forms on which all other interests will be regulated until a new national assembly shall be convoked. During the sitting, and previously to the dissolution of this assembly, you will doubtless impress on your minds that, as you have become, on the one hand, the organs of the nation, through which it ad. dresses thanksgivings to the Providence which presides over the fate of nations; you are, on the other, the conspicuous witnesses of its acknowledgments to the august allied monarchs, its benefactors, to their admirals, to the naval force and its worthy chief, and, lastly, to all the Philhellenists who, by so many proofs of generous commis.

seration, especially by memorable exploits, have displayed their attachment to Greece.

In all that I have thus candidly submitted to you, gentlemen, I have done my duty to the nation.

Having taken upon myself the direction of the affairs of the state, I deem myself happy in being able to sacrifice to it the remainder of my days; but the more particularly, if I could serve it as I desire, in the quality of a private citizen. I could them show to the Greeks, in the most satisfactory manner, the feelings which I entertain for the numerous proofs of confidence with which they have so generously honoured me.

PROCLAMATION of the INFANTA RE

GENT OF POrtugal.

July 12th, 1826. PORTUGUESE! The regency of the kingdom is about to relieve you from anxiety, and to fix your atten. tion upon decrees, which interest you generally, and which his most faithful majesty Don Pedro IV., has deigned to issue from his court at Rio Janeiro. With these decrees will be also published the Constitutional Charter of the Portuguese Monarchy, which the same sovereign has deigned to decree, and which, according to his intentions, must be sworn to by the three orders of the state, in order that it may govern the kingdom of Portugal and its dependencies. In the mean time, the regency informs you, that this charter differs essentially from the Constitution produced by infatuation in 1822, and which contained principles incom

patible with each other, and condemned by experience. The cha racter of the Constitutional Charter which his most faithful majesty gives you is quite another thing. It is not a forced concession; it is a voluntary and spontaneous gift of the legitimate power of his majesty, and matured by his profound and royal wisdom. This charter tends to terminate the contest between the two extreme principles which have agitated the universe. It summons all Portuguese to reconciliation, by the same means which have served to reconcile other people; by it are maintained, in all their vigour, the religion of our fathers, decorum, and the rights and dignity of the monarchy; all the orders of the state are respected, and all are alike interested in uniting their efforts to surround and strengthen the throne, to contribute to the common good, and to

secure the preservation and amelioration of the country to which they owe their existence, and of the society of which they form a part; the ancient institutions are adapted and accommodated to our age, as far as the lapse of seven centuries will permit; and finally, this charter has prototypes among other nations who are esteemed among the most civilized and the most happy. It is our duty to await tranquilly the execution of this charter, and of the preparatory acts which it prescribes. If any among you should, by words or actions, aggravate resentments, excite hatred, or inspire vengeance, and interpose between the provisions of the law and its execution, he will be considered as a disturber of public order, and as an enemy of the sovereign and of his country; and he will be punished with the utmost rigour of the law. The regency flatters itself that the Portuguese people, both from the national character and for their common interest, will recognise, on this occasion, both what is their most important duty, and the way in which they may become principally useful.

Given at the Palace of Ajuda, this 12th of July, 1826.

(Signed) THE INFANTA. (Countersigned) JOSE JOAQUIM D'ALMEIDA E ARAUJO CORREA DE LA CERDA.

his subjects; and, moreover, hav. ing in view the good qualities, the activity and the firmness of character, which distinguish my very dear and beloved brother, the Infant Don Miguel; I name him my lieutenant, bestowing upon him all the powers which, as king of Portugal and the Algarves, belong to me, and which are marked out in the Constitutional Charter, in order that he may govern and rule over the same kingdoms in conformity with the dispositions of the above-mentioned charter. The Infant Don Miguel, my very dear and beloved brother, will thus execute it.

Given at the Palace of Rio de Janeiro, the 3d of July, 1827. (Signed)

His Royal Highness the Infant
Don Miguel.

R.

