he then perceived was, to make his peace with the new Spanish government (what piace he has in view he does not inform us) and without loss of time, writes his celebrated EXPOSITION, which whatever suspicion may res on the veracity and the motives of the writer, will serve as a valuable document to be recorded in history, in addition to those which so admirably display the character of kings, courts and statesmen, more particularly in countries where the government is despotic: and we hope it will operate as a lesson to the people in all countries, that in proportion as they resign their rights and liberties into the hands of their governors; in proportion as they become indifferent to public measures; in proportion as they are subject to corrupt influence, they may expect to be deceived, burthened, insulted, and enslaved!

Although we have, during the past month been in fearful expectation of accounts of tremendous battles fought between the French and the Spaniards, seldom during the present war, has a month passed so barren of events. Napoleon is increasing his preparations, and has appointed one of his most able Generals, Marshal Ney, to command his forces. Bilboa has been taken by the French without resistance. The Spaniards are collecting their forces to meet the main army of the enemy, and all the accounts of their officers are written in a high tone. They however, appear determined, most prudently, to avoid a general battle; as a defeat if to any considerable extent, might in their present state, materially injure, if not ruin their cause. The dispute between General Cuesta, and one of the national representatives, the violent conduct of the former towards the latter, do no great honour to the infant cause of Spanish patriotism.

But what we chiefly continue to lament is, that we know not what the Spaniards are fighting for; whether for the interests of liberty, political, civil and religious, or of slavery, priestcraft and superstition. A people may get rid of a foreign tyrant, and yet be tyrannised over at home; they may be independent of other nations, and yet be enslaved by their own rulers. The manifesto of the junta of Seville contains a strange mixture of those errors on the subject of religion and government, which have infected, in a greater or less degree, all the old European states; united with some of those noble principles which form the foundation of all just government. On the one hand they state" the only end that Spain has in view, is, Hereditary succession, according to the fundamental laws of the "monarchy, and the preservation of the unity of the holy, roman, "catholic, apostolic religion which it gloriously professed and de"fended for so many ages." Now, as to hereditary succession, more especially if succeeding princes prove like their progenitors, it cannot be regarded as an object of very great interest by citizens

of the world; and as to the preservation of that most abominable mixture of ignorance, superstition and vice, the established church of Spain, every true protestant is daily praying for its overthrow, hailing the accomplishment of Scripture prophecies respecting the Romish church as an event the most desirable: but when the juntą proclaim"The absolute necessity of constituting supreme juntas "in which the power of the people shall reside, and by which they may act;" when they add, "No government can be legitimate, unless "it has its origin in the free consent of the people :" we have only to remark-let these principles be brought into action, and the Spaniards will have the warm wishes of every friend to genuine freedom, for their success in the present struggle,

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The supreme junta of Spain, has at length been installed in the palace at Aranjuez: at present the number of members amounts only to about twenty, several who were elected not having yet attended. The junta is employed in organising a government, which, however, can only be temporary, as the inferior juntas which elected it were not chosen by the people, but self elected on the emer gency of the occasion. We are concerned to find their proceed> ings hitherto characterised by nothing but a regard to those old institutions which have proved the ruin of the people of Spain. There is no oath prescribed to its members, "to live free or die;" but they are required to " swear by the sacred image of Jesus Christ, there pre"sent, that in their employment as members of the supreme junta they "will defend and promote the preservation, and INCREASE of the "holy catholic, apostolic and roman religion; and that they will be loyal to, and defend their august sovereign Ferdinand VII. and especially those laws and usages relative to the succession of the "reigning family." Our readers must excuse our repeating the language of one junta, so similar to that of another; we have no other information to give them. These oaths are really more becoming an army of mad crusaders, than an assembly of patriots, professing to be the regenerators of their country, and concerting means for the defence and the preservation of its freedom and independence. As to the first of the objects mentioned in the oath of the junta, we fervently pray the Almighty, that it may be totally defeated; and as to the second of the objects mentioned, it is a matter of comparative indifference. "The community of barefooted monks of St. Pasqual" performed the farce of religious mummery, so fashionable on public occasions, in those countries where the church of ROME reigns in its glory, and the church of CHRIST, as must necessarily be the case, is degraded and trampled under foot.

An armistice has taken place between these two powers, occasioned by the losses lately sustained by the Swedes in Finland, and which there were no rational hopes of repairing. Another reason is assigned for this measure-The spirit of disaffection discovered by the King of Sweden amongst his guards, which occasioned the disbanding of four thousand of them, and the disgrace that has been brought, by such a proceeding, on some of the first families in the kingdom. The armistice, it is probable, is the prelude to a peace between the two powers, by which England will get rid of one of her allies. Finland, towards which the Russian Emperor has, for sometime past, cast a longing, lingering eye, will doubtless form a part of the Russian empire. What other sacrifices the Swedish monarch will be required to make as the condition of the friendship of the two Emperors, time will shortly discover.

Amongst other inquiries which will demand the attention of parliament, is that respecting our fruitless expedition to Sweden, where Sir John Moore, with a fleet and army, appears to have been sent without knowing what he was to do when he got there; and where he did nothing but disgust his Swedish Majesty, and which occasioned the return of Sir John with the expedition to England. A similar blunder has been committed, the consequences of which, it is hoped, will not prove so disastrous-sending our forces to Spain without knowing how they would be received, or making the proper inquiry on the subject: it seems, that it is one of the fundamental laws of Spain that no foreign troops shall be permitted to land without leave first obtained from the supreme government. Of this law our ministers appear to have been ignorant, for although there has been so much time taken up in preparing the expedition, no thought occurred of asking permission for our forces to land, till they were informed they could not land without it.

