GENERAL HISTORY. 



[123 



the south of the line, under the 

 same penalties imposed in the first 

 article of this decree: allowing 

 likewise the space of five months 

 from the above date to complete 

 the voyages that may be under- 

 taken before the above-mentioned 

 30th of May, in which the traffic 

 in slaves shall cease in all my do- 

 minions, as well in Spain as in 

 America. 



Art. 4. — Those who, using the 

 permission which I grant till the 

 30th of May, IS-^O, to purchase 

 slaves, on that part of the coast of 

 Africa which lies south of the 

 Line, shall not be allowed to carry 

 more slaves than five to two tons 

 of the tonnage of their vessel : and 

 any persons contravening this en- 

 actment shall be subjected to the 

 penalty of losing all the slaves on 

 board, who shall be declared free 

 at the first i)0) t of my dominions 

 in which the ship arrives. 



Art. 5. — This computation is 

 made without a reference to those 

 who may be born during the voy- 

 age, or to those who may be serv- 

 ing onboard as sailors or servants. 



Art. 6. — Foreign vessels which 

 may import negroes into any port 

 of my dominions shall be subject- 

 ed to the regulations prescribed in 

 this decree ; and in case of con- 

 tra\ening them, shall be subjected 

 to the penalties contained in it. 



And ray royal jdeasure being, 

 that the above decree should cir- 

 culate in my dominions of America 

 and Asia, for its punctual obsers- 

 ance I communicated it to my su- 

 preme council of the Indies, sign- 

 ed with niy own hand, under date 

 of the 22d of September last past j 

 I therefore command all my vice- 

 roys, presidents, audiences, com • 

 mandants, general governors, and 



intendants of the Indies, the ad- 

 jacent islands, the Philippines, 

 that they keep, fulfil, execute, 

 and cause to be kept, fulfilled, &c. 

 this my decree," &c. 

 Madrid, Dec. 1817. 



PORTUGAL. 



The union, during the last year, 

 of the kingdoms of Portugal and 

 Brazil, with the decided preference 

 shown by the sovereign of the two 

 countries to his transatlantic pos- 

 sessions, has conferred upon the 

 latter at least an equal title to do- 

 minion ; for which reason we shall 

 henceforth consider them as indi- 

 visibly united under a single crown. 



The irruption of a Portuguese 

 army from Brazil, into IMontevi- 

 deo, was mentioned among the 

 events of the concluding month 

 of the last year. In January two 

 proclamations were issued to the 

 Spanish inhabitants ; one of them 

 by Carlos Frederico Le Cor, lieu- 

 tenant-general of the army of his 

 most Faithful Majesty, addressing 

 the people of Montevideo, and 

 promising to them the guarantee 

 of their property, and a free tjade 

 with all nations, in the name of 

 the king of Portugal; another 

 from Sebastian Pintos de Aranjo 

 Correa, governor of Montevideo, 

 and superintcndant of t!ie provin- 

 ces on the east side of the river 

 Plate, decreeing severe punish- 

 ment against all who shall insult 

 another for his former political 

 opinions, and assuring every in- 

 dividual, whatever public office he 

 may have held under the different 

 governments, of perfect security 

 under the protection of the Por- 

 tuguese army. 



The conduct of the Brazilian 

 gover^uwent did not fail, however, 



of 



