1810.] STATE OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS IN MARCH. GERMANY. On the occasion of Hanover being occupied by the troops of his majesty the king of Westphalia, the following proclamation was issued in his majesty's name: HANOVERIANS! The emperor, my exalted brother, has transferred to me by a convention concluded at Paris on the 14th January of this year, all his rights and claims on your country, and incorporated it with my kingdom. His deputies have delivered it to me, and I this day take possession of it. You are henceforth to enjoy the invaluable advantage of being relieved from the painful state of uncertainty in which you have hitherto lingered, and for ever united with a state, which for the future will secure you against all attacks of continental powers, and which will also know how to protect you from insults which might be attempted in the course of a maritime war; the misery and wretchedness to which you have hitherto been exposed, cannot but render you more thankful for the happinees and tranquillity which you are now to enjoy. Your loyalty and your good sentiments are known. I depend on your attachment; the esteem and regard which your king will ever entertain for you, are the surest pledges of his unwearied solicitude to promote your prosperity and welfare, by every means which he has in his power. I entertain the pleasing hope, that you, on your part, will ne ver frustrate the confidence which I place in you, nor destroy the brilliant prospect which now opens to view. your Given in our Royal Palace, in Cassel, the 1st March, 1310. JEROME NAPOLEON, HOLLAND. Letter from the King to the Legislative Body. GENTLEMEN.I have been disappointed in my expectation of being enabled to return before the 1st of January. From the annexed documents, contained in the Moniteur of perterday (the 31st of January), you will ceive that the result of our affairs is connected with the conduct of the English govern ment. yes. The regret which I have felt has been considerably increased upon reading the unjust accusation made against us, of having betrayed the cause of the Continent, that is, of having been unfaithful to our engagements; and I write this letter to you, to diminish the impression which so unjust and astonishing an accusation must make upon your hearts, as well as upon the heart of every true Hollander. Whilst, during the four years that have elapsed since the commencement of my reign, the nation, and you in particular, called to watch over her interests, have borne with so much difficulty and distress, but, at the same time with so much resignation, the doubling of the imposts, so considerable an augmenta tion of the public debt, and armaments so great and so disproportionate to the popula tion and means of the kingdom; we fitile thought that we should have been accused of having violated our engagements, and of not having done enough, at a moment when the state of maritime affairs operates upon us with a greater pressure than upon all other coun tries collectively, and when, to complete our misfortunes, we are besides compelled to sustain a blockade upon the continent. It is the heartfelt consciousness of these considerations, gentlemen, which should lead us to the exercise of patience, until the moment when the justice of his majesty the emperor, my brother, shall make reparation for a charge which we have so little deserved. I cannot ascertain how long I may yet be prevented from gratifying the first and most anxious of my wishes, namely, that of return ing to my capital, and seeing myself in the midst of you at this difficult and critical juncture. But however distant that period may be, be assured that nothing can alter my affection for the nation, and my attachment to her is LOUIS. terests, nor lessen you in my esteem and con fidence. Paris, February 1, 1810. In a letter from the duke de Cadore (Champagny), the French minister for foreign affairs, to the Dutch minister, concerning the annexation of Holland to announcing the resolutions of Buonaparte France, the writer observes: If these determinations are contrary to the views of the people of Holland, the emperor is certainly sorry for it, and has adopted this course with great regret. But the unrelenting world, and which chooses that men should be destiny which presides over the affairs of this governed by events, obliges his majesty to follow up with firmness those measures of which the necessity has been demonstrated to him, without suffering himself to be turned aside by secondary considerations. The duke then takes a review of the public events of the last two years; excuses the conduct of his master, in issuing the Berlin and Milan decrees, as having been called for by the tyranny of England on the seas; observes, that this measure, which compelled the shutting of the Dutch ports against English commerce, was so contrary to the ancient habits of the people, as to create an opposition between Holland and France. During the subsequent peror, the