GENERAL REMARKS.

After all the confident hopes and expectations expressed by our public writers, that the Austrian Emperor was about to declare war against France, it appears that his Majesty has so far profited from past experience, as to deem a state of peace preferable to that of war; and that he does not seem inclined rashly and unjustly to break his treaties, merely because the opposition shewn to the measures of the French Emperor in Spain, may afford him some chance of recovering his former losses. Our journalists now inform us that the Austrian Emperor," does not yet deem it prudent, openly to declare "himself, but that he is waiting a more favourable opportunity." Thus, these writers represent his Majesty equally void of all ideas of justice and humanity with themselves; their ardent wish is to

spread the flames of war all over Europe; a project which we as ardently wish may never be accomplished.

The Emperors of France and Russia have met at Erfurth, where they are now holding their conferences on the affairs of Europe. A variety of reports are afloat respecting their projects, and their disagreements. Nothing more, however, is known, than their first. public measure -An invitation to the British government to noininate plenipotentiaries to proceed to a place to be fixed upon, to open a negociation with the plenipotentiaries of their Imperial Majesties for the conclusion of a maritime peace. The pacific overture has been sent to this country by two Russian messengers and one French messenger; to which an answer was returned by our ministers on the day after their arrival. Nothing certain appears to be known respecting the nature of the overture or the answer. Judging from the temper of our ministers, and the haughtiness with which they last year, rejected the various offers from the different powers on the continent, to negociate or to mediate, we entertain but little doubt that they are resolved to carry on the war a few years longer!

The remarks of our journalists in general, on this occurrence, afford a singular display of national infatuation. Peace is deprecated as the worst of evils. The very word negociation inspires them with terror. Hopes are expressed that our ministers will never consent to negociate but upon such terms one would imagine, as a man out of bedlam, could never have thought of. The French Emperor must, as a preliminary even to negociation, give up most of his European conquests? This country has already been famous for her "hours of insolence," but she has been equally famous for her hours of humiliation. The last war, which was both unjust and unnecessary, was terminated by our relinquishing every one of its declared objects. The present war, equally unjust and unneces sary, commencing with perfidy on our part, breaking the treaty, of Amiens, will, it is not very improbable terminate in the same manner. Peace is such an inestimable blessing, that overtures from an enemy (unless, perhaps, with the single exception, of their being made in the heart of an invaded country) ought always to be attended to; but whilst the people go on quietly submitting to their oppressive burthens, and ministers find no difficulty in raising money, the prospect of peace must remain wholly overclouded.

Our countrymen are holding public meetings in various parts of the kingdom for the purpose of petitioning his Majesty that he would cause a strict inquiry to be made respecting the circumstances which produced the late disgraceful convention in Portugal. The Common council of the metropolis have set the example; and their.

conduct on this occason has presented a singular contrast to what it has been for these twenty years past. No body of men in the nation have been more uniformly servile; and their court addresses, from the adulation with which they have been characterised, have been more becoming an assembly of slaves, than the corporate body of the metropolis of the British empire. The rude and insulting manner in which they have been treated by his Majesty's ministers, in answer to their petition, has produced some spirited resolutions in return, which it is expected will be followed up by another petition to the throne, reprobating in suitable terms, that system which is own disgracing and ruining the nation. Our limits prevent us, for the present, from enlarging on a subject from which we hope will result consequences of considerable importance. If the convention in Portugal should prove the means of awakening and animating a spirit in the people which we feared was almost annihilated, much good may arise out of evil.

From the angry tone, of his Majesty's answer to the petition of the citizens of London, and from the studied insult of introducing. Sir Arthur Wellesley at the very time the petition was presenting, it is evident that ministers do not mean to institute such an inquiry as ought to satisfy the nation. Sir Hew Dalrymple and Sir Arthur Wellesley are returned home. The former it is said, like a man of honour, demands a' court martial on his conduct; and it is certain that a court martial ought to be held on the conduct of Sir A. Wellesley, whose name appears the most prominent in the ́ business of the convention; he having signed the armistice which was still more disgraceful than the convention. Men who are conscious that their conduct will bear investigation, will not be content with an inquiry to be made by a select number of the friends of the Duke of York, and of course of ministers, in which the evidence must remain secret. No: they will demand public inquiry by a court martial; and if the people after expressing such free language as of late, are satisfied with any other mode, it will afford demonstrative proof, that their hypocrisy is equal to their servility. We have just perused an account of the extraordinary proceedings at a rheeting of the freeholders of ESSEX, held yesterday, at which ministers? strained every nerve to prevent a petition being voted to his Majesty. One might from the account be led almost to imagine, that their principal tool on this occasion, was the man who ought to have been the most impartial in the whole assembly. By a resolution of the freeholders signed by Mr. Western, (M. P.) they declare their conviction, "that a decided maແ "jority of the freeholders, were against the vote of adjournment declared "by the Sheriff." The latter gentleman, however, gave one proof of his wisdom, by hastily decamping, without waiting for the vote of thanks' always passed on public occasions to IMPARTIAL sheriffs! We are happy to hear that the freeholders mean to resume the consideration of this important subject.

Harlow, October 29.

B. F.