of Spain, and that he must, there fore, demand his passports. This communication has been answered by a note from M. de Chateaubriand, referring to his former declarations, that it is the ́desire and intention of his Most Christian Majesty's government to 'continue at peace with Portugal; that if, however, the manifestation of these friendly sentiments will not induce Monsieur de Sampayo to suspend the execution of his orders, until the result of a reference to Lisbon shall be known, his passports will be delivered to him; but that the French ministers do not think it necessary, on that account to withdraw the charged'affaires, or the consular agents, who are actually employed in Portugal to maintain the usual relations between the two courts. I have the honour to be, &c. (Signed) CHARLES STUART CONVENTION between HIS MAJESTY and the KING of the SPAINS, for the amicable adjustment of COMPLAINTS respecting the CAPTURE and DETENTION of BRITISH VESSELS and PROPERTY by Spanish Authorities, (Signed at Madrid, March 12, 1823.) His majesty the king of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and his majesty the king of the Spains, equally animated by the desire of arriving at an amicable adjustment of the various complaints which have been from time to time laid before The Spanish government, of the Capture of vessels, and seizure and detention of property belonging to British subjects, by Spanish au thorities, as well as of other griev ances; their said majesties have been pleased to name plenipotentiaries for the conclusion of a convention for the attainment of this desirable purpose, to wit:-His Britannic Majesty, the right honourable sir William A'Court, baronet, knight grand cross of the order of the Bath, one of his majesty's most honourable privy council, and his envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary to the king of the Spains; and his Catholic Majesty, his excellency Don Evaristo de San Miguel, colonel of infantry, adjutant-general on the staff of the national armies, and secretary of state for the foreign department; who, after having communicated their full powers, have agreed upon the following articles: Article 1. A mixed commission, English and Spanish, consisting of two members of each nation, shall be appointed, and meet in London, within ten weeks after the signa ture of the present convention, or sooner if possible, for the purpose of taking into consideration and deciding in a summary manner, according to equity, upon all cases that shall be brought before it, properly authenticated, of the capture or seizure of British vessels, or detention of property belonging to subjects of his Britannic Majesty, from the declaration of peace be tween England and Spain, of the 4th of July, 1808, to the date of the present convention, and also upon all cases that shall be brought before it, of the capture or seizure of Spanish vessels, or detention of property belonging to the subjects of his Catholic Majesty, during the same period. 2. Should any difference of opinion arise amongst the members of the said convention, and their votes be equally divided, a reference shall then be made to the Spanish envoy at the court of London, and a law officer of the crown to be named by his Britannic Majesty. If these arbitrators should also be divided in opinion, it shall be determined, by lot, which of the two shall definitively decide the question. 3. An assignment of 40 millions of rials upon the great book, shall, according to the decree of the Cortes, immediately be made to the said commissioners, for the payment of such indemnifications as may be awarded by the commission. This sum shall be increased or diminished, as the decree points out, according as a greater or lesser number of claims shall be admitted as valid, exceeding, in the one case, or not amounting to, in the other, the whole amount of the sum in the first instance deposited. 4. The claims of Spanish subjects which shall be acknowledged just, shall be paid by the British government either in stock, or by an equivalent in money. 5. As soon as the commissioners shall have admitted any claim as valid, and determined the amount due to the claimant, they shall assign or transfer, in favour of such claimant, a portion of the said rentes equivalent to the amount awarded, estimating the value thereof according to the current price in London of the said rentes at the time of making such assignment or transfer. 6. No claim shall be admitted which shall not be submitted to the commission within six months after its first meeting. 