success of which depended more period, all the measures adopted by the emupon their execution in Holtand than in any other other country, were rendered nugatory by the clandestine intercourse carried on between Holland and this country. That his master's determination has been quickened by reflecting, that she is without marine, without the means for carrying on offensive or defensive warfare; that during the late expedition, the important position of Veere, and the fort of Bathz, had been abandoned before the enemy appeared and that in fine, without army, without revenue, it might almost be said without friends and without allies, the Dutch are a society animated only by a regard to their commercial interests, and forming a rich, useful, and respectable company, but not a nation." The duke then declares, that he is charged to make known to the Dutch ministry and nation, that the present situation of Holland is incompatible with the circumstances or the situation in which the new principles adopted by England have placed the affairs of the empire and the continent. In consequence his imperial majesty proposes 1. To recal home the prince of his blood whom he had placed on the throne of Holland. The first duty of a French prince placed in the line of heraditary succession to the imperial throne is towards that throne, When in opposition to that, all others must give way; the first duty of every Frenchman, in whatever situation destiny may place him, is towards his country. 2. To occupy all the mouths of the rivers in Holland, and all its ports, by French troops, as they were from the conquest made by France in 1794 to the moment when his imperial majesty hoped to conciliate every one by establishing the throne of Holland. 3. To employ every means, and without being stopped by any consideration, to make Holland enter into the continental system, and to wrest definitively its ports and coasts from the administration which has rendered the ports of Holland the principal entreports, and the great part of the Dutch merchants the brokers, and the commercial agents, of England. FRANCE. Paris, Feb. 17.-At two o'clock this day, the scuate assembled, under the presidency of the Prince Arch-chancellor of the empire, and adopted the following senatus-consultum: Extract from the Records of the Conservative The Conservative Senate, assembled in the number of members prescribed by article xc. of the constitutional act of the 13th Dec. 1799, has considered the project of the Organic Senatus Consultum, drawn up in the form prescribed by article lvii. the constitutional act of the 4th of August, 1802, after having heard the erators of the council of state, and the report of the special commission appointed in the sitting of the 14th of this month, the adoption being voted by the number of votes prescribed in article Ivi. of the constitutional act of the 4th of August 1802, it is decreed as follows: TITLE FIRST.-Of the Union of the Roman States to the Empire. Art. 1. The state of Rome is united to the French empire, and forms an integral part thereof. 2. It shall be divided into two departments: the department of Rome, and the department of Trasimene. 3. The department of Rome shall send seven deputies to the legislative body. The department of Trasimene shall send four. 4. The department of Rome shall be classed in the first series-the department of Trasimene in the second. 5. A senatory shall be established in the departments of Rome and Trasimene. 6. The city of Rome is the second city of the empire. The mayor of Rome is to be present when the emperor takes the oaths on his accession. He is to rank, as are also all deputations from the city of Rome, on all occasions, immediately after the mayors or deputations of the city of Paris. 7. The prince imperial is to assume the title, and receive the honours, of king of Rome. 8. A prince of the blood, or a grand dignitary of the empire, shall reside at Rome, who shall hold the emperor's court. 9. The property which composes the endowments of the imperial crown shall be regulated by a special senatus consultum. 10. After having been crowned in the church of Notre Dame at Paris, the emperors shall, previous to the tenth year of their reign, be crowned in the church of St. Peter. 11. The city of Rome shall enjoy parti cular privileges and immunities, which shall be determined by the emperor Napoleon. TITLE II.Of the Independance of the Im perial Throne of all authority on Earth." 12. Every foreign sovereign is incompa tible with the exercise of any spiritual authority within the territory of the empire. 13. The popes shall, at their elevation, take an oath never to act contrary to the four propositions of the Gallician church, adopted in an assembly of the clergy in 1682. church are declared common to all the Ca14. The four propositions of the Catholic tholic churches of the empire. TITLE III. Of the temporal Existence of the Popes. 