GENERAL HISTORY. 



[159 



empowered to treat with friendly 

 or neutral powers with regard to 

 the maintenance of the armies. 3. 

 That within the period of one 

 month precisely, the discussions 

 on the constitution be terminated, 

 the regencj' be appointed, and the 

 congress be dissolved. 4. That the 

 Cortes do not re-assemble till the 

 year 1813, according to the con- 

 stitution. A warm discussion then 

 took place, in which the elo- 

 quent and patriotic Senor Ar- 

 guelles appeared as the principal 

 defender of the Cortes. On the 

 succeeding dav he moved the fol- 

 lowing counter -propositions : 1. 

 That no royal person be placed at 

 the head of the regency in the ab- 

 sence of Ferdinand VII. 2. That 

 the ordinary Cortes be convoked at 

 the precise period required by the 

 constitution, and that the existing 

 Cortes do not separate till the re- 

 gency is arranged, the council of 

 state, and the supreme tribunal of 

 justice appointed, and the general 

 treasury and the tribunal of ex- 

 chequer accounts organized. 3. 

 That on the dissolution of the 

 Cortes, a deputation of sixty of 

 their body remain, clothed with 

 ample powers for watching over 

 the constitution, &c. till the next 

 Cortes be assembled. 4. That a 

 special committee be appointed to 

 devise the proper means for bring- 

 ing to a speedy issue the great ob- 

 ject of organizing the government. 

 The issue of this debate was, 

 that the propositions of Vera were 

 rejected, and those of Arguelles 

 appointed for discussion. 



On the 2nd of January the Cortes 

 discussed a project presented for 

 the improvement of the system of 

 government, when the following 

 propositions were approved : That 



in the present circumstances there 

 shall be appointed twenty counsel- 

 lors of state, of whom two only 

 shall be ecclesiastics ; two only 

 grandees of Spain : and the sixteen 

 others taken from persons who 

 serve, or have served, in diploma- 

 tic, military, economic, or magis- 

 terial offices ; and who have dis- 

 tinguished themselves by their ta- 

 lents, knowledge, or services : of 

 these, at least six from the pro- 

 vinces beyond the seas. A number 

 of articles were then read and ap- 

 proved respecting the obligations 

 and powers of the regency. 



The change of the regency soon 

 took place, in which the Duke del 

 Infantado, then resident minister 

 in England, was declared presi- 

 dent, and the count of Lavistal 

 (O'Donnel) vice-president. The 

 members of the late regency were 

 nominated counsellors of state. 

 The new regency, on January 23, 

 issued an address to the Spanish 

 nation, urging them in energetic 

 language to make every possible 

 exertion for the safety and inde- 

 pendence of the country, and not 

 concealing the imminent dangers 

 with which it was surrounded. 

 The actions of this body corre- 

 sponded with their words ; they 

 were vigorous, prompt, and deci- 

 sive : a variety of reforms were 

 made, and attention was particu- 

 larly paid to recruiting and disci- 

 plining the regular army, and to 

 the formation of officers fit to be 

 intrusted with command. 



The regency, in March, direct- 

 ed a circular address to the people 

 of Spanish America, settingforth to 

 them the arduous struggle in which 

 the motjier couiitrj- was engaged 

 with an implacable foe, and the sa- 

 lutary labours of the Cortes in form- 



