three momhs, and receive pardon.-Art. 2. The same pardon is extended to deserters residing in places occupied by the enemy, if they shal not have joined with the enemy, and if hey present themselves before the proper Officers within six months. to places occupid by the enemy, and shall have enliste with the enemy by force used to induce them, if they should not actually have ought against their country, whether soliers, corporals, or serjeants, shall receiv their pardon, if they serve for eight yers as common soldiers; and if they brig their horses or accoutrements with them four years shall be deducted from this ten.Art. 4. Serjeants and others who beir made prisoners, shall have united wi the ranks of the enemy, if they have notctually borne arms against their country, vill have the benefit of the above regulatios.-Art. 5. Officers who shall have mared without Royal licence, are included in his ardon. four regiments, towards Coimbra; but finding that town occupied by General Bacellar, they have returned again to their station in the rear of the right of their army. I am concerned to forward the inclosed report from Marshal Sir William Beresford, of the death of Captain Fen-Art. 3. Deserers who shall have gone wick, the late Commandant of Obidos. During the last two months he had been engaged more than twenty times with the enemy's foraging parties, and I have had several opportunities of reporting his success. Upon this last occasion he had made an attack upon, and had driven in a party, consisting of 80 grenadiers, in the neighbourhood of Evora, near Alcobaca, which had come there in search of provisions, having under his command a detachment of the same number of Militia, of the garrison of Obidos, and was pursuing them when he was mortally wounded, and he died on the 10th; we have thus sustained a great loss, and he is lamented by all who had any knowledge of his gallantry and exertions. -It is generally reported that the battahions composing the 9th Corps have marched towards Madrid, where preparations were making for the assembly of a large body of troops. It is certain that all these troops, as well as Gardanne's detachment, have retired from the frontiers of Portugal. Cartaxo, Dec. 11, 1810. My Lord; It is with much regret that I communicate to you the loss of Captain Fenwick (Lieutenant in the Buffs), who died the following day of the wounds he received in the attack he made upon the enemy at Evora, on the 8th instant. Your Lordship will equally feel with me the loss of this enterprising gallant young Officer, who, since the enemy's being in their late and present position, has been of so much service, and who has in such various instances given proofs of his talents and undaunted courage. I have the honour to be, &c. W. C. BERESFORD. SPAIN. Decree of the Cortes, relative to Deserters.-1 Dec. 1810. Art. 6. The pardon likewise sends to all military offenders, with the options distinguished in this instrument.-Art. 7. The pardon does not extend to aitors, spies, priests, killers, blasphemersr purloiners of public property.-Art. Nor to aggressors not having obtained forgiveness of the party aggrieved or to those subjected to pecuniary fine who have not paid the demand.-Art. This pardon does not extend to those wimay break the law subsequent to its pication.-Art. 10. It does apply to crinals who have fled, whose offences anot among the exceptions; and such are out of the country will be allowed tive months to testify their obedience.-he Council of Regency will undertakhe execution of this Royal Order. PORTUGAL AND SPAIN.Convention been the Governor of the Kingdom of Por2l and Algarves, in the name of his hi Highness the Prince Regent of Port and the Council of Regency of Spain the Indies, in the name of his Cate Majesty Ferdinand VIIth, signed in. bon by the respective Plenipotentiaries,! ratified by the Governor of Portugal 10th Dec. 1810. The Cortes, wishing to shew its clemency, publishes a general amnesty to all military and maritime persons in the dominions of Spain, whether in Europe or Asia, under the following regulations:Art. 1. All deserters in places not occu-tugal, &c. and the Council of Regency pied by the enemy, may surrender them- Spain, &c. in the name of their respect selves to the proper authorities within Sovereigns, taking into consideration The Governor of the Kingdom of F FRANCE.-Decree relating to Commerce a Napoleon, Emperor of the French, King of Italy, &c. Desirous of acting leniently towards,-1st. The Merchants of Frankfort, who in execution of our Decree of the 14th of October, and conformably to the Proclamation of the 22nd of the same month, have made a declaration of the Colonial Produce in their warehouses.