Spanish ministry showed themselves the more dissatisfied on the occasion, as they expected from this approachment an amelioration in the external relations of the kingdom, which their own exclusive efforts do not permit them to expect.

It is not to be inferred from this that the boldest projects are not still hatched here. Thus with the minister of war, they still talk of the recapture of Buenos Ayres, and the occupation of Monte Video. It is even said that M. Pizarro has drawn up a manifesto, which he is about to have translated into all languages, for the purpose of being distributed over Europe, to expose those causes of complaint on the part of Spain, which justify her in taking up arms against Portugal. If a manifesto was the only necessary requisite for conducting a war, a war might take place; but as money or credit may likewise be required, the world may rest assured that the hostile projects of the Spanish government will long remain in the imagination of those who have dreamt them.

To be convinced of this, we have only to cast our eyes on the financial situation of the kingdom. It is such, that if one were to describe it in general terms he might be charged with exaggeration, but here the proofs are striking-they rest on facts publicly known-it is only necessary to enumerate them.

The system of M. Garay, which appeared so seducing in theory, has crumbled into dust before the difficulties of its execution. All the resources of taxation are exhausted, and it is certain that the half of the taxes imposed have not been levied. The impossibility of rais ing them is so great, that the minister has flinched from the rigorous measures which had been begun to be employed. Every where are complaints heard, every distress shows itself in the most hideous aspect. All the public coffers are empty. The army has not received its pay for three years, and the officers of the civil administration have not touched the eighth part of their salaries. There have been witnessed at Madrid, officers and civil servants of the public, begging alms, and the provinces have even suffered more than the capital.

At Seville a regiment was in want of every thing, and the officers were reduced to the state of begging a dinner in the convents. In fine, this situation becoming intolerable, the colonel, M. D'Oneill, waited with his staff on the captain-general of the province to demand a part of their pay on account. As VOL. III.-No. vi.

59

there were no public funds, M. D'Oneill lent from his own private funds all that he could dispose of; and now, instead of repaying his advances, they are attempting to find fault with the step which he took.

At Valencia, the firmness of the captain-general, M. Elliott, was able alone to calm the effervescence of the troops, who had not received any pay for three months. He ordered a month's pay to be given to them, against the express will of the minister of finance.

At Cadiz, it was not without the greatest difficulty they were able to embark a battalion destined for the Lima expedition, and which had not touched any pay for three years.

The roads are less safe than ever. Robbers infest every part of the kingdom, and there is no security without an escort.

Every despatch of general Morillo concludes with demands of reinforcements and supplies of every kind. It is but too certain that his army labours under the most frightful privations.

It is thought here that such a state of things cannot last, and that the system of M. Garay must give way to another, and that the minister must resign his office.

However this may be, as distress is a bad counsellor, the Spanish government, with a view of filling its coffers, has had recourse to several expedients which cannot be better characterized than by stating them.

A royal decree had granted the right of entreport to the port of Cadiz. Some factors had in consequence embarked in speculations for Lima; but at the moment of the expedition putting to sea, it was notified that they would have to pay not only the duties of clearance, but also the duties of entry, due only at Lima, under the pretext, that although the decree was published, it had not yet been put in execution. One may judge of the desolate state of the maritime commerce, in a country where there exists no insurance office for cases when ships do not arrive at their destination, and under a government which has never made any return for its unjust gain.

The following is another trait which is not less remarkable than the preceding. Some agriculturists of Biscay had, by virtue of a royal license, exported corn; they protested, indeed, against the minister's demand of dues contrary to the privileges of their province; but as they were allowed to embark without being compelled to pay their dues, they consi

dered themselves freed from them. What therefore was their surprise, when, on the arrival of their ships at Bordeaux, the Spanish consul stopped the unlading until they had paid these ducs, which exceeded not only those imposed in Spain, but even the value of the corn. The merchandize could not be sold, and the result was an enormous loss both to the factors and the agriculturists.

The affair of Mr. Meade, and his enlargement, must be sufficiently known to you to make it unnecessary for me to enter into details. Sir Henry Wellesley strongly insists upon their payment of 50,000 piastres of which Mr. Meado defrauded the company of English merchants, represented by Mr. Macdurmot. M. D. Pizarro answered sir Henry in no very moderate tone-that it was astonishing that the British ambassador should make such a demand, since he was ignorant and must be ignorant of the whole foundation of this affair. Things came to such a point, that the word rupture has been already pronounced, and sir Henry has declared to the Spanish minister that he would send the entire correspondence to his government, that it might be able to judge on which side the fault lay. At the moment of my writing this letter I learn that M. Pizarro, fearing the consequences of his passion, has just written in the mildest terms to sir Henry Wellesley, and that Mr. Meade has raised an enormous claim against the Spanish government under the title of an indemnity.