15. Palaces shall be prepared for the pope in the different parts of the empire in which have one at Paris and another at Rome. he may wish to reside. He shall necessarily 16. Two millions in rural property, free of all impositions, and lying in different parts of the empire, shall be assigned to the pope. 17. The expenses of the sacred college, perial. and of the propaganda, shall be declared im 18. The present organic senatus consul 3 tum shall be transmitted by a message to his Prince Arch-chancellor of the Empire, COUNT LAPLACE, Chancellor of the Senate. The senate met on the 27th of February at half-past one o'clock. The Prince Arch-chancellor, who presided on the occasion, read the following message from his majesty: SENATORS.-We have dispatched to Vienna, as our ambassador extraordinary, our cousin the prince of Neufchatel, to solicit the hand of the archduchess Maria Louisa, daughter of the emperor of Austria. We have given orders to our minister of foreign relations to lay before you the articles of the treaty of marriage between us and the archduchess Maria Louisa, which has been concluded, signed, and ratified. We have been desirous of eminently contributing to the happiness of the present ge neration The enemies of the continent have founded their prosperity upon its dissentions and Civisions. They can no longer nourish war, by imputing to us projects incompatible with the ties and duties of affinity, which we have just contracted with the imperial house reigning in Austria. The brilliant qualities which distinguish the archduchess Maria Louisa, have acquired her the love of the people of Austria. They have fixed our regards. Our people will love this princess from their love for us, until, being witnesses of all the virtues which have given her so high a place in our thoughts, they shall love her for herself, Given at our palace of the Thuilleries, this 27th of February, 1810. NAPOLEON. After the message was read, the duke de Cadore communicated to the senate the articles of the marriage treaty, which are in the usual form. SPAIN. On the 6th instant the French made their appearance on that part of the coast opposite Cadiz, and immediately summoned the city to surrender. A flag of truce, with the sum mons, was sent from Port St. Mary, and received by the junta on the afternoon of the 6th It expresses Joseph Bonaparte's willingness to forget and forgive all provocation, and requests that persons may be deputed from Cadiz to treat for the security of the squadron and arsenal. The junta immediately returned for answer, that the city of Cadiz, faithful to its principles, renounced every other king except don Ferdinand VII. A letter from the duke of Dalmatia, dated from Seville, Feb. 2, gives an official account of the entrance of the French into that city, The Duke of Belluno had previously pro that mised, in answer to two flags of truce, the inhabitants should be protected; that those in arms should be allowed to serve in the troops of king Joseph, or retire, and live peaceably on delivering up their arms. The inhabitants then submitted, and the French entered the city, where they found 263 pieces of cannon, and a large quantity of arms, ammunition, and provisions. Letter to Major-General the Prince of Neufchatel. In my last dispatch, I had the honour to inform your serene highness that general Sebastiani was on his march to Malaga. That general has reported, that while at Grenada, he was informed that after a fresh commotion at Malaga, a man of the name of Abeillo, a colonel, formerly had assumed the chief authority; that he had put under arrest, administration, general Cuesta, and the prinand sent off by sea, the old civil and military cipal inhabitants; and that, supported by a number of priests and monks, who were preaching up a crusade against us, he had succeeded in arming the inhabitants of the mountains and the city. A capuchin had been appointed lieutenant general; two others, field-marshals; monks were colonels and officers; in a word, this new insurrection already put on an alarm→ ing appearance. advanced to the defile of the mountains, and A corps of 6000 men had prepared to defend the passage of the Col Bosche de Lasno. The inhabitants of Alhama had risen in arms, and it was necessary to storm that city to obtain possession of it. The English, who were at Malaga, were exciting the people to anarchy, at the same time that they were preparing to take themselves to their vessels on the approach of danger. General Sebastiani had received orders to march upon Malaga. Being informed of his movement. what was going on in that city, he accelerated On the 5th ke marched from Antequera with his advanced guard, drove in without difficulty the enemy's posts that defended the passes, though the road was broke up in several places, and followed them up, fighting all the way, as far as in front of Malaga,where they rallied, and joined an immense mass of insurgents, having with them a numerous train of artillery, and a detachment of cavalry. It was now four o'clock in the afternoon; the infantry were still