-2d. The Merchants, Pro mutual advantage that would ause to the two kingdoms, if, during the present war, and until the re-establishment of peace, the subjects of both kingdons should be considered common to bot! with respect to military services, have uthorized Commissioners, on the one sie D. M. P. Forjaz, and on the other DJ. del Castillo e Carroz, to adjust, coclude, and settle a Convention for the aid purpose, each of whom being propery instructed and authorized, have accded to the following Agreement:-Hang discovered the reciprocal utility wich must result to the prietors, or Consignees of Colonial Produce Kingdoms of Prtugal and Spain, from in the countries in which the provisions of augmenting as ruch as possible the num- our Decree of the 2d and 19th of October ber of their defaders, in the just cause of are applicable:-We have decreed and do decree as follows :---Art. I. The sequesthe independece of both monarchies, and to put an encas soon as possible to the tration put in the City of Frankfort on the destructive wr by which the Peninsula is Colonial Produce described in the annexed afflicted; w have temporarily suspended Schedule is raised, upon condition that the the privilegs granted to the vassals of the duties established by the Tarifs of the 5th two povers with regard to military ser- of August and 12th of September are paid. vices, i over that as well the vassals of II. The aforesaid duties shall be paid Spain, vb are residing in Portugal, as the in specie, accepted bills, or promissory vassalso Portugal who reside in Spain, notes, well secured, at three, six and nine may engaged in military duties, with- months, and in failure of well secured pro out bag allowed to plead the exception, missory notes, in merchandize equal in on agunt of the countries to which they value to their amount.-III. All such probelor; and being entitled only to the duce accompanied by certificates of origin gend exceptions of those in which they proving that it is derived from sales of resi Such subjects may be taken as re- prizes taken by our privateers, or from cru indiscriminately, if they do not vo- seizures or confiscations by our customlunily offer themselves for service to house officers, may be imported into theown respective countries, and within France and admitted without payment of fivays after the publication of the pre-new duties. For this purpose the Comseconvention. This declaration is to ha effect during the present war; at the teination of which the vassals of each Kdom are on the respective territories tesume the same privileges, immunities, a advantages which are conceded by t subsisting treaties between the two h contracting partics. Its operations commence as soon as it shall have been ified by the Governments, when the exange of ratifications is immediately to e place. In confirmation of this act, , the Plenipotentiaries, authorized for ch purpose, sign and seal, two originals this Convention, and affix to them our imes. MIGUEL PEREIRA FORJAZ. Ratied by the Rubrics of the Lords Goverors of Portugal, &c. mission residing at Frankfort shall prepare an account, which is to be sent to the Director-General of our Customs, and by him laid before our Council of Commerce. IV. Cotton twists and all manufactures of the British loom shall be burnt, conformably to our Decree of the 19th of October.-V. A strict search shall be made for Colonial Produce and manufactures not declared, and which are not comprised in the annexed Schedule. Such produce and manufactures shall be confiscated.-VI. Any person giving information of concealed merchandize which has not been declared, shall receive a fifth of the value.-VII. Our Ministers of War and Finance are charged with the execu tion of this Decree. Published by R. BAGSHAW, Brydges-Street, Covent Garden :-Sold also by J. BUDD, Pall-Mall. LONDON :-Printed by T. C. Hansard, Peterborough-Court, Fleet-Street, VOL. XIX. No. 6.] LONDON, SATURDAY, JANUARY 19, 1811. 129] SUMMARY OF POLITICS. THE REGENCY.In my last Number I had not time to enter fully into the observations that I wished to offer, respecting the measure, which, in my opinion, ought to be carried into effect by the Regent's ministers, -The questions relating to the formation of the Regency may now be looked upon as being settled; or, at least, the opinions of the public are now made up as to those questions; and, though it may be necessary to agitate some of them again, still I deem it now to be time to speak of what the public expect from the Regency. They expect, generally, a change of system. They expect, in particular, measures to tranquillize Ireland, and a reform in the Commons House of Parliament. Not hasty and crude innovations; but welldigested plans, as beneficial to the throne itself as to them. They expect, at least, that their petitions will be patiently listened to; that the subject of Reform will be cheerfully entertained and permitted to have a fair and full hearing and discussion. As to Ireland, there is no man, of any party, who will pretend, that, if, by any chance, a French army of only five thousand men were to land there, the danger would not be extreme; and, we are repeatedly told, in the venal prints, that "a regular army is necessary to guard "Ireland against French factions and machi“ nations.”