PROFFERED MEDIATION OF ENGLAND. 325 



taining the claims of the Spanish Ameri- 

 cans, had linger^^d on till February, and ei- 

 ther rejected them, or, what was the same 

 , thing in effect, postponed the further in- 

 vestigation of them to an indefinite period. 



In April 1811, the English Government, 

 whose policy then was, having become in 

 effect the ally of the Spanish nation, to 

 preserve, if possible, the integrity of the 

 dominions of Spain, offered their media- 

 tion, for the purpose of endeavouring to 

 adjust the differences between the mother- 

 country and the provinces of Spanish Ame- 

 rica. This offer was taken into considera- 

 tion by the Cortes on the 6th of June. The 

 debate upon it lasted for several days, with 

 closed doors : it was at length rejected ; 

 only six Europeans,, in addition to the Spa- 

 nish American deputies, voting in its favour. 

 It is, perhaps^ fortunate for this country, 

 however impolitic might have been, at 