HIS MAJESTY THE EMPEROR DON PEDRO to HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS THE INFANT DON MIGUEL. Rio de Janeiro, July 3, 1827. My dear brother, I have the satisfaction to announce to you, that, taking into consideration your discreet conduct, and your known loyalty, I have just named you my lieutenant in the kingdom of Portugal, in order that you may govern it in my name, and according to the constitution that I have granted to the said kingdom. I expect, my dear brother, that you will look upon this resolution as the greatest proof I can give you of my confidence, and of the love I bear you. (Signed) PEDRO. His Royal Highness the Infant Don Miguel.

PROTOCOL.

Vienna, Oct. 18, 1827.

PRESENT.

On the part of Austria-M. le Prince de Metternich, M. le Comte

de Lebzeltern, M. le Chevalier de Neumann, M. le Comte Henri de Bombelles.

On the part of England-the British Ambassador.

On the part of his royal highness the Infant Don Miguel-M. le Baron de Villa-Secca, M. le Comte de Villa Real.

Prince Metternich having invited the British ambassador and the Por. tuguese plenipotentiaries to meet at his house on the 18th of Octo. ber, and those gentlemen having repaired there upon his invitation, he proposed that they should record, in an official protocol, the result of the confidential negotiations which had taken place between MM. de Villa-Secca and Villa-Real, since the time of his return to Vienna, relative to the departure of the infant, that prince's voyage, and the line of conduct he intended to pursue upon his arrival at Lisbon; and the British ambassador, as well as the Portuguese plenipotentiaries, having agreed to this proposition, it was decided that they should annex to the protocol of the present conference the follow. ing documents, namely-1. A copy of the note of the Marquis de Re. zende to prince Metternich, dated 19th of September, 1827, which should serve as a commencement to the present negotiation. In this note the Brazilian envoy announces officially to the cabinet of Vienna, that the emperor Don Pedro, his master, by a decree dated the 3d of July, "has conferred on his royal highness, the infant Don Miguel, with the title of his lieutenant in Portugal, the regency of the said kingdom, agreeably to the laws existing in that state, and in conformity with the institutions given by the emperor, his august

brother, to the Portuguese monarchy."

2. A translation of the above. mentioned decree of the 3d of July, of the emperor Don Pedro to his royal highness Don Miguel.

3. A translation of the letter from that sovereign to the Infant, his brother, which accompanied the

same.

4. A translation of the letter from the emperor Don Pedro to the king of England.

5. A translation of the letter from the emperor Don Pedro to his majesty the emperor of Austria.

6. A copy of the despatch which prince Metternich has this day addressed to prince Esterhazy, at London, directing his excellency to acquaint the British government of the determination to which the Infant has come, to send Portuguese ships forthwith to England, whither he himself will repair directly, for the purpose of embarking as quickly as possible for Portugal. This despatch, which contains an historical and faithful account of the whole negotiation relative to the present and future situation of the Infant, as well as the last determinations to which that prince had come, had been read at a confidential meeting which took place on the evening of the 16th of October, at prince Metternich's, and at which were present the British ambassador and the Portuguese plenipotentiaries. was not until after having obtained their entire concurrence, that this despatch was this day sent to Lon. don. The Portuguese plenipotentiaries announced to the conference, that the Infant had likewise made them acquainted with his final de. termination relative to his voyage; that his royal highness had ordered

It

them to prepare letters which he wished to communicate in consequence, without delay, to the emperor his brother, to his majesty the king of England, and to the Infanta, his sister; that he had likewise ordered them to draw up the letter to the Infanta, in such manner that it might be made pub. lic, and that it should at the same time leave no doubt of the firm desire of that prince, in accepting the lieutenancy of the kingdom, which the emperor his brother had just confided to him, to maintain religiously its institutions, to bury what had passed in entire oblivion, but to restrain, at the same time, with energy and firmness, the spirit of party and of faction, which has too long agitated Portugal.

