thought, that no one at all conversant in the Inaritime affairs of the world, could have failed to perceive in this proclamation, an offer made to the American merchant ships to trade with the English West-Indies in spite of the embargo. Yet, I'll warrant you, that it never entered into the noddle of this gentleman, that the order to our commanders to dispense with the production of “regular "clearances and documents" could have any such meaning. A very poor noddle has be! The American ships (the only neutral ships now in the world) are, observe, all embargoed; that is to say, they lie in their ports under a positive law, forbidding them, under heavy penalties, to go thence to any other port or country in the world. To offer them a free passage, then, to the WestIndies, or to any other part, would have been a pure absurdity upon any other supposition than that of their setting the embargo law at defiance. The law permits them to go from one American port to another American port as often as they please; and, as I stated in my last Register, they had, in some cases, as was asserted in their newspapers, taken advantage of this exception to run off to Jamaica with a cargo. But, there was some danger in this; because, if met by any of our cruizers, they would be liable to be siezed, seeing that they could not possibly have any other than their coasting clearance on board. To secure them against this danger, the present proclamation provides, that, if they say that they are bound to our settlements in the West Indies, or South America, they shall not be interrupted, and that one of their papers shall be endorsed by the English commander who may visit them, specifying the alledged destination and also the place where visited by him. This secures their going to one of our settlements; because, if met again, and out of the track, they are siezed.

-Having thus invited them out to sea, and secured their arrival in our own colonies, the proclamation next provides for their having due encouragement to take away the produce of those colonies; and, for this purpose, allows them to go with such produce to any part of the world, except to a port blockaded by us. And this the noddle of the Morning Chronicle has conceived to be a "relaxation of the Orders in Council sys"tem, forced upon the ministers!" Let us try an instance in detail. JONATHAN SLYBOOTS lies with his brig, the " Fair American," embargoed in the port of Boston. There are his brothers Ezra and 'Zekiel and Natty, and his cousins to the third generation, all his seathen, lounging about for want

of employment. Sugar and Molasses and Rum are mounted up to double price, while lumber and fish and pork are sung to half price." I vow," says Jonathan, "I'll not

bide here." He buys a cargo of lumber and provisions, to the custom house he goes. as bold as a lion, and there he demands and obtains a clearance for Norfolk or Wilming ton or Charlestown or Augusta. 75He is on board at three strides, up goes the anchor, and off goes the Fair American Tor Jamaica, leaving the embargoed crews, whose master has less enterprize than hers, to eat molasses and to drink rum at double price, while they themselves have no pay. She is met by one of our cruizers at sea; but, upon alledging that she is going to Jamaica, her papers are endorsed, and she is suffered to pass. Thus, our islands obtain provisions and lumber."Well now," says Jonathan, I vow, you, "Governor man, I don't like to go back just

yet. I'll go to those Frenchmen's coun

try with a cargo of coffee." In he takes it, and away he goes to France. If he be met by one of our cruizers, be has the pass port of the Governor of Jamaica to show; if he be met by a French cruizer, I'll trust to Jonathan's ingenuity to convince him that he took in his cargo at Martinico; which inge nuity will also serve his turn when he comes into Bourdeaux or Havre-de-Grace. Thus, we make the enemy consume our colonial produce, while we prevent neutrals from

carrying him any from les

And this the Morning

calls á "relaxation of the Orders in Council sys

tem, forced upon the ministers!" Oh, thout blind guide! Thy printer's devil under stands as much of these matters as thou dost Well, but what will Jonathan do next? Perhaps, by this time, the embargo fit is off; for he has now been four months from home; and, if that be the case, he will laugh at the Congress and the law. Perhaps, though, the fit is not off. Well, it is little matter, ei ther way, for he may sell the "Fair American," or give her away, his voyage having cleared much more than the worth of her. But, Jonathan will do no such thing. From France he will clear out for Martinico again, and, with the Governor of Jamaica's pass port, well let into one of the planks of the brig, he will come through our cruizers to London or Liverpool. There he will take in a cargo for Boston; his clearance will carry him through our fleets and cruizers, and he will stand the chance of smuggling in his cargo. Once out at sea, however, in the first instance, he may follow what course he pleases, as long as he takes care to obey the English proclamations and Orders in Coun

