurisdic- 

 tional lords of townships in Arra- 

 gon, Valencia, and other pro- 

 vinces, complaining of the rob- 

 beries suffered by them under pre- 

 tence of the said decree, in the 

 enjoyment of the rights and pay- 

 ments reserved to them ; demand- 

 ing restitution, and some of them 

 praying the nullity of the decree: 

 that the said memorials had been 

 referred to the council of state, 

 and the law-officers of the crown, 

 in consequence of whose recom- 

 mendation and advice, his Ma- 

 jesty orders, that the said jurisdic- 

 tional lords be immediately re- 

 placed in the enjoyment of all the 

 rights, emoluments, &c. belonging 

 to their territorial and manorial 

 seignory, and of all the other rights 

 which they enjoyed prior to Aug. 

 6th, 1811, and which do not de- 

 rive their origin from jurisdiction 

 and exclusive privileges : with- 

 out prejudice to what he may 

 hereafter resolve, as to the nullity, 

 continuance, or revocation of the 

 said decree of the Cortes, abolish- 

 ing seignories. 



If the immediate operation of 

 this ordinance was in many re- 

 spects to render strict justice ac- 

 cording to existing laws, the hope 

 manifestly held out of a future 

 revocation of the popular decree 

 of the Cortes, was a bait offered 

 to the nobility of the kingdom, 

 to secure their attachment to the 

 renewed order of things. On the 

 other hand, the king, whose na- 

 tural disposition appears to be 

 frank and conciliating, studied to 