While these events and discussions are going on, the interior of the court of Spain gives itself up to puerilities which form the most afflicting contrast with the situation of public affairs.

The Marchioness of Roua had wished to marry the Prince de Laval, son of the ambassador of France. The king opposed it, saying that she ought to marry a Spaniard. She chose oue accordingly. He was a young officer, equally noble and poor. This choice also caused displeasure; the Marchioness was placed in a convent, and the officer was put under arrest. It is not known whether the king will relent and consent to the marriage.

Masked balls are severely prohibited here, and it has been thought right to push the rigour of the regulations to such a point, as to break up a children's ball, the oldest of whom was not fifteen, and who were assembled as a family party at the house of the dowager Duchess of OsThis lady is the mother of the Duke of Ossune, all whose revenues the

sune.

court keeps to itself, under the pretext that he does not live with his wife.

In all this, the court is entirely given up to the practice of devotion. The queen, whose pregnancy is now certain, went through the devotional ceremony of nine days, at a chapel in the city, for the purpose of ootaining the result from heaven. Lately, the generals of the Capuchins, and of the Hieronimites, have been covered in the presence of the king as grandees of Spain. Unfortunately the suffering people have looked upon this ceremony with no favourable eye, and the admission of a capuchin to a ceremony of sheer vanity, and of obsolete etiquette, does not much contribute to restore the veneration of the Spaniards for their monks.

Letters from Madrid (says a London paper) to the 16th of July, mention that a change in the war department was soon expected, and that an expedition of 3000 troops was preparing to sail for Havana. The same letters announce that king Charles the fourth is preparing to present to the approaching congress at Aix-laChapelle, a claim to the throne of Spain, and that he has a strong party in his favour at Madrid.

GERMANY.

A Vienna Gazette says-There has been spread in our city, with astonishing rapidity, for some days, a pamphlet on the subject of manufactures and commerce, which excites general interest. It was originally printed at Frankfort, on Maine, and is entitled, " An Essay on the Question-How may the Nations of Germany shake off the yoke of England?" The author says, that it is impossible to deny the real existence of this servitude, as much longer to remain blind to its consequences, which, according to him, are approaching to the total destruction of our commerce. The same opinion is expressed in a pamphlet published at Vienna, entitled, "Is the decay of the Manufacturers of Austria worthy of the attention of Government?" This piece is attributed to the pen of count Kuessfein, who has already produced several works of acknowledged merit.

The official Gazette of Vienna contains a circular from the government announcing for sale by public auction, twentyeight estates belonging to the crown, in order to apply the profits to the payment of the national debt. Some of these estates are of very great extent, with 9,000 or 10,000 inhabitants.

It is stated in a Vienna paper that the

emperor has given to the prince of Parma (young Napoleon) the estates ceded to his majesty by the grand duke of Tuscany, the revenues of which amount to 1,280,000 florins.

Baron Peschaska, chief of the general staff of the army of Austria, has set out from Vienna to go to Milan, to inspect the fortresses of Upper Italy, and to fix definitively the measures of the congress of Vienna relative to their defence. Austrian troops will compose its principal garrison.

SWEDEN.

It is asserted in an article from Stockholin, that the states had approved of the proposal made by the king of Sweden to sell the island of St. Bartholomew, and to apply the produce of the sale to the liquidation of the debt of Norway.

RUSSIA.

The emperor of Russia has returned to Petersburgh from his tour through his dominions, having performed a journey of 1200 leagues in six weeks.

A dispute exists between Russia and Turkey relative to the sovereignty of the provinces of Moldavia and Wallachia. The Grand Seignior, claiming them as his own, has levied a contribution of two millions of piastres on the formner.

ASIA.

EAST INDIES.

The British are about to build six small frigates of 32 guns, at Trincolalee.

Very strict orders had been issued not to permit the ingress of Europeans into the interior more than five miles from Bombay.

We have details showing that a very extensive war rages in India. The natives fight desperately, and though generally defeated, soon rally and fight again, Ceylon, whose " legitimate king" the British seized, shipped off and imprisoned, (at the very time they were abusing Napoleon for keeping fool Ferdinand in custody) is much agitated, and the people are killing off quite rapidly.

