116] ANNUAL REGISTER, 1817. 



CHAPTER XI. 



Spain.— Disturbance in Valencia. — Edict prohibiling Books. — Conspiracy 

 i)i Barcelona. — Castunos and his Accomplices condemned. — Papal Bull 

 respecting the Property of tlie Church i)i Spain. — Queen uf Etrurin. — 

 Decree relative to the Culture of Tobacco in the Havan7iah. — Aboli- 

 tion of the Slave Trade. — Portugal. — Irruption of its Army into Mon- 

 levidfo. — Part taken by the allied Powers. — Defection of Pcrnainbuco, 

 and its Reduction. — Plot in Portugal. 



SPAIN. 



THE following letter, dated 

 from Murcia, on the 5th of 

 February, contains an account of 

 a disturbance which took place in 

 Valencia on January 17th. 



" The 17th ult. was a day of 

 judgment in A'alencia. The peo- 

 ple daringly rose against General 

 Ello ; and if divine Providence 

 had not taken pity on that afflicted 

 district, we know not to \that 

 lengths the wild monster the 

 mob (which a people are when 

 given up to their own violence) 

 would have proceeded. These tur- 

 bulent habits have been contract- 

 ed by past events, when the Li- 

 berates flattered the people that 

 they were going to destroy all the 

 authority of rank and power. The 

 people are like children ; they 

 never forget the indulgence al- 

 lowed then!. The tumult took its 

 origin in a foolish dispute about 

 the tax on coals. General Elio, 

 who allows no one to dispute his 

 commands, found it necessary to 

 exert his authority against certain 

 persons who called themselvts the 

 deputies of the people ; and thus 

 was kindled that tire whicli had 

 neaily involved in flame the whole 

 capital of the province. The power 

 of the insurgents rose to such a 

 height^ that the city was in their 



possession during the wiiole of 

 the 17th. Elio had the |)rudence 

 to leave the rabble to itself. The 

 people had the insolence to raise 

 the cry of the constitution ; and 

 offered a thousand insults to the 

 general and the troops. 1 have 

 the satisfaction, however, to tell 

 you, that none but the rabble 

 took any part in the disturbance : 

 the gentlemen and men of pro- 

 perty lemained in their houses. 

 At last the army triumphed ; and 

 General Elio is about to make 

 terrible examples. The judges of 

 the audience entered into disputes 

 with his Excellency concerning 

 the limits of jurisdiction between 

 the civil and military authority j 

 and Elio, who knows well his 

 duty, immediately set out to 

 Madrid to ol^tain from his Ma- 

 jesty full powers to hang, if it be 

 found necessary, the members of 

 the court itself. One soldier was 

 killed : on the side of the people 

 many were wounded. General 

 Elio \\as wounded, but not se- 

 verely." 



The following proclamation was 

 subjoined to this letter. 



The Captain-General of thepro- 

 vinces of Valencia and Murcia, to 

 whom is intiusted the pieserva- 

 tion of the public tranquillity, 

 desirous to fulfil his duty, and to 



protect 



