GENERAL HISTORY. 



[153 



CHAPTER XIV. 



France: — Law adopted by the two Chambers. — Particulars of the 

 damages sustained by Martinique. — Project of a larv presented to 

 the Chambers. — Further p?-oceedings respecting the Slave Trade. — The 

 King nominates the President and Vice-Presidents of the Electoral 

 Colleges. — His Ordinances concerning the National Guard. — Further 

 Ordinances concerning the Electoral Colleges. — Change oj" Ministry. 



Spain : — Publication of the Authorities of tJte Caraccas, — 



Royal Decree for increasing the White Population of Cuba. — 

 Decree for establishing Free Ports in the Peninsula.— De/i7titive 

 Edict relative to the Spanish Exiles. — Decree respecting the Royal 

 Vales.- — Decree concerning the establishment of Ports of Deposit. — 

 Decree relative to all Foreigners who make common cause with the 

 Insurgents of Spanish America. — Address from the Cabinet of Madrid 

 to the High Allied Powers. — Official Articles in the form of Royal 

 Decrees.~^^PofLTVGA.L,: — Neglect thrown upoji it, on the possessions 

 in Europe. — Still keeps in its hands the territory of Montevideo. 



THE King of France, on 

 December 30, 1817, made 

 public a law on the Journals, 

 adopted by the two Chambers, in 

 the following words: 



" Louis, by the Grace of 

 God, &c. We have proposed, the 

 Chambers have adopted, We have 

 ordained, and do ordain as 

 follows : — The journals and other 

 'periodical works, which treat on 

 political matter and intelligence, 

 shall not appear without the 

 King's authority, until the end of 

 the Session of the Chambers of 

 1818." 



Particulars respecting the da- 

 mage sustained by Martinique in 

 the late hurricane were pub- 

 lished to the following effect in 

 the Journal des Debats, with the 

 dat« of St. Pierre, Oct. 29. Ail 

 the parishes of the colony suffered 



more or less from the dreadful 

 storm on the 21st of October. 

 Every where the provisions of the 

 country were destroyed, and all 

 hopes of a harvest, which pro- 

 mised to be most abundant, are 

 annihilated. In some parts of 

 the island the sugar manufactories 

 were greatly injured; in others, 

 totally destroyed; the plantations 

 were generally torn up ; and 

 every thing presented an image 

 of desolation. The towns were 

 no less injured. The houses and 

 public buildings of Port Royal 

 were either entirely tumbled 

 down, or unroofed. In the roads, 

 great disasters happened among 

 the shipping. Of the three King's 

 ships which were there, two made 

 sail immediately, and stood from 

 the island; the other, the Mar- 

 garetta; was wnecked on the 



coast 