The fort of Talnier had been stormed and taken by Sir T. Hislop. The contest was very severe, and the garrison were put to the sword!

The Peishwah is very far from being subdued he has a large body of cavalry under his command, and continually harrasses the British-another hostile chief, called Bajee Row, has 30,000 mounted men in arms.

The East Indians, fighting for their hoines and the bones of their ancestors, are called “rebels”—other persons, with not a twentieth part of the causes for resistance, when fighting in Spain, were called "PATRIOTS."

NEW-HOLLAND.

A discovery has been made in New South Wales, which must materially af fect the future advancement of that colony. “A river of the first magnitude" has been found in the interior, running through a most beautiful country, rich in soil, limestone, slate and good timber. A means of communication like this, has long been anxiously searched for without success, and many began to entertain an apprehension that the progress of colonization in New-Holland would be confined to its coasts.

AFRICA.

EGYPT.

The bashaw or viceroy of Egypt has re-opened the intercourse with India by way of the Red Sea, as formerly, for the purpose of obtaining supplies of India merchandise: the goods are first brought to Suez, and conveyed from thence, across the isthmus, to Alexandria. The bashaw paid his last tribute to the grand seignior in Mocha coffee. We place no confidence in the extent or duration of a trade carried on through such channels with the East. The ruined commerce and importance of the Venetian commonwealth are pretty fair illustrations of the superior benefits attending on the route by the Cape, which the Portuguese, the Dutch, the French and English, have used for near three centuries.

INTERIOR OF AFRICA.

The following interesting intelligence of further exploring the interior of Africa, is from a late London publication:

Another enterprise to explore the termination of the Niger is undertaken, and as in all former ones, with sanguine hopes of success. Captain Gray, of the Royal African Corps, is intrusted with the immediate charge of the expedition. He is represented as every way qualified for solving this geographical enigma: he has been seven years in Africa, and is well acquainted with the Jaloff language. The route is to be that of the Gambia river, which he had already entered. By letters which have been received from this oficer, it appears that his arrangements were nearly completed, and, what was

of much consequence, his people all well and in high spirits, notwithstanding the failure of former attempts. A transport had been despatched to the Cape de Verd Islands, to procure horses and mules, the return of which was soon expected, when Captain Gray would directly commence his journey into the interior. The rainy season had terminated, and the weather was considered as favourable. Mr. Ritchie, late private secretary to Sir Charles Stuart, at Paris, and Captain Marryat, of the Royal Navy, are to attempt a journey towards Tombuctoo. The former gentleman is appointed vice-consul at Mourzouk, in the interior, the capital of Fezzan, a dependency of Tripoli, whose govenor is son of the bey of that kingdom. These gentlemen are also sanguine of success, as the protection of his highness the bey is guaranteed to them, and the journey not so perilous from that cause as by the other routes, although they have the great Zaharah to pass, and must be eight days without meeting with water. As usual, the French have been before us, and a Spaniard, who travelled in Egypt for Napoleon, under the assumed name of Ali Bey, has actually set off. It is already known that Mr. Bowditch and some other gentlemen from Cape Coast Castle have penetrated into the Ashantee country, and been well received, after some opposition from Daendels, formerly one of Napoleon's agents, but now the representative of the king of the Netherlands. Some curious information has been received by this means, which, it is thought, gives more probability to the death of Mungo Park than any that has hitherto appeared. Mr. Bowditch met with some Moorish merchants who had been at Houssa, who stated that while they were at that place a white man was seen going down the Niger in a large canoe, in which all the other persons were blacks. This was reported to the king, who immediately sent some of his people to advise him to return, and to tell him that if he proceeded much farther he would be destroyed by the cataracts. The white man, mistaking the good intentions of the king, persisted in his voyage. The king sent a large party to seize him and bring him to Houssa, which, after some opposition, they effected. Here he was detained by the king for two years, at the end of which time he took ill of a fever and died. The merchants who related this tale declared that they had seen the white man at Houssa. Whether this person was Mungo Park, or his companion, Lieutepant Martyn, the last known survivor of

the party besides himself, no means exist of ascertaining, although there is strong reasons for supposing that no other white persons could have been in the interior of Africa in the situation described.

AMERICA.

SPANISH AMERICA.

Venezuela.