7. A person shall be named by each government, for the selection and transmission of whatever pa pers or documents it may be neces→ sary to forward from Madrid for the consideration of the commis sion, and to arrange the transfer of the rentes, as the respective amounts shall be awarded. In witness whereof, we, the un dersigned plenipotentiaries of their Britannic and Catholic Majesties, duly authorized by our full powers, have signed two originals of the present convention, and have affixed thereunto the seals of our arms, in Madrid, this twelfth day of March, 1823. (L. S.) WILLIAM A'COURT. (L. S. EVARISTO SAN MIGUEL. SPEECH of the KING of FRANCE, delivered at the Opening of the Session of the Two Chambers, on Tuesday, Jan. 28. Gentlemen,-The length of the two last sessions, and the short time which they have left you unoccupied, would have made me wish to be able to put off for a short time the opening of the present. But the regular vote of the expenditure of the state is an advantage of which you have felt all the value; and in order to preserve it, I have counted upon the same devotion which were necessary for me to obtain it. The situation of the interior of the kingdom is improved; the administration of justice, loyally exercised by the juries, wisely and religiously directed by the magis trates, has put an end to the plots and attempts at revolt which were encouraged by the hope of impu example of a prosperity which people cannot obtain but by the return to religion-to legitimacy-to order to true liberty. That salu nity have concluded with the tary example she now gives. Holy See those conventions which were necessary for the formation of the new dioceses of which the law authorizes the establishment. Every where the churches will be provided with their pastors; and the clergy of France, completely organized, will bring upon us the blessings of Providence. I have provided by ordinances, as economy in our expenses required, regular order in the accounts. My ministers will submit to the sanction of the law the account of the expenses of the year 1821. They will furnish you with the statement of the receipt and expenses effected in 1822, and that of the charges and resources to be expected in 1824. It results from these documents, that all prior expenses being liquidated-even those which the military preparations have rendered necessary-we enter upon the year 1823, with forty millions of excess upon the accounts open for this year; and that the budget for 1824 will present a balance of receipts and expenses, without requiring the employment of this re But divine justice permits, that, after having for a long time made other nations suffer the terrible effects of our disorders, we should ourselves be exposed to dangers brought about by similar calamities among a neighbouring peo❤ ple. lamités semblables chez un peuple voisin. "J'ai tout tenté pour garantir la securité de mes peuples, et préserver l'Espagne elle-meme des derniers malheurs. L'aveuglement, avec lequel ont été redrid, laisse peu d'espoir de conserver la poussées les représentations faites à Mapaix. "J'ai ordonné le rappel de mon ministre: cent mille Français, commandés par un Prince de ma famille, par celui que mon cœur se plait à nommer mon le Dieu de St. Louis, pour conserver le fils, sont prets à marcher, en invoquant trone d'Espagne à un petit-fils d'Henri IV., préserver ce beau royaume de sa ruine, et le réconcilier avec l'Europe. "Nos stations vont etre renforcees dans les lieux où notre commerce maritime a besoin de cette protection. Des croisières seront établies partout où nos arrivages pourraient etre inquiétés. "Si la guerre est inévitable, je mettrai tous mes soins à en resserrer le cercle, à en borner la durée. Elle ne sera entreprise, que pour conquérir la paix, que l'état de l'Espagne rendrait impossible. Que Ferdinand VII. soit libre de donner à ses peuples les institutions qu'ils ne peuvent tenir que de lui, et qui, en assurant leur repos, dissiperaient les justes inquiétudes de la France: dés ce moment les hostilités cesseront; j'en prends devant vous, Messieurs, le solennel engagement. "J'ai du mettre sous vos yeux l'état de nos affaires au dehors. C'était à moi de délibérer; je l'ai fait avec maturité. J'ai consulté la dignité de ma couronne, l'honneur et la sureté de la France: nous somme Français, Messieurs; nous serons toujours d'accord pour défendre de tels intérêts." I have made every endeavour to guarantee the security of my people, and to preserve Spain herself from the extremity of misfortune. The infatuation with which the representations made at Madrid have been rejected, leaves little hope of preserving peace. I have ordered the recall of my minister: one hundred thousand Frenchmen, commanded by a prince of my family,-by him whom my heart delights to call my son, are ready to march, invoking the God of St. Louis, for the sake of preserving the throne of Spain to a descendant of Henry IV.