. -To observe the apathy of some persons upon this subject, one would imagine that they knew no more of Ire land than of the lands in the moon; and, that it never entered into their minds to conceive, that Ireland composed a part of the kingdom, and that the people of that country contributed to the same Exchequer with ourselves. The East Indies, which is an eternal drain upon ourselves, which swallows up no small part of our taxes, which contributes not one farthing towards the national defence; that country appears, with some Englishmen, to be an object of great importance, compared with Ireland; and, in short, with some men, Ireland seems to be of no consequence at all; or, at the most, a mere mill-stone about the neck of England. [Price 15. [130 I am the less inclined to censure these persons with severity, because I can remember the time, when I viewed the mate ter in the same light; but, having now had an opportunity of correcting my former opinions, it is my duty to endea vour to produce a similar change in the opinions of others, who may still retain their errors.--Ireland is not a mere unimportant colony, as some men would seem to consider it; but, she forms, in point of population, about a third part of this kingdom; and, in spite of all her absen tees, in spite of her being deprived of dock. yards and of other great means of local wealth, she, besides the expences of her internal government, which are very great, contributes nearly an eighth part towards the expences of the general government of the kingdom, the maintenance of fleets, armies, and the rest. I wish to make no invidious comparisons, but, I cannot help stating, by way of illustration, that Scotland does not contribute more than about a seventeenth or eighteenthWhence, then, is the cause of this indifference to wards Ireland? What reason is there in it? It is utterly impossible to ascribe it to any cause, grounded in reflection or common sense.--But, at any rate, if we are determined to look upon Ireland as a country of no consequence, in any other respect, let us for our own safety's sake, consider it as a country that may possibly become the theatre of war. The venal writers tell us, and they are very forward to tell us, that there are French factions in Ireland. Indeed, there are acts of parliament in force, grounded upon the admitted fact of those factions being really in existence there. These acts I have before described. They authorize the Lord Lieutenant, upon representation made to him by the magistrates of any county, to declare such county to be in a disturbed state: and, when such declaration is made, all persons whatever, in that county, are compelled to remain within their houses, or hovels, from sun-set to sun-rise. The magistrates have authority to enter their houses or hovels at any hour in the night; and, if any man bring an action against any magistrate for abusing his power, the man who G brings the action is even to pay his own costs, though a verdict should be given in his favour, if the court think it right to order it to be so. -The acts contain much more, many other things worthy of notice; but, to any man, who takes one moment to reflect, who will, for one moment, consider how he should like to live under such laws in England, this specimen will be amply sufficient.- -Whether these laws are, or are not, necessary to prevent open rebellion in Ireland, is a question that I shall not now discuss, and, indeed, it is a question of which I am not a competent judge. But, of this I am quite certain, and I am sure the reader will agree with me in the position, that such acts can be justified upon no other ground, than that of absolute necessity in order to prevent open rebellion, or some other equally great calamity. Well, then, supposing the laws to be necessary to this extent, what a situation must Ireland be in? What an out-work is it likely to form against the approaches of the enemy? What sort of resistance to that enemy, if he should succeed in landing there, are we to expect from a people, to govern whom such laws are necessary? Let it be observed here, that this is not a mere temporary measure; not a measure to meet a momentary effusion of discontent; but that these laws have been in force now for upwards of three years. If, therefore, they are necessary, again I ask what must be the situation of Ireland, and what the consequences of an invasion by France? -If Ireland were invaded and in the hands of the enemy, there are, I should suppose, very few persons so infatuated as to imagine, that England could long escape the same