el poder de hacerlo por ellos, solemnemente proclamamos como Reina y Señora á la Escelsa Princesa Doña Isabel II, en cuyas manos depositamos la soberania que hasta ahora hemos ejercido como miembros de la República Dominicana. Declaramos igualmente que es nuestra libre y espontánea voluntad, así como la del pueblo, á quien por nuestra presencia en este lugar representamos, que todo el territorio de la República sea anexado á la Corona de Castilla, á que perteneció antes del Tratado de 18 de Febrero de 1855, en Su Magestad Católica reconoció como Estado soberano el que hoy por espontánea voluntad de todos los pueblos le devuelven esa soberania, y, como va dicho, la reconoce por su legitima Soberana. En fé de lo cual lo firmamos y rubricamos con nuestras propias firmas.

(Firmado)

"PEDRO SANTANA.
"ANTONIO A. ALFAN.

"JACINTO DE CASTRO.

"FELIPE FERNANDEZ D. DE CASTRO."

El Presidente que fué de la República Dominicana y hoy Gobernador-General de aquella provincia á nombre de Su Magestad, comunicó el dia 30 de Marzo el completo pronunciamiento de la Isla á las personas mas notables de la misma en los siguientes terminos :

"Tengo la satisfaccion de anunciar á V. que por todas partes resuena el grito que la lealtad Dominicana ha lanzado, proclamando por su Reina y Soberana á la Escelsa Princesa Doña Isabel II.

"En nuestro poder obran ya los pronunciamientos de las provincias de Santo Domingo, Seybo, Azua, Vega, y Santiago, y en todas ellas ondea el pabellon que asegura nuestras libertades.

Acepte Vd. las felicitaciones que debemos hacernos mútuamente por la parte que cada uno de nosotros toma en el júbilo general que esperimentan los pueblos al ver asegurado su porvenir.

THE mail arrived to-day from Santo Domingo with intelligence reaching up to the 8th of April. The newspapers and periodicals have arrived full of descriptions of the demonstrations which have been made throughout the island.

On the 8th of April all the important places in the Spanish part of the Island of Santo Domingo had declared for Spain, and even some upon the frontier of the Republic of Hayti. The last which proclaimed its incorporation with Spain and the sovereignty of Queen Isabel was Puerto Plata, and there where there was the least confidence was the incorporation with Spain proclaimed with more enthusiasm, if possible, than in the other places.

The Spanish troops, which landed on the 6th in Santo Domingo, confined their proceedings to the preservation of order, General Santana continuing in the exercise of his functions as President.

Immediately General Serrano heard of the demonstration at Santo Domingo, he sent the frigate "Blanca" with a company of Artillery and other forces for disembarkation in the Bay of Samaná.

All the demonstrations had been made without opposition of any kind; and legal affidavits being drawn up, from which it appears that not only the authorities, but all persons of any standing in the island, had proclaimed Isabel II to be their Queen, and had returned into the bosom of the mother country with extreme delight.

Some important places in Santo Domingo had declared for Spain before the capital had done so, and some others upon the same day.

The Act which was drawn up in Santo Domingo for the proclamation of Queen Isabel runs as follows:

"In the most noble and loyal city of Santo Domingo, the 18th of March, 1861.

"We the Undersigned, assembled together in the Hall of the Palace of Justice of this capital, declare that, by our free and spontaneous will, in our own

name and in the name of those who have empowered us to do so for them, we solemnly proclaim the Illustrious Princess Isabel II to be our Queen and Sovereign, in whose hands we depose the sovereignty which we have hitherto exercised as members of the Republic of Santo Domingo. We equally declaré that it is our free and spontaneous will, as well as that of the people, whom we represent by our presence in this Hall, that the whole of the territory of the Republic should be annexed to the Crown of Castille, to which it belonged before the Treaty of the 18th of February, 1833, by which Her Catholic Majesty acknowledged as a sovereign State that which, by the spontaneous will of its whole population, restores this sovereignty to her, as is above expressed, and recognises her as its legitimate Sovereign.

"In faith of which we have signed and sealed these presents.

(Signed)

"PEDRO SANTANA.

"ANTONIO A. ALFAN.

"JACINTO DE CASTRO.

"FELIPE FERNANDEZ D. DE CASTRO."

The former President of the Republic, and now Captain-General of that province, in the name of Her Majesty, communicated, on the 30th of March, the complete declaration (" pronunciamiento ") of the island to the persons of the highest standing in the same, in the following terms:—

"I have the satisfaction to announce to you that the cry of Dominican loyalty proclaiming the Illustrious Princess Isabel II to be our Queen and Sovereign resounds throughout the land.

"We have in our possession the declarations of the Provinces of Santo Domingo, Seybo, Azua, Vega, and Santiago, and in all of them the banner which assures our liberty is unfurled.

Accept the felicitations which we owe to each other upon the part which each of us takes in the general jubilee produced in the country by its future prosperity being assured.

"God preserve, &c.

"Santo Domingo, March 30, 1861."

No. 8.

