220 ANNUAL REGISTER, 1810. 



that lie would not send any more 

 succours to liim at present (June, 

 1810), because lie could not. 

 "Why don't you," said his mi- 

 nister to Joseph's ambassador at 

 Paris, "raise contributions in An- 

 dalusia? Above all, at Seville, 

 Murcia, and Malaga ? and confis- 

 cate English merchandize ? In 

 the establishment of the king of 

 Spain there is too much pomp, 

 show, and luxury. Pay the army : 

 that is, conquer and pacify the 

 country in the first place. Grant 

 rewards to individuals afterwards. 

 It is impossible but there must be 

 more specie in Spain, considering 

 what must have been imported by 

 the French, the English and from 

 America. It is the way of the 

 Emperor to support the armies he 

 employs at the expense of the 

 countries he invaded. If the Em- 

 peror had not invaded Spain, he 

 could have disbanded his troops, 

 and spared his own treasury. The 

 staff establishment of the king 

 of Spain was too numerous, and 

 too expensive. The Spanish corps 

 he had taken into his service were 

 not only an useless expense, but 

 a mischief, as they commonly de- 

 serted to the enemy. The favour 

 and kindness shown to the Spa- 

 nish gentlemen newly come over 

 from the enemy to the king, 

 served only to disgust those who 

 had espoused his cause from the 

 beginning." 



The embassador, in reply, stated 

 among other things, that very 

 heavy arrears of p:iy were due to 

 the officers both of his catholic 

 majesty's staff" and household, and 



that the ordinary impositions on 

 Spain at present, were almost 

 wholly unproductive. They were 

 levied only on a small portion of 

 the subdued provinces ; and even 

 in these, the collectors were often 

 thwarted by the Guerillas.* 



It already occurred, as one way 

 of raising money, to sell what the 

 French called the forfeited estates. 

 In the month of July, there was a 

 public sale of the estates of all 

 the Spanish grandees, and other j 

 great landed proprietors, who had ! 

 emigrated to Cadiz, and adhered 

 to Ferdinand 7th. But this mea- 

 sure of finance turned out to 

 very little account, and next to 

 nothing. 



If it seemed necessary to urge 

 Joseph to the adoption of harsh 

 and cruel measures for the sub- 

 jection of Spain, there was 

 no necessity for exciting the 

 French generals either to plunder, 

 or to commit any act of atrocity 

 that might be supposed to contri- 

 bute to the same end. General 

 orders were issued by Soult, at 

 Seville, May 29, for granting no 

 quarter to any Spaniards, not re- 

 gular troops, found in arms against 

 king Joseph. All such were to 

 be treated as rebels against legiti- 

 mateauthority, and devoted, with- 

 out mercy, to fire and sword. 

 But the Regency of Spain imme- 

 diately ordered retaliation, a i'ew 

 examples of which excited a mur- 

 mur of discontent throughout the 

 whole French army. And by a j 

 decree of Buonaparte, the rights J 

 of war were allowed to the Gue- 1 

 rillas. 



* Intercepted letter from Arauza, Duke of Santa Fe', charge d'affairs at the court 

 of Paris, to Don L. M. Urquijo, minister of King Joseph for foreign relations, Paris, 

 June 20, 1810. Extracted from the Gazette E.\traordinary of the Regency of Spain, 

 Aug. 5, 1810, 