fate. I should suspect, that there are few to be found, even amongst the MEAN, MERCENARY and MALIGNANT men, who would pretend to say, that the consequences would not be fatal to England; but, there is no doubt that they will never acknowledge the danger, 'till they see Ireland absolutely lost. Then they would begin to tremble; but their trembling would come too late. It would be too late to tremble, when they saw two hundred thousand of the hardiest men upon earth, ranged under the banners of France, and drawn up on the shore of St. George's channel. Is this an exaggerated view? Is it a mere frightful dream? Is it an invention to enforce an argument? Oh, no! Else why are we assured, that there are French factions in Ireland, and why are laws passed, bot- you ceed as we do in all other cases where our object is to prevent or avoid a danger; namely, to ascertain the true cause, and to remove it if possible.--If find your shoe pinch you, it is folly to corse the shoe or even the maker, but it is little short of madness not to endeavour to make it easier to your foot, if it be an object of too much importance to be, at once, cast aside.--It is equally foolish to rail against the Irish or the French, in this case; for such railing will not diminish the evil, but it may very reasonably be supposed likely to add to it.I have many times asked the question: " Why should the Irish be attached to the French?" A question which the venal shun as the bands of Satan are said to have shunned Ithuriel's spear. "There are rebels in Ireland." Aye, but how came they there?" Oh! why they are wicked fellows, that want to separate Ireland from England." Yes, but this is no answer to my question, for, then, again, I ask why this is? "Oh! there are very few of these “turbulent men; the people, in general, "like the system very well." They do, do they? They like to live under cover, and within their houses, from sun-set to sun-rise? "Oh! no; we don't say that, "but they would rather submit to these "little inconveniences than have their coun"try overturned by the turbulent, and the "French factions." Aye, this may be, but, if these turbulent men are so few in number, why do not the people put them down? Why not take these turbulent fellows and punish them, at once, and get rid of them?---There can be no answer given to this. It is impossible for the keenest sophister to get over the dilemma that here presents itself.--Well, then, the existence of French influence being the proximate cause of the danger, what is the cause of that French influence? Why, the discontents of the people. Remove, therefore, the grounds of that discontent, and the French factions perish like the toad which has no longer poison to feed on.——What, then, are those grounds? This is a question, which, in these times, a prudent man will not answer. Nor, indeed, is it necessary to any one, who takes an impartial view of the state of Ireland, where, in as fine a climate and on as fertile a soil as any in the world, misery the most deplorable presents itself in every quarter. There, to use the words of DR. DRENNAN, in his beautiful poem on the emptiness of Pedigree, published in the last Volume of the POETICAL REGISTER, there, where There is a licence allowed to poets; but, -And, why should this be? Why should Ireland be in a state of semi-barbarism? Why should it be in a state to render ne cessary such laws as we have seen above described, and such treatment as we have, alas! all heard of? "Traitors!" Yes, poor Ireland has had traitors indeed; but these traitors are men who have calumniated her for the purpose of serving their own interested and base purposes; these are the true Irish Traitors.--Ireland took the lead of England in civilization; she has a better climate and a more fertile soil; she has barbours, rivers, all the natural advantages that England possesses, and in a greater proportion. Her people are naturally robust, brave, generous *, and *The following most striking instance of the kindness and generosity of the Irish peasants is worthy of notice and admiration. I quote the passage from a speech of Mr. O'CONNEL, at a late meeting of the Catholics in Dublin; and, when you lave read it, say whether such a people are not capable of being gained by acts of kindness; say, whether nothing but an army can keep down French factions amongst such a people." This character of the "noble feelings of the Irish peasantry did "not rest on a single fact. What had oc"curred in the county of Cork was in the "recollection of gentlemen from the South "of Ireland.-When a detachment of the "Brunswick Corps, quartered at Fermoy "in August last, was ordered to embark at "Cove, on the march from Fermoy some "women, who accompanied the soldiers "hither, for the purpose of keeping up "with the battalion, or because they knew "that incumbered with children, they |