at a distance, and general Sebastiani, anxious to spare those wretched people, sent them three flags of truce to summon them to lay down their arms; but instead of making a proper return to his generous proceeding, their mass put itself in motion, and advanced to attack the column, at the same time that they commenced a very brisk fire of artillery and musketry. General Sebastiani seized this critical moment, and ordered a charge of cavalry, which carried every thing before it; 1500 insurgents, including a number of priests and monks, were killed on the spot, and the troops entered the city interminged with the fugitives. The firing was kept up in the city for for a few instants; but enthusiasm soon giving place to fear, the fighting ceased, and the inha bitants submitted. This affair, which does the greatest honour to the cavalry, cost us the boss of thirty men. There were found in the place 148 pieces of cannon of various calibres, and a great quantity of ammunition and stores of every kind. There was a train of 23 field pieces, which was on the point of being sent off to Tarragona. There were only twenty-five vessels in the harbour: three English ships of war which had been there, had the precaution to cause such as they wished to carry with them, to put to sea before they could be seized. The English merchandize at Malaga was put under sequestration. An inventory will be taken, and a report of the contents transmit ted. The occupation of Malaga is, at this moment, of great importance. It completes the submission of the province of Grenada, and completely cuts off that part of the country which is contiguous to Gibraltar and Cadiz. It is, therefore, probable, that it will influence the determination of the inhabitants of the Latter place. The effect produced by this event is so much the greater, as the next day the inhabitants of Velez de Malaga arressted the chiefs of this new insurrection, and delivered them over to the imperial army, with a request that they should be punished. Marshal the duke of Treviso has reported from Los Santos on the road of Estramadura, that the troops of the 5th corps had, on the 3th, occurred in the course of it, it is not my intention to trouble your Majesty with any further details of the earlier parts of our operations, which, having terminated in the speedy reduction of Walcheren by your Majesty's troops, and the occupation of the adjacent islands, and of the important post of Batz, received, at the time, your Majesty's most gracious approbation; but to confine myself principally in the narrative, which Iam anxious to be permitted to bring under your Majesty's view, to the consideration of the two following points, as most immediately applying to the conduct and final result of the expedition to the Scheldt. First, The ground upon which, after the army was at length assembled near Batz, a landing in prosecution of the ulterior objects of the expedition was not deemed advisable. Secondly, Why that army was not sooner there assembled in readi ness to commence further operations. With respect to the former proposition, I am inclined to think that it is so clear and evident, that no further operations could at that time, and in the then sickly state of the army, have been undertaken with any prospect of suc cess, that it would be unnecessarily trespassing on your Majesty to enter into much more detail on this point than has been already brought before your Majesty in my dispatch of the 29th of August; and the chief object of this paper will be directed to show to your Majesty, that the second point, namely, Why the army was not brought up sooner to the destination from whence its ulterior ope. rations were to commence, is purely a naval consideration, and that the delay did in no shape rest with me, or depend upon any arrangements in which the army was concern established themselves there and at Zaffa, from which they pushed reconnoitring parties in the direction of Badajoz and Merida. He continued to collect artillery, ammunition, and provisions, left behind by the insured; every facility, on the contrary, having gents; he also found several posts abandoned, which the insurgents had strongly entrenched. To-morrow the 5th corps will be on the Guadiana, where it will obtain information of the movement of the 2d corps, and of what is passing in the valley of the Tagus. I have the honour to request that your serene highness will be pleased to lay my report before his majesty the emperor and king, and to accept the homage of my respect. The Marshal the Duke of DALMATIA. Seville, Feb. 10, 1810. GREAT BRITAIN. In consequence of an Enquiry instituted in the House of Commons to enquire into the origin and failure of the late expedition to Walcheren, the following curious document is discovered to have been laid before the king by the earl of Chatham: In submitting to your Majesty a statement of my proceedings in the execution of the service your majesty was graciously pleased to confide to me, and of the events