The patriots of Venezuela are represented as every where successful. It is stated on the authority of a British officer in the service of the patriots, that up to the 22d July there had been several battles fought, and much skirmishing between the contending parties, in all of which the patriots were victorious, and had finally possessed themselves of the entire command of the plains, and compelled the royalists to take refuge in the mountains. The eleven British officers who were arrested last winter in Philadelphia, under a process from the authority of the United States, had arrived in Venezuela, and joined the patriot army. Mr. Clay's celebrated speech on the subject of our relations with South-America, had been translated into the Spanish language, and was read generally at the heads of the patriotic regiments, amidst the most enthusiastic applauses.

Bolivar is removed from the command of the armies, and placed at the head of the Venezuelian government. General Paez is his military successor.

Buenos Ayres.

The troops of the United Provinces of South-America, have been successful in several late engagements with the royalists, the most considerable of which was the battle of Maipu. Some months ago an overture was made by the patriots for regular exchanges of prisoners with the royalists, and the general adoption of the usages of civilized warfare, which was refused. Since the battle of Maipu this overture has been acceded to. News from Buenos Ayres, under date of the 6th July, informs also that the viceroy of Peru has proposed an armistice for a year, with the offer of withdrawing the royal troops from Potosi, Charcas, la Paz, and Cochabamba, to the Desaguadero, the former frontier of La Plata: but on condition from the patriots not to molest the royalists, who are yet in the province of Talcaguana, in Chili. General San Martin was at Buenos Ayres. The cause of his being absent for so long a time from the army was not known, although it was rumoured that he will suc

ceed Pueyrredon. Artigas successfully maintains his war against the Portuguese on one side, and the Buenos Ayreans on the other he has recently defeated some troops of the latter.

BRITISH AMERICA.

Canada.

Robert Gourlay was tried at Kingston, U. C. on the 15th August, for a libel on the government of U. C. and for an attempt to sow sedition among the people. Judge Campbell presided, and the cause was opened by Mr. Bolton, the public prosecutor. He was followed by Mr. Gourlay, who conducted his own defence, and who was permitted to read to the jury an address he had prepared for the

occasion, which is stated to have exhibited a specimen of bold, energetic composition, seldom equalled, and contained many excellent maxims of political wisdom and justice. After the whole day had been occupied by the trial, the cause was submitted to the jury, who soon after returned a verdict of acquittal, amidst the acclamation of the audience. On the following morning "Gourlay for ever" was found inscribed on almost every fence and corner post in Kingston. A public dinner was given to Mr. Gourlay by the citizens of Kingston the day after the trial, attended by respectable men from different parts of the province, some of whom had come several hundred miles to attend the trial.

MASSACHUSETTS.

Bangor, August 13. THE Commissioners of the Land Office, Messrs. Robbins, Lewis and Lee, have had a meeting and consultation at Bangor this season; and after having determined upon a course of conduct and measures best suited to accomplish the objects of the government, they have been carrying their plan into efficient execution. They have been employed in the survey of the land on each side of Penobscot river, and in laying out an extensive road from the east side of the river toward the eastern boundary of the District. The time of the commissioners is in a considerable degree occupied in examining the situation of the country, the quality of the soil, mill pri vileges, &c. and they say as far as they have proceeded up the river, (which, how ever, is no farther than Passadunkeag) the country appears better than they expected to find it.

They have now gone up the river with the view of exploring the great west branch (so called) of Penobscot to its source, and also for the purpose of locating the four townships which the Indians have reserved to themselves in their late treaty with our commissioners. They have taken on this excursion Joseph Treat, Esq. for an assistant surveyor, and will take such other assistants as may be necessary.

This branch of the river has never been explored except by the Indians, and the time which may be spent in exploring it will be well employed.

CONNECTICUT.

The committee of the Hartford Convention have finished their report of a constitution for the state of Connecticut. The articles of the bill of rights have been separate

A large portion of Table Rock, at Niagara Falls, has recently broken off and fallen into the gulph below.

The bridge constructed by A. Porter, Esq. to Goat Island, last season, and partly destroyed by the ice last spring, is to be rebuilt, by which the finest possible view of the Falls may be obtained. A flight of steps to descend nearly two hundred feet, is now constructing, by which another, and as it is thought by some, the grandest view of the cataract may be had. From this place a boat is also to be kept, in which the Niagara may be crossed.

PENNSYLVANIA.

Died, at his farm near Greensburg, Penn. on the 31st August, General ARTHUR ST. CLAIR, in the 84th year of his age. The following brief outline of his life and character, is extracted from one of the public prints:

"The venerable General Arthur St. Clair was born in Edinboro', and came to this country in the fleet commanded by Admiral Boscowen in 1755. At an early period of his life he took up the profession of arms,