LON 
fcribed in the 173d article of the conftitution. The pre¬ 
sident of the Cortes then add re (Ted the Regency, and was 
replied to by the prefident of that body ; and the day 
clofed with a folemn proclamation of the conftitution, 
and a grand dinner, at which the Britirti ambaifador was 
n confpicuous gueft. 
At a fitting of the Cortes in Oftober, fenor Caftello 
lnade a long and well-reafoned difcourfe concerning the 
inhumanity and injuftice of that regulation in the Ame¬ 
rican colonies called the mitas, by which each di(drift is 
required to contribute a certain number of men for the 
Cultivation of the land, the working of mines, and other 
talk-labour j'and, after a full difcufiion of the fubject, the 
following propofitions were put to the vote, and unani- 
moufly approved: i. That the mitas lhould be for ever 
nbolifhed. ' a. That the Indians lhould be exempted from 
the perfonal fervice they gave the clergy, or any other 
public functionary whatever; obliging them, neverthe- 
lefs, to fatisfy the pr.< ochial rights, in the fame manner as 
the other dalles. 3. That the public charges, fuch as the 
rebuilding of churches, and making roads, fliould be 
equally borne by all the inhabitants indifcriminately. 
4. That divifions of lands ftiould be made to the Indians, 
leaving to the provincial deputies the care of afligning 
the. quotas. 5. That in ali the American territories, 
fome’of the dignities (hould neceflarily remain with the 
Indians. The policy as well as juftice of thus endea¬ 
vouring to conciliate this much-injured part of the colo¬ 
nial population to the mother-country, by redrefting the 
cruel wrongs under which it has fo long groaned, is evi¬ 
dent; and, if it has been a confequence of the civil war 
kindled in thofe regions between the native and tranfat- 
lantic Spaniards, the friends of humanity may be grati¬ 
fied by jfome compenfation for the evils of which the war 
has been the caufe. 
In the hiftorical account of the laft year, notice was 
taken of the jealoufy prevailing in the Spanilh nation of 
any attempt to place their armies under Britifti command. 
The great fuccefs and high merits of lord Wellington in 
the campaign of this year overcame, in tlie general feel¬ 
ing, this repugnance as far as regarded his perfon ; and 
the Cortes, which had elevated him to the rank of a grandee 
of Spain, at length gave the ftrongeft proof of their efteem 
and confidence, by a refolution declaring him Commander- 
in-chief of the Spanifli armies. When, in confequence 
of this appointment, his lordfltip fent an order to general 
Ballafteros, captain-general of Andalufia, and undoubtedly 
one of the moft zealous and active of the Spanilh com¬ 
manders, to move his army, that officer felt his honour 
fo much piqued, and confidered it as fuch a national de¬ 
gradation, that he declined to comply. The regency 
would not permit fuch an infraction of the obedience due 
to the fovercign authority by any perfon of whatever rank 
ferving under it; and iffued a notice acquainting the pub¬ 
lic with the difeharge of Don Fr. Ballafteros from his com¬ 
mand in the army, and the appointment, ad interim, of 
Don Joaquim Virues in his (tead. At the fame time Bal¬ 
lafteros was put under arre(t in the midft of his army, 
which made no refiftance ; and received an order to depart 
for Ceuta. To obviate any unfavourable impreflion on the 
nation from this meafure, the fecretary at war, on Octo¬ 
ber 30, read before the Cortes a-memorial (which was 
printed) fetting forth the deplorable (late of the country 
when the regency, afiumed the reins of government, and 
the additions which had been made to its military force 
during the prelent year, with the improvement of its prof- 
pgfts fince the capture of Ciudad Rodrigo by lord Wel¬ 
lington. It alfo mentioned that orders had been fent to 
the generals in chief of the armies to aft in concert with, 
and in obedience to, the duke of Ciudad Rodrigo. 
The kingdom of Portugal, during this year, enjoyed 
that exemption from hoftije devaluations which had been 
fecured by the exertions of its great defender, interrupted 
only by that irruption of the French into the Lower 
Bfka, which was intended as a diverfton in favour of Ba- 
V«i.. XIII. No. 90S. 