-of saving that fine kingdom from its ruin, and of reconciling it with Europe. Our stations are about to be reinforced in those places where our maritime commerce has need of that protection. Cruisers shall be established every where, wher ever our arrivals can possibly be annoyed. If war is inevitable, I will use all my endeavours to confine its circle, to limit its duration: it will be undertaken only to conquer peace, which the state of Spain would render impossible. Let Ferdinand VII. be free to give to his people institutions which they cannot hold but from him, and which by securing their tranquillity would dissipate the just inquietudes of France. Hostilities shall cease from that moment. make, gentlemen, before you, a solemn engagement on this point. I I was bound to lay before you the state of our foreign affairs. It was for me to deliberate. I have done it maturely. I have consulted the dignity of my crown, the honour and security of France. Gentlemen, we are Frenchmen; we shall always be agreed to defend such interests. SPEECH of the KING OF SWEDEN Though fundamental compact specifies only four months for your being assembled, I have thought it my duty to yield to your wishes, and to permit the continuance of your sittings for seven months more. Viewed politically, much surprise might, perhaps, be at first sight expressed at the length of this session; but experience of facts, and the habit of considering great affairs, are frequently wanting amidst the various interests which belong to the social state of man. Conjunctures also exercise a particular influence beyond every calculation and combination, and events which are sometimes the result of accident or of certain unforeseen causes, deceive the efforts on the closing of the Diet, Dec. 22. of the most consummate prudence. If you have not on this occasion satisfied all hopes, you have prepared for the ensuing Diet the means of establishing a financial amelioration, claimed by all classes. Liberty, in furnishing to man the knowledge of the dignity of hist being, has conferred on him the strength and the resignation which are necessary for supporting with patience the vicissitudes of life. But liberty soon disappears when Government is not invested with an authority of sufficient magnitude to preserve for the people that which the people have acquired. You have beheld the events by which the most flourishing countries of Europe have been afflicted When states are convulsed, the people are in the end the greatest sufferers. This conviction ought to induce us never to lose sight of the public welfare and tranquillity. The first benefit which the people have a right to require of us is internal repose, to obtain which the public voice calls upon us to execute without distinction, the laws which form the safeguard of the nation. We experience the happy influence of an almost insular position If, however, the laws which govern us have not acquired all the perfection which could be desired, the changes to be made must be the work of time. To endeavour to accomplish those changes hastily, would be to put to hazard all present advantages, and the finest hopes for the future. To precipi tate the natural progress which be longs to the genius of our institutions, would be to expose them to those catastrophes of which the present age has furnished striking examples. I have followed the same circumspect system in the application of our reciprocal duties, and I have considered myself bound to refuse all partial interpretation of our fundamental laws. Wishing only to retain my legal powers without any encroachment on yours, I shall be always ready to enter into concert with you on every thing capable of giving greater clearness to our compact, and thus leading us successively to augment the public prosperity in a perfectly united and solid manner. Our exportation has been very active, and the balance of commerce for this and the preceding years was to our advantage. The harvests have been abundant, and yet the agriculturist is embarrassed. He will continue so to be until a new system of landed securities shall place him in a more fixed situation than that in which he now stands. If the hope which I entertain of seeing his situation improved be not realized, I shall again assemble around me the States General, in order to propose to them measures, the efficacy of which cannot be doubtful except with respect to persons whose relief is not within the compass of our influence. or The committee appointed to draw up the civil code have termi nated their labours. That code is submitted to me and my councillors examination. It will be presented to you next session, with the ameliorations modifications which I may consider proper to be introduced into the plan. The code of crimes and punishments is also the subject of my solicitude. Its plan will be characterised by a regard to individual security and public safety. The sums which you have placed at my disposal for the completion of the great works of the canal of Gotha, and for other enterprises of general interest, appear to be sufficient, and I hope to be able to fulfil your expectation and mine. The improvement of the administration shows itself in so evident a manner, that it is impossible for the observer, of even the least penetration, not to recognize its progress. Happy the nations which are thus enabled, in the bosom of public peace, to advance their well-being and simplify their institutions. The system of neutrality which my government has traced out for itself, with respect to all affairs which do not immediately and essentially affect the existence of the. |