w

Cil; but, the longer the embargo continues, the greater will be the temptation to smuggle la cargoes from England, One lucky hit will, in that case, make a man's fortune.Even if "future hostilities," that is to say, war with America, should break out, Jonathan may go right back home with his coffee and rum and molasses, if he chooses; and thither he will go too, when the scarcity becomes great, in spite of all the acts that the Congress are able to pass.This proclamation is a very wise measure. It is calculated to meet the event of war, at the same time that it exactly suits this state of demi-warfare, in which, by the folly of the American government, we are now placed with that country. And this is what the Morning Chronicle calls "relaxation of the Order in Council system, forced upon the "ministers!"

CURATES STIPEND BILL. I have time only to say, that I most heartily wish this bill success. It was defeated by the late ministry, who could have had no other object in view, than that of pleasing the owners of livings. Mr. Perceval has always been respected by me on account of this bill; and, his persevering in it, through all situations, places him in striking contrast with the apostate patriots, to whom he has been opposed in politics, and who have, to a man, broken their promises, the moment they got possession of the power of fulfilling them. This, indeed, is a step in the way of real reform- Some one expressed a desire to have two debates upon the principle of this bill; but, if there were to be two thousand speeches, and if all the speakers were opposed to it, they never would make one man of sound sense believe, that it is just towards a parish to give its clerical revenues to a man, whose face it never sees, while he who really performs all the duty that is performed receives not more than two thirds of the amount of the wages of a journeyman mechanic,

Butley, 14th April, 1808,

PORTUGAL...

Famine has visited the wretched Portu guese. At the date of the last advices, the 22d ult. hundreds, it is said, were lying dead in the streets of Lisbon. What, how ever most decisively proves the extent of the evil, is this, that General Junot sent out a flag of truce (the fact is without a doubt) with a deputation to Sir Charles Cotton, at the head of which was M. Michael Setard, a respectable Portuguese, to suppli cate (the precise term used) the Admiral to suffer some provisions to come into Lisbon,

Lis

to save the people from perishing. Though Sir Charles was convinced of the reality of the alledged scarcity, yet he thought, it seems, a compliance with such a request beyond his powers, and therefore dispatched the Coquette for precise instructions.--Various letters have been received descriptive of these horrors; the following is from one of the gentlemen appointed to the deputation, and was written before he set off: bon, March 21, 1808.-I have only time to inform you of my having been authorised, with several others, by this government, to proceed to the English fleet, now blockading our port, for the purpose of prevailing on Admiral Cotton to permit provisions to be brought hither, as we are absolutely on the eve of a famine. Under these dreadful circumstances we rely on the humanity and liberality of a generous nation, and we trust that his excellency will commiserate the distressed situation of the inhabitants of this devoted city and its environs, and grant liberty for provisions to enter the port, otherwise we must literally starve, Should we succeed in the object of our mission, it will revive the drooping spirits of the people, and save. the lives of thousands and ten of thousands, who otherwise must meet their fate in the worst and most terrible of all deaths-a death from hunger."

SPAIN.INSURRECTION.

Madrid, 19th March, nine o'clock at night. Since Sunday the 13th inst., such important events have taken place, that the hurry in which I write will not allow me to arrange them in a proper order. Certain intelligence having been received of the Emperor of France coming here, it was asked on the part of the King, and at the request of the Admiral (the Prince of Peace), what was the object of his journey, and whither his troops were directed, to march ?-The answer was, that he came in a peaceable manner, for the good of the nation, and to make a Prince happy. The King, with his natural simplicity, and with great satisfac tion, shewed this letter to the Admiral, who being immediately aware of the blow which threatened him, prepared to make arrange ments to escape to Mexico, taking with him: the King, whom he succeeded in persuading to follow him, apprizing him with what they had to fear from the arrival of the Emperor and his troops; and for this purpose the Admiral took out of the royal chest 86 millions of rials In the course of last month, he had sent already 60 millions to Corunna, which were destined for Lendon, where he has 40 millions of dollars, On Wednesday!