B O N. 505 
dajos, then under fiege by lord Wellington. Opportu¬ 
nity was therefore given for the operations of agriculture, 
and the other means of recovery from the fevere calami¬ 
ties it had undergone ; and it cannot be doubted that the 
films of money derived from Englilh fubfidies, and the 
expenditure of the Englilh troops in their paflage through 
Lilbon, materially aided the refources of the country. 
The afiiduity of marlhal Beresford and the authority of 
lord Wellington had placed the military eftablilhment of 
Portugal upon a very refpeftable footing ; and before the 
clofe of 1811 there were numbered of troops of the line 
and in garrifon above 54,000, of militia 58,000, and of 
the ordenanza, armed partly with pikes, partly with muf- 
kets, above 200.000. Of the regulars, a large proportion 
ferved with riie allied army in Spain, and on various oc- 
cafions acquired great credit.—On the 13th of February, 
JS12, the government of Portugal iilued a proclamation 
addrefied to the people in general, comparing their pad 
and prefent Rate ; and, although pointing out the im¬ 
provement of their condition, yet (bowing the necefllty of 
precautionary meafures againll fuch fudden inroads as 
might poflibly be made by the enemy. Of thefe, they fpe- 
cify the three following : 1. All perfons capable oFbear¬ 
ing arms mull be exercifed in the iiife of them ; and thofe 
wliofe age or fex unfits them for military fervice, mult take 
meafures by anticipation for repairing to places of fecu- 
rity in cafe circumftances lhail make it neceffary. 2. 
They mult carry off or conceal all money, gold, lilver, or 
jewels, which might tempt the avarice of the enemy. 3. 
They muff carefully conceal, or if neceffary deftroy, all 
provifions that cannot be carried off, and remove cattle 
and carriages, in order to deprive the invader of means of 
fubfiftence and advance.—The treaty of amity, naviga¬ 
tion, and commerce, between Portugal and Ruffia, con¬ 
cluded at Peferlburgh in 1798, now drawing to a termi¬ 
nation, a renewal of it was agreed upon by the two 
parties, to remain in force till June iS 15, with no other 
alteration than an addition to the duty” on Portuguefe 
wines imported into Ruffia, correfponding to the addi¬ 
tional duties fince laid upon other wines. 
The remainder of the year offers nothing remarkable 
with refpeft to this part of the peninfula, which, partly 
by the exertions of its own troops under Britiffi com¬ 
mand, had the fatisfaftion to fee its fecurity from the 
common enemy greatly improved during the operations of 
this campaign, by the recovery of the ffrong fortrelfes of 
Ciudad Rodrigo and Badajos from the poflellion of the 
French, and their retreat from the other parts of its fron¬ 
tier.—Let us, therefore, turn our attention to another 
quarter of the globe, where we lhail find fonre tranfaftion* 
interefting and honourable to the Englilh charafter, though 
not without feme mortifying reverfes. 
From the temper manifelted by the prefident and con- 
grefs of the United -States towards the clofe of laff year, 
(fee p. 261.) it was evident that nothing could prevent 
a war between that country and Great Britain, but either 
a change in the fyftem purfued by the latter, or a dread in 
the former to come to the point of actual hoffilities, under 
the prolpeft of much fullering from abroad, and much 
difeontent at home. This temper continued to prevail; 
and, as we have feer. atp. 281, 291, American holtility had 
outftripped Englilh pacification. As commercial griev¬ 
ances conftituted a great part of the complaints againll 
Great Britain, it is highly probable, that, if the orders 
in council had been repealed early enough for intelligence 
of the event to-have reached America before the final de- 
cifion, the advocates for peace would have acquired fo 
much additional ffrength as, at leaft, to have deferred the 
declaration of hoffilities till time had been given for ne¬ 
gotiating on the other points in difpute. Indeed, little 
doubt leemed to be entertained on this fide the Atlantic, 
that the news of the repeal, protrafted as it was, would 
arrive time enough to prevent aftual war. But, the firfl 
recoil from a refolution full of hazard and milchief having 
paffed, men were brought to regard it as a thing decided^ 
. 4- 1 and 
