whilst the generals Eguia, Abreu, &c. and the self-named regency were organizing bands of the faith at Bayonne and Perpignan. In 1822 we declined the services FRANCE. Charles Stuart. (Extract.) of three French regiments of the Mr. Secretary Canning to Sir Army of Observation. Up to this day,no French soldier or peasant can be cited whom we have seduced, armed, paid, and thrust into the bosom of his country to devastate it. We have not raised the tricolour flag; we have not refused to publish a generous and salutary amnesty; we have not invited to evening assemblies of etiquette French outlaws and conspirators; we have not tolerated that an individual at Madrid should invest himself publicly with the title of chargé d'affaires of the regency of France, whilst his excellency, M. de Lagarde was ambassador of his most Christian majesty, at the court of his Catholic majesty. In fine, we have done nothing (for these negative proofs might form too diffuse a catalogue)-we have done nothing against the French of those things which the French (that is to say the French govern ment) have done against us; and we have done for the governments which excommunicate us, what none of them have done for us. If there be any question of verbal or written disavowals, England has received the most solemn disavowals on the subject of Portugal; Austria on the subject of Italy; and Europe, especially in the memorable sitting of the 11th January 1823, has heard the representatives of Spain declare, in appealing for the truth of it to the history of what passed from 1808 to 1814, and from 1820 to 1823, both, 1st. That their country will never interfere with the internal affairs of other powers; VOL. LXV. Foreign-office, Mar. 31, 1823. The article, of which I enclose a copy, is contained in the treaty between his majesty and the king of Spain of 1814, but has never been published. It was originally a secret article, but his majesty having declined agreeing to it as such (from the opinion that it ought to be communicated to his majesty's allies), its title was changed from that of a secret to a separate article. It formed part of the treaty communicated to the court of France in 1814, by the duke of Wellington, then his majesty's ambassador at Paris; but it was omitted in the copy of the treaty laid before parliament, at the express desire of the French government, signified by the prince de Talleyrand, then minister for foreign affairs. M. de Chateaubriand will, I have no doubt, at once acknowledge that such an act of compliance with the wishes of the French government, enhances his majesty's claim upon France, to respect the solemn obligation of this article. Your excellency will particularly remark to M. de Chateaubriand, that the treaty of 1814, was not negociated till after our army had been withdrawn from Spain. (Inclosure in No. 1.) Separate article. His Catholic majesty engages, not to enter into any treaty or engagement with France of the K* nature of that known under the denomination of the family compact, nor any other which may affect the independence of Spain, which may be injurious to the interests of his Britannic majesty, or may be contrary to the strict alliance which is stipulated by the present treaty. The present separate article shall form an integral part of the treaty of friendship and alliance signed on the fifth day of July, and shall have the same force and validity as if it was inserted, word for word, and shall be ratified, and the ratifications shall be exchanged within forty days, or sooner if possible. In witness whereof, we, the undersigned plenipotentiaries, have signed, in virtue of our respective full powers, the present separate article, and sealed it with the seals of our arms. Done at Madrid, this 5th day of July, 1814. (L. S.) M. EL DUQUE DE SAN CARLOS. (L. S.) H. WELLESLEY. Sir Charles Stuart to Mr. Secretary Canning.-Received April 10. (Extract.) Paris, April 7, 1823. M. de Chateaubriand assured me, that the French government are quite resolved to respect the obligations of the article which I communicate to him. PORTUGAL. Sir Charles Stuart to Mr. Secre tary Canning.-Received Dec. 15. (Extract.) Paris, Dec. 12, 1822. In answer to the inquiries I have been authorized to bring forward, respecting the nature of the communications which have taken place between this government and the court of Portugal, the duke Mathieu de Montmorency has shown me the correspondence of the French ministers with M. de Lesseps. It appears from this correspondence, that M. Oliveira, the Portuguese chargé-d'affaires at this court, called upon M. de Villèle in the course of the summer, for the purpose of representing the anxiety to which the assembling of a French force on the Pyrenees had given rise at Lisbon, and of expressing a hope that his excellency would give him a full explanation French government, with respect of the views entertained by the sured him, that nothing could to Portugal. M. de Villèle as-. warrant any feeling of uneasiness on the part of the Portuguese government; that the distance of that country had not permitted him to contemplate the possible effect, which the concentration of troops in France could produce upon a nation, with whose institutions or government the French ministers could have no desire to interfere. Mr. Secretary Canning to Sir (Translation) The Vicomte de Charles Stuart. (Extract.) Foreign-office, Dec. 3, 1822. Your excellency will take an opportunity of obtaining from M. de Villèle some information respecting the nature of the recent communications between the French and the Portuguese govern ments. Chateaubriand to the Portuguese Chargé d'Affaires at Paris. Communicated by the Vicomte de Marcellus to Mr. Secretary Canning, March 7, 1823. principle promulgated in the speech delivered by his majesty on the 28th of January, at the opening of the present session. The king of France has a right to hold to his people the language which he thinks proper; and it would be difficult to understand how the Portuguese government can take umbrage at a speech addressed to the deputies of France. If the French army should be obliged to enter Spain, the Portuguese chargé-d'affaires will be at perfect liberty to quit the French territory, in conformity to the orders he has received from his court. If the French government is forced to declare war against the Spanish government, it is not to support political theories, but be cause her immediate safety and her essential interests are compromised by the internal transactions of Spain. France, not being in the same situation with regard to Portugal, sees no plausible motive to induce the government of his most faithful majesty, to renounce the relations of peace and friendship. France hopes that she shall not have to repel an unprovoked aggression; nor to maintain a defensive war, which would have no other foundation or pretext on the part of those who should declare it, than the promulgation of a principle on which the political law of France is founded. As to future arrangements respecting the residence of consuls, the French government sees no occasion to enter into any arrangement upon that subject, because it has never been the intention of his most Christian majesty to recall, either his chargé-d'affaires or his consuls, from Portugal. He will in future adopt such measures as may be consistent with his dignity. The undersigned, &c. (Signed) CHATEAUBRIAND. (Translation.) M. de Chateaubri and to the French Chargé d'af faires at Lisbon. Communica ted by Viscomte Marcellus to Mr. Secretary Canning, Febru ary 3, 1823. (Extract.) Paris, January 30, 1823. The letter which I had the honour of writing to you on the 13th of the present month, confirms all those which my predecessor had addressed to you, respecting the friendly dispositions of France towards Portugal. You have constantly been instructed to assure that government, that our armaments were not di rected against Portugal;-that the maintaining a body of troops in the vicinity of the Pyrennees had no other object than to place us in a state of defence, should our territory or our institutions be menaced by Spain; and should the conduct of that power render a rupture unavoidable:-but that we separated the cause of Spain from that of Portugal, against which power we had no complaint; and that we wished not to see our relations with her interrupted. Sir Charles Stuart to Mr. Secretary Canning.-Received April 20. Paris, April 17, 1823. Sir;-The Portuguese chargé d'affaires at this court has addressed a note to the Vicomte de Chateaubriand, stating, that, in virtue of the instructions he has received from his government, he considers the relations of amity between the two countries to have been interrupted, from the moment the French army crossed the frontier of Spain, and that he must, therefore, 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 refer- 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 ani mated 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 authorities, as well as of other griey 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 exccllency 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 between 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 ques tion. 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 as sign 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 assign ment 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 papers or documents it may be neces sary to forward from Madrid for the consideration of the commission, and to arrange the transfer of the rentes, as the respective amounts shall be awarded. In witness whereof, we, the undersigned 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 ob tain 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 |