I60j ANNUA L REGISTER, 1816. 



papers. The first is appaiently 

 the same with the former; but 

 that of Lecor is entirely different. 

 It begins, " AVithout prejmlicing 

 in(hvidual interests, we pioceed 

 to take possession, in the name 

 of his Most Faithful Majesty our 

 Lord, of the territory to tlie east 

 of the river Plate. — It has been 

 a necessary measure adopted be- 

 tween the cabinets of our mo- 

 narch and his Catholic Majesty 

 who subjects you to the dominion 

 of a king, great, beneficent, and 

 generous." If this be authentic, 

 it removes any doubt of the con- 

 cert of the two crov.ns in tliis 

 extraordinary expedition, and of 

 the intention of a transfer of 

 American territory from tlu- ."^j)a- 

 nish to tiie Portuguese dominion, 

 doubtless for a puipose of mu- 

 tual advantage. The general fact 

 of this in\'asion has alone yet 

 been made known in Europe, 

 but nuich curiosity has been ex- 

 cited as to the further results. 



In the extensive province of 

 Mexico, as far as can be deduced 

 from tlie extraordinajy accounts 

 of the opposite parties, the greater 

 part of the districts north of tlie 

 city of Mexico were in the power 

 of tiie independent--, while tlie 

 royalists retained the possession 

 of the .south, especially of the 

 chief towns. Moiello, the in- 

 dependent general, liaving been 

 taken jirisoner in an action, was 

 brought to the prison of the Inqui- 

 siiion at Mexico, and was con- 

 demiiedand executed in that city. 

 The patriotic cause is lepiesented 

 as iiaving obtaii.ed an accession of 

 strength by tiie following circum- 

 stance. One of ttie commanders 

 who, with the officers under him, 

 quitted Carthagena on its reduc- 

 tion by the royalists, fitted out a 



squadron, with which he took 

 possession of the posts of Mata- 

 gorda and Galveston in the north- 

 ern part of the bay of Mexico A 

 decree was afterwards published 

 by "Citizen Joseph Manuel de 

 Herrera, Deputy of the Mexican 

 Reimblic," in which, by virtue of 

 the powers and instructions given 

 him by the Mexican Congress, he 

 enacts certain articles relative to 

 the establishment of Matagorda 

 and Galveston, until an improved 

 form of government shall be 

 sanctioned for the pro^ince of 

 Texas, in which they are situated. 

 Later accoimts from Mexico speak 

 of the affairs of the republicans 

 in that ([uarter as wearing a pros- 

 jjerous aspect ; but there is rea- 

 son 10 suspect that the intelli- 

 gence is adapted to the effect it 

 may produce on the favourers of 

 theii' cause in the United States. 



The latest advices from iSpanish 

 Amei'ica agree in reporting suc- 

 cesses of the patiiots in different 

 parts. A geneial in their ser- 

 vice, under the name of Sir 

 Gregor M'Gregor, who had been 

 returned as killed in the royahst 

 accounts, was at the head of a 

 considerable foice in Venezuela, 

 where he was making a rapid 

 jnogress, and after having taken 

 possession of Cumana, was pro- 

 ceeding against Caraccas. This 

 place, however, was occupied by 

 the royalists on October 16th, 

 when a gazette was published 

 there, annovmcing a victory ob- 

 tained by their party at sea, over 

 a small force of the independents. 

 In such a perplexed and indeci- 

 sive state of things, it cannot be 

 desiiable to lengthen this article 

 by minute and uninteresting de 

 tails, to which little authority can 

 be annexed. 



Britiih \ 



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