My Lord,

Consul Hood to Lord J. Russell.-(Received May 13.)

Santo Domingo, April 12, 1861.

I HAVE the honour to inclose, for your Lordship's information, a copy and translation of a Brigade Order issued on the 8th instant by Brigadier Pelaez to the troops which had arrived here on the 6th and 7th instant.

(Signed)

I have, &c.

MARTIN T. HOOD.

Inclosure in No. 8.

Brigade Order, dated April 8, 1861.

LA República Dominicana, despues de quarenta años de separacion, ha vuelto, por un acto espontáneo de su voluntad, al seno de la madre patria.

La fuerza de los sucesos, y no la deslealtad de sus hijos, los alejó de la metrópoli, y hoy al volver á ella, son, lo que no quisieron dejar de ser nunca, hermanos nuestros.

Antecedentes honrosos son estos que no puede ni debe echar en olvido el ejército que viene en nombre de Su Magestad la Reina (que Dios guarde!) á guarnecer esta rica y preciada antilla. Con este motivo, he tenido por conveniente hacer á los cuerpos las prevenciones generales siguientes:

1. No existiendo esclavitud en este pais, é iguales en derecho todos sus ciudadanos, la clase de color goza de las mismas consideraciones que la blanca.

2. Consecuencia natural de lo expuesto es, que haya en la Isla Señores Generales, Gefes y Oficiales de color y blancos; pero que á todos se han de

tributar iguales respetos y consideraciones que las que señalan las Reales Ordenanzas á las respectivas jerarquias.

3. Consideraciones políticas importantes, que hasta un deber de gratitud hácia nuestros hermanos, hacen necesario que el ejército Español, modelo siempre y en todas ocasiones de disciplina y proverbial honradez, ostente aquí esas mismas prendas que tanto le enaltecen, observando una conducta prudente y cariñosa con los naturales, alejando disputas y procurando, á toda costa, conquistarse la admiracion y simpatias de los Dominicanos.

4. Los Señores Gefes de cuerpo serán, en este punto, inexorables, teniendo entendido que les exigiré la mas estrecha responsabilidad por la falta de sus subordinados, á cuyo efecto, y para prevenirlas, quedan autorizados para adoptar por sí, cuantas providencias le sujiera su celo, y conspiren al noble fin propuesto. 5. Esta órden general se leerá á las compañias por los Señores Oficiales de semana que cuidarán de inculcar en la tropa las ideas que contiene.

6. Al Excelentisimo Señor General Don Pedro Santana, Gobernador-General de la Isla, se le harán por las guardias los honores de Capitan-General de Provincia, y á los demas Señores Generales los que por su clase les correspondan. Todo lo que hago saber en la órden de este dia para general conocimiento y cumplimiento.

THE Dominican Republic, after forty years of separation, has returned to the bosom of the mother country by a spontaneous act of its own will.

The force of events, and not the disloyalty of its children, separated them from the metropolis; and now on returning to it they are, what they never ceased to wish to be, our brothers.

These are honourable antecedents, which neither can nor ought to be forgotten by the army which comes in the name of Her Majesty the Queen to garrison this rich and prized island. With this object, I have considered it convenient to make to the troops the following general directions :

1. As slavery does not exist in this country, and all its citizens being equals in right, the coloured class enjoys the same considerations as the white.

2. The natural consequence of this is that there are in the island, Generals and officers, both coloured and white, but that to all are to be shown. the same respect and consideration marked in the Royal Ordinances for their respective ranks.

3. Important political considerations, which impose feven a debt of gratitude to our brothers, render necessary that the Spanish army, a model always, and on every occasion, of discipline and proverbial honesty, should show here the same characteristics which ennoble it so much, observing a prudent and friendly conduct towards the natives, avoiding disputes, and endeavouring at all cost to obtain the admiration and sympathy of the Dominicans.

4. The commanding officers shall be in this respect inexorable, understanding that I shall exact the strictest responsibility for the faults of their subordinates; for which purpose, and to prevent them, they are authorized to adopt every measure which their zeal may suggest, and which shall tend to this noble end.

5. This Brigade Order shall be read to the companies by their commanding officers, who are to inculcate in the troops the ideas it contains.

6. The guards shall show to his Excellency General Don Pedro Santana, Governor-General of the Island, the honours of Captain-General of a Province, and to other general officers those due to their rank.

All which I make known in this order of the day for general information and compliance.

(Extract.)

No. 9.

Consul Hood to Lord J. Russell.-(Received May 13.)

Santo Domingo, April 21, 1861. I HAVE the honour to report to your Lordship that the present arrangement for the administration of public affairs is the following:

General Santana is nominally the Governor-General, and is assisted by his former Ministers as Secretaries.

Rear-Admiral Rubalcava is the Commander-in-chief of the expedition of land and naval forces at Santo Domingo. He has established himself at the Palace, which has always been the official residence of the former Spanish Captains-General, and is surrounded by a large staff of military and naval officers. He is also accompanied by Señor Cruzat, who is his Diplomatic Secretary.

