218 ANNUAL REGISTER, 1810. 



It was certainly a great security 

 against all tendency, on tlic part 

 o? the Cortes, to arbitrary power 

 of any kind that tiie permanent 

 authority of that assembly them- 

 selves rested on the basis of li- 

 berty, civil and political, and the 

 dignity of the Spanisli nation. 



In October the Cortes dissolved 

 the old Regency, according to 

 their own wish, and formed an ex- 

 ecutive council, consisting of three 

 members, Blake, Cismar and 

 Agar. The members of the old 

 Regency were ordered to quit Ca- 

 diz. Wearenot a little astonished 

 at the manifest predilection of the 

 Spaniards for Blake, who though 

 probably an honest man and a 

 man of courage, was neither a 

 successful, norindecdaskilful, but 

 a rash and imprudent general. A 

 committee was appointed for draw- 

 ing up a law to the same effect as 

 the habeas corpus in England. 



The effects of this popular spring 

 of government were felt imme- 

 diately, and almost instantaneous- 

 ly. Tlie galleries were open to the 

 public, except on particular occa- 

 sions that demanded profound se- 

 crecy, and also with the exception 

 of women. And tlic only amuse- 

 ment of Cadiz was going to hear 

 the debates, which, though there 

 was great moderation, mutual 

 confidence, and good will among 

 all the members, were often very 

 animated ; and what appeared re- 

 markable to the English gentle- 

 men at Cadiz, there was not the 

 least appearance of constraint or 

 mauvaise hontc. All the speakers 

 expressed themselveswith asmuch 

 fluency and case as if they had 

 been accustomed to public speak- 

 ing all their lives. The speeches 

 of niany of the members were ex- 



cellent. The journals that report- 

 ed them were read with avidity by 

 all classes. It was common to sec 

 in the public walks and squares 

 20 or 30 persons, who kindly un- 

 dertook to read the newspapers 

 aloud, pro hono jniblico. The same 

 thing took place in the workshops 

 and manufactories. 



There was now some prospect 

 of re-establishing a free govern- 

 ment in Spain ; and popular senti- 

 ment accompanying every act of 

 the representative body, promised 

 to give energy, to all the efforts of 

 the national council. 



It is proper here to notice the 

 moral means adopted for counter- 

 acting these efforts by king Jo- 

 seph, and for establishing his own 

 authority. 



When the loyalists, in the reign 

 of Charles I. of England, per- 

 ceived how popular a thing among 

 a great part of the nation a cove- 

 nant was, they also resolved to 

 have the benefit of a covenant. In 

 like manner, king •Jo.'icph endea- 

 voured to conciliate the Spa- 

 niards by issuing a decree, Seville, 

 April 18, for the convocation of 

 the Cortes. By this, no doubt, 

 the liberty of Spain would be as 

 much secured, as those of France 

 by the legislative assembly of Na- 

 poleon Buonaparte. " It is a long 

 time," said Joseph, " since the 

 Junta amused the nation with the 

 promise of assembling the Cortes; 

 but they protracted delays from an 

 unwillingness to give up their own 

 power. Spain will owe this bene- 

 fit to the beneficence of its own 



kins 



In imitation, or, more 



probably, by the orders of Nai)o- 

 ieon, he divided Spain, for the 

 civil administration, into prefec- 

 tures, to the number ot thirty- 