he arrived in Madrid, and withdrew on Sunday, in the evening, according to his usual custom, to Aranjuez. As soon as he arrived there, he called a meeting of the council, in which the flight of their Majesties were discussed. The following day (Monday), early in the morning, the siguatures of the three principal persons were collected, and when Cavellero's turn came, he said that he did not chuse to sign, nor should he allow them to do what they intended. The King represented to him in the most earnest manner the danger in which they found themselves; the general discontent of the people of Madrid, demanded his head (as the Admiral bad falsely made him believe). Cavellero said that there was no such thing, that all was false, and that he had been deceived. The King immicdiately answered-Do they deceive me? Do they betray me? Who is the Traitor? That is the gentleman, pointing to the Admiral, who drew his sword-The council immediately broke up. The principal party, consisting of Cavellero, the Prince, Altemire Fernando Nunes, who they say was wounded, as were most of the Grandees. This happened at night: at the noise the life guards entered, and among them the halbertbearers, and soon afterwards the mob. The project, which was for some time only sus pected, was ascertained by the orders given to the life guards. On the following day (Monday) in the morning, the life guards took post on the road of Ocanna. The hall of the council and the whole of the palace presented a scene of popular tumult. Some of the guards cried out" kill him," others * seize him!" and some pointed the sword to his breast. The Prince Asturias clung to the Admiral, who placing himself between the troops with fixed bayonets, fled to his house, or concealed himself in the palace, and the queen to her apartment. On Wednesday in the evening, a mail arrived, with an order for the garrison of Madrid to assemble and prepare to march. At 7 o'clock at night the bearers of those orders went to all the coffee-houses, and wherever they found officers or guards, directed them to join their corps, and through the whole town the carriages and horses were put into requisition. The troops remained all day in their quarters, which none of them were on any account permitted to leave, and much fermentation was observed among the people. And it was a matter of joy to them to go to the house of the Admiral, to see that he had no longer a guard of hussars. The council of Castille net the same day, and continued in deliberation from ten in the

morning until four in the afternoon, to aut swer the two questions of the King, whether, he should leave the country, and whether his people were disturbed: to which ques tions the reply was, that he ought not to leave the country, nor would they allow him to do so. That the people were quiet and loved him, as he might himself see, if he would come to Madrid. This and the whole of the preceding day, nothing but complaints, clamours, and farewells, were heard in Aranjuez, because the king entertained the project of departing, until two in the afternoon, when a courier aarived from Napoleon, assuring him that he came with pacific intentions. This intel ligence was immediately promulgated, and the lamentations were converted into shouts of joy, congratulations, and embraces throughout all Aranjuez. The patriarch re turned home full of joy, exclaiming, "nothing is the matter, every thing is settled, go and make it public, let every one know." At half past eleven o'clock the same day, five loaded waggons passed through Aranjuez. Silva and Don Vicente arrived and brought the news, and a courier dispatched by Cavallero brought it to government, with a charge to proclaim as soon as it should reach Delicias, "All is settled, I am the bearer of good news, and of the orders for the troops to depart."-At midnight all the king's guards, the admiral's hussars, the volunteers of the state, and the cavalry with loaded carbines and pistols, and the artillery with lighted matches were on duty.-Yes terday (Thursday), in the morning, the annexed edict was posted, intended to unde ceive and tranquillize the people; but at the same time, it was well known, that the admiral was neither apprehended nor disgraced, as had been reported. On the contrary, on the Tuesday, the royal family breakfasted at his house, and on the following day he was at the palace, which grieved every body, and the inhabitants of Aranjuez continued much disturbed. Last night the admiral withdrew from the palace at eleven o'clock, and at one attempted to escape. The life guards observed it, approached, and having ascertained the fact, fired a pistol, at which signal the rest of the guards assembled, and a throng of people endeavoured to force their way through the admiral's hussars who sur. rounded his house. Some of the life guards were killed, and Don Diego Godoy (the admiral's brother), who was at the head of his regiment of Spanish guards, ordered them to fire, but none obeyed. He repeat ed the order, when the people, and even his own soldiers fell on him, fired at him, beat him, and tied his hands and feet. The