which been afforded by their movements to the speedy progress of the armament. In doing this, it will, I conceive, be necessary, for the sake of perspicuity, that I should take up the consideration of this business from its commencement. Your Majesty will permit me here to recal to your recollection the change which took place in the original project formed for the attack of Antwerp, and of the French fleet in the West Scheldt, in consequence of the opinions of the general and staff officers to whom this question was referred; and a combined operation of the army and navy, the whole, with the exception of the force to be left for the reduction of Walcheren, to proceed up the West Seheldt, was accor dingly determined on. being at once carried into execution, which Upon the practicability of such an operation was, however, the ground-work of the exe pedition, and which alone, in the opinion of all persons consulted, seemed to afford any prospect of success, even in the most sanguine view of the subject in all other repects, I must confess, I entertained great doubts doubts, till the communication of a distinct official opinion, given on this point by the lords of the Admiralty, decided in the affirmative this important question. At the same time it is to be remarked, that the occupation of Walcheren, which by some persons it had been thought possible to leave behind us, and the reduction of Flushing, which it had once been proposed only to mask, were deemed indispensible to the security of the fleet, in case of disaster; and accordingly a considerable separave force was allotted to this service; and, in this view, it was besides distinctly agreed upon, that a vigorous attack by the navy upon the seafront should be made at the same time that the troops, after effecting their landing, advanced to invest Flushing; it being hoped that by a powerful co-operation from the sea, at the moment the troops presented themselves before the place, the labour and delay of a regular siege might have been avoided, and a considerable portion of the force allotted to this service set at liberty to follow the army up the Scheldt. How far this expectation was fulfilled, or whether the assurance given that the whole of the armament (the part to be landed at Walcheren excepted) should be at once transported up the Scheldt, in prosecution of the ultimate objects of the expedition, was carried into effect, or was wholly disappointed, the information already before your majesty will have in a great measure shewn, and which it will be my duty to bring more particularly under your majesty's view, when I detail the subsequent course of our proceedings. From what cause this failure ensued-whether it arose from insufficient arrangements on the part of the admiral, or was the una voidable result of difficulties inherent in the nature of the expedition itself, it is not for me, considering it entirely as a naval question, to presume to offer any opinion upon to your majesty. It may, however, be here proper to remark, that in all the projects which have at various times been brought forward on the subject of an attack upon the Island of Wal cheren and the Scheldt, the necessity of having a wind a good deal to the westward, with moderate weather, has always been insisted on. Without these advantages, in the one case, the passage would be difficult; in the other, the surf would prevent a landing on the points deemed most favourable in other In the present instance, owing to respects. the wind blowing strong from the westward, the surf was actually such as to prevent a landing on either of the points first fixed on for that purpose by the admiral; and the situation of the gun boats and transports at anchor in the Stone Deep becoming very critical, and the gale encreasing, he found it necessary to carry such part of the fleet as was arrived for safety into the Roompot, and by which means the division of the army des MONTHLY Mag, No. 197, tined for the attack of Walcheren was enabled Before, however, I pursue further the details of the proceedings of the army, governed as they necessarily were (until a footing should be gained on the continent) by the movements of the navy, I must for a moment refer to two separate operations; the one under Lieutenant-general lord Huntly and commodore Owen, and the other under Lieutenant-general sir John Hope and rear admiral sir Richard Keats; but both directed to assist and ensure a rapid progress up the Scheldt, had the admiral found it practicable in other respects. With respect to the former, which was destined to destroy the Cadsand batteries, and particularly that of Bres kens, had it been carried at once into effect, and that the admiral could have availed hinself of it, to take the ships up the West Scheldt by the Weeling Passage, it would have been of the utmost advantage; but it was certainly rather fortunate it did not take place at a later period, as after all the transports, store-ships, &c. were ordered into the 2 N Veere |