Brigadier Pelaez commands the land forces alone.

The duties of Chief of Police, Harbour Master, Judges, &c., continue to be discharged by the same persons as before.

On the 17th instant, General Santana, accompanied by Brigadier Pelacz, left this city for Azua, on board of the Spanish steamer " Pizarro," taking with them about 200 Spanish troops.

Last night, immediately after the arrival of the mail from Europe of the 2nd April, Admiral Rubalcava embarked, and left the port with two steamers, but his destination is not known.

Since the departure of the last packet there have been many arrivals of steamers from Cuba with reinforcements of troops, and with ammunition, &c.

I am informed that Señor Alvarez, the Spanish Chargé d'Affaires at Santo Domingo, has returned to Madrid.

I ought to notice also the extraordinary effect which this change of affairs has produced in the expenses of living at Santo Domingo. The present state of security has enhanced the value of the paper currency to the extent of about 30 per cent. The large increase of residents, including troops and ships of war, has caused the price of every article of living to rise more than 50 per cent.; and, in consequence of the great scarcity of habitable houses, rents have everywhere been doubled, and, in some situations, more than trebled.

Owing to the peculiar circumstances of the country, which has been allowed to fall into the lowest state of decay, I do not see the possibility, at least for some years, of any improvement in this condition.

No. 10.

My Lord,

Consul Hood to Lord J. Russell.-(Received May 14.)

Santo Domingo, April 21, 1861. THE situation of the Island of Santo Domingo, between Cuba and Porto Rico, rendered it a convenient refuge for those slaves who were fortunate enough to effect their escape, and, in consequence, there exists in this part of the island a large number who have enjoyed liberty for many years, and some of whom have risen to high rank in the army.

I thought it my duty, therefore, to ascertain what effect the present change in the destiny of this country would have upon them, and in a conversation I had with Señor Cruzat, the Diplomatic Secretary of Rear-Admiral Rubalcava, the Commander-in-chief of the naval and military expedition to this island, I asked him the question, to which he replied that their owners would have a perfect right to claim them as slaves, and the Spanish Government could not refuse to deliver them up.

My present position here, and the line of conduct I have determined to observe until I receive your Lordship's instructions, did not permit me to do

more than express my surprise, and the hope I entertained that Spain would not give her sanction to such a scandal.

I should also add, that when the Spanish part of the Island of Santo Domingo declared itself independent, on the 30th November, 1821, there existed a very large number of slaves, who, by that act, regained their freedom; shortly afterwards, in February 1822, President Boyer incorporated Santo Domingo with Hayti, and on the 27th of February, 1844, it separated from Hayti, and became the Dominican Republic; during the whole of this period those former slaves have enjoyed perfect liberty and all civil rights.

If slave-owners have the right to claim those slaves who have escaped from their service at Cuba or Porto Rico by coming to this country, it appears more than probable that the same principle will be made to apply to those slaves also who escaped from the service of their masters by an act of insurrection against their Government.

And if the Spanish rule is enforced of considering all the children of slaves as the property of their masters, there will hardly be a single black or coloured person in the country who will be safe from persecution.

I cannot, of course, know what may be the intentions of the Spanish Government on this subject, but in the interest of this unfortunate class of the population I consider it my duty to lose no time in calling your Lordship's attention to it, in the hope that it may be the means of saving a large number of helpless fellow-creatures from returning to a state of slavery, after having, during so many years, enjoyed the benefits of freedom.

I have, &c.

IT is for the Spanish Government to weigh in the balance of their judgment the advantages and inconveniences which may arise from the annexation of the territory of the Dominican State to the dominions of Spain, and any opinion which Her Majesty's Government may form on the subject can be founded on no other consideration than a regard for what they may look upon as the real and permanent interests of Spain.

Her Majesty's Government would, no doubt, have felt a strong and decided dissatisfaction at the proposed annexation if it had been likely to lead to the introduction of slavery into a community which is free from the taint of that pernicious institution; but the formal and repeated declarations of Marshal O'Donnell that under no circumstances will slavery be introduced into the Dominican territory, have removed the main cause which would have led Her Majesty's Government to view the proposed annexation with dislike and repugnance.

Her Majesty's Government certainly apprehended, when first this projected annexation was talked of, that it might, if carried into execution, involve Spain in unfriendly discussions, if not in conflict, either with France or with the United States, or with both. With regard to France, Her Majesty's Government have not learnt that the French Government has expressed any positive objection to the proposed arrangement, although she may not think it advantageous to Spain. It appears also, from what has been stated to you, that there is no probability at present of any positive resistance to the measure, either by the Northern or the Southern Confederation of North America. But the Spanish Government should not too confidently rely on the permanent continuance of this indifference or acquiescence on the part of the North Americans; and it is not impossible that when the civil war which is now breaking out shall have been brought to an end, an event which may happen sooner than at present appears likely, both the North and the South might combine to make the occupation of the Dominican territory by Spain the cause of serious difference between the North American Governments and that of Spain.

Her Majesty's Government do not deny that Great Britain, as a Power