All the members of the conference could not but render unani. mously the most entire justice to such laudable intentions on the part of the Infant; prince Metternich on his part added, that immediately after the Infant's letters should be written and signed, he had offered to send them speedily to England by M. de Neumann, who only awaited their completion, to depart, and to transmit duplicates to Por. tugal by a courier, whom he in. tended to send forthwith by Madrid to Lisbon. The Portuguese plenipotentiaries having accepted these offers, prince Metternich thought it proper still further to observe on this occasion, that, above all, the Infant ought undoubtedly to affirm, in the letters which he intends to write to the king of England, and to the Infanta his sister, the title of lieutenant of the kingdom, since it is under that title that the emperor intrusts to him the regency; and that it appeared to him proper, and even necessary, that the Infant

should take, together with the title of lieutenant, that of regent of the kingdom, since, being called by the decree of the emperor Don Pedro, of the 3d of July, to succeed to the Infanta, his sister, in the office of the regency, it would be equally contrary to his personal dignity, to that of the Portuguese nation, and to the pleasure of the emperor Don Pedro, that he should take any title inferior to that which the Infanta had borne; that there could not, moreover, exist any doubt of the intentions of that sovereign in that respect; that they were clearly demonstrated by the tenor of the note of the marquis de Rezende of the 19th of September, by that of the instructions with which that envoy was furnished, and lastly, by that of the letter from the emperor Don Pedro to the king of England; since, in these different documents, it is explicitly or implicitly said, that that sovereign confers the regency upon the Infant. Moreover, there is no doubt, that the decree of the emperor Don Pedro, to the Infant, his brother, dated the 3d of July, was addressed "To the Infant, Don Miguel, regent of the kingdom of Portugal.

The British ambassador observed, that having been already informed, for several weeks past, of the opinion of the cabinet of Vienna in this respect, he had already made his government acquainted with it; that, in fact, he had not yet received any answer upon this subject, but that he flattered himself that it would be in conformity with the opinion of the Austrian cabinet. With respect to the Portuguese plenipotentiaries, they declared themselves in favour of that which prince Metternich had just expressed, and they undertook to

inform the Infant of it, observing that, for the interest of Portugal, it was undoubtedly desirable that the Infant should not scruple to take, in conformity with the intentions of the emperor Don Pedro, his brother, the title of regent of the kingdom. MM. de Villa-Secca and Villa-Real added, that they had received the order of the Infant to declare, that filled with gratitude for the paternal kindness, which his majesty the emperor of Austria has constantly shown to him since his first arrival at Vienna, and still more particularly on this last occasion, his highness would consider it his duty to express personally to his imperial majesty the deep and respectful gratitude which he feels, and that he relied upon his sentiments being made known to him by means of the conference.

Prince Metternich undertook with eagerness, in the mean time, to become the channel of his royal highness's sentiments to the emperor, his august master, adding, that his imperial majesty would receive the expression of them with the most sincere satisfaction.

(Signed)

METTERNICH.
LEBZELTERN.

NEUMANN.

H. DE BOMBELLES.
H. WELLESLEY.

Conde de Villa-Real.
BARAO DE VILLA-SECCA.

PROTOCOL.

Vienna, Oct. 20, 1827.

PRESENT.

On the part of Austria.-M. le Prince de Metternich, M. le Comte de Lebzeltern, M. le Che. valier de Neumann, M. le Comte Henri de Bombelles.

On the part of England.-The British Ambassador.

On the part of his royal highness the Infant Don Miguel.-M. le Baron de Villa-Secca, M. le Comte de Villa-Real.

The Portuguese plenipotentia. ries having requested prince Metternich to have the goodness to assemble a second conference to receive the communication of the letters which his royal highness the Infant had written and signed on the preceding evening, for his ma jesty the emperor Don Pedro, his august brother, for his majesty the king of England, and for her royal highness the Infanta Donna Maria Isabella, regent of Portugal; in which letters the Infant, in con. formity with the opinion of the Cabinet of Vienna, assumes the double character of lieutenant and regent of the kingdom; and prince Metternich being desirous to re-assemble the conference at his house on the 20th of October, according to the desire of the Portuguese plenipotentiaries, those gentlemen read the three letters above-mentioned, and annexed to the Protocol copies and translations of them. A just eulogium was generally paid to the wisdom, uprightness, and rectitude of the principles manifested in their composition. It was also observed, that the letter of the Infant to the emperor Don Pedro did not contain any reservation of his personal rights, but that at London, however, such a reservation was considered as desirable. But prince Metternich replied, that the Infant having already explicitly reserved all his rights in the letter which he has written to the emperor Don Pedro his brother, in sending to him his oath to the Portuguese