not produce the desired effect. On the contrary, with the blind infatuation, which seems to charac. terize the movements of that government, it determined to dertake their reduction to their for mer state of vassalage. un In the summer of 1828, an expedition of eight or ten vessels of war, carrying 2,500 men, departed from Rota for Havana, with the view of making a descent upon Mexico. An account of the fate of that expedition will be found in the chap. ter on Mexico. It was, what might indeed have been anticipated, totally defeated; but few returning, and those as prisoners, to tell the story of their disasters. Earth. quakes too, contributed to augment the disasters of this unhappy country. On the 13th of September, 1828, and for several succeeding days, severe shocks were felt on the Mediterranean shore near Murcia. Many houses were thrown down in Torre de la Mata; and at Mur. cia, the inhabitants had prepared to leave the city. Madrid, also indicated the disturb. ed and agitated state of the interior of this portion of the globe. Flames broke out from the earth in the midst of dense clouds of smoke, and excited great alarm among the superstitious multitude. These indications of future convulsions, which indeed might be regarded as alarming, when referred to their real cause, were awfully realized in the spring of the suc. ceeding year. On the 21st of March, 1829, the province of Murcia was visited with one of those tremendous earthquakes, which so forcibly reminds us of the insignificance of human power. In Murcia, the capital of the province, not an edifice remained uninjured. Several houses were thrown down, and many persons buried under their ruins. La Mafa Torre Vejo, Rafal, Almoravi, and Benejuza, were totally destroyed, and great numbers of their inhabitants perished. St. Fulgencia and Guar. damar, entirely disappeared; and in many other towns and villages, the destruction of lives and proper. A phenomenon occuring near ty was incalculable. CHAPTER XVII. PORTUGAL Condition of the Kingdom under the Constitution-Assembly of Chambers -Don Miguel's return-Swears to maintain the charter-TumultsReturn of British troops-Charter abolished—Revolt at Oporto-Defeat of Constitutionalists-Cortes convoked-Don Miguel proclaimed Protest of Brazilian Ambassadors-Tyranny of Don Miguel-Reduction of Madeira-Proceedings of Don Pedro-Arrival of Donna Maria. Lands in England-Attack on Terceira. THE contest so long prevailing feelings of gratitude, and every throughout Europe, between the day would have acquired for advocates of constitutional govern- it new friends, and additional ments, and the blind supporters of strength; but the majority of the absolute monarchy, which has been Portuguese nation, bigoted, priest alluded to in the preceding chapter, ridden and ignorant, possessed no was still raging within the limits idea of constitutional government, of this unfortunate kingdom. We except as connected with modern have related in our first and second innovation, and revolution; while volumes, the separation of Portugal an absolute king was associated in from the Brazils, by the voluntary their minds with the doctrines of acts of Don Pedro, the legitimate an infallible church and the anrepresentative of the house of Bra- cient glory of Portugal. ganza; his conditional abdication in favour of his eldest daughter, Maria de Gloria; and that one of the conditions was the acceptance of a constitutional charter, aug. menting the personal and political privileges of the Portuguese subject, and granting religious tolera. tion to all foreigners within the country. Among a people capable of appreciating the blessings of freedom, this charter would have been received with the warmest The exciting events of the last twenty years, although they had roused the public mind, and directed it to the consideration of politi. cal affairs; had not prepared the Portuguese nation for the favoura. ble reception of a liberal form of government. The oppressions and cruelties of the French invaders, and the privations and sufferings of the country during the war, had left a distaste for all political changes, and a longing for that state of comparative tranquillity and pros. perity, which the kingdom had enjoyed under the sway of its absolute sovereigns. The presence of the British troops, too, in their capital, but ill accorded with their ideas of national dignity. It too forcibly reminded them of their dependent and enfeebled condition, and led them to think, that even a constitutional government might be too dearly purchased, when foreign bayonets were necessary to maintain it. It was not forgotten, that a British minister had negotiated the peace with Brazil by which her exten. sive American possessions were lost for ever to Portugal; that the same minister had brought the charter from Brazil to the Tagus; and now a British force had arriv. ed to sustain it ostensibly against the intrigues and unlawful enterprises of Spain, but in effect against domestic as well as foreign violence. Sentiments of this description were industriously circulated among the people, by the monks, and their political brethren, the advocates of an absolute monarchy. A strong party was thus formed against the constitutional government, formida. ble from its activity, and its concentrated energy, blindly submissive to one directing will. The insubordination and rebellious movements and intrigues of this absolute party were scarcely repressed by the presence of the British troops; although the forcible interference of Spain, in behalf of a politicoreligious brotherhood, so congenial to the sentiments of that government, was prevented. While these opinions were gra. dually gaining ground among the people, the Regency did not take the proper measures to counteract them; but actually seemed to invite the fate which befel it, by its feeble and vacillating conduct. The concessions obtained from Spain by the spirited remonstrances of Mr. Lamb, and the shortlived vigour of his government, had deprived the contest of the character of a foreign invasion; and it had assumed the appearance of a struggle between domestic parties. The interval before Don Miguel's return should have been devoted to strengthening the hands of the government, and in rendering the charter popular. Instead of that, divisions took place in the government; the cabinet ministers were repeatedly dismissed; and a general uneasiness and expectation of uncertain changes pervaded the community. The government of the Princess regent began to fall into disrepute, and the minds of men were obviously prepared for another revolution in affairs. In this state of public feeling, Don Miguel, the brother of Pedro, who had been for several years abroad in honourable exile for re bellion against his father, left Vienna to return to Portugal. Pre vious to his quitting Vienna, he had frequent conferences with Prince Metternich, and Baron de Villa Seca, the Portuguese envoy near his Imperial Majesty; and, in these joint meetings, it is probable that the basis of the Infanta's future conduct, as Regent of Portugal, was laid. It is also more than probable that the young prince received some very impressive lessons from the good Emperor, and possibly these same lessons were renewed under the roof of Les Thuilleries, and amidst the fond embraces he received from his Bourbon cousins, during his short but ominous stay in Paris. What lessons his Highness may have learnt, or what impressions he may have received during his stay in England, likely to efface those which he brought with him from Vienna and Paris, it would be difficult to state; so much was he on his guard not to let slip the smallest symptom of his present political creed, or the slightest indication whether his old habits were corrected by travelling and observation. It was, however, remarked, that a most pointed disrespect was shown to those, who had been distinguished for their ardour in the cause of the charter, or who had received any testimonies of personal regard or public confidence from the Emperor of Brazil; and that there was a disposition to treat all his acts and decrees, excepting, nevertheless, that of the appointment of Don Miguel, with the utmost contempt. An answer of four lines, cold and unmeaning, was further given by the Prince to the address of the Portuguese resident in London, in which he compliments them on their "loyalty," and thanked them for their sentiments and expressions; but carefully avoiding every thing, that could indicate the sense in which he had received them. Before leaving England, however, he declared his intention to return to Portugal, for the purpose of assuming the powers of regent in the place of his sister, upon his coming of age. It was the intention of Pedro, that his brother should marry his eldest daughter, in whose favour he had abdicated; and he had declared in the document of abdication, that it was made upon the express condition-1st, that the constitution should be sworn to before the queen had left Brazil; and 2d, that the marriage between her and her uncle should be concluded. The 1st condition had been fulfilled, and espousals had taken place between Don Miguel and his niece; but the marriage could not be conIcluded until she had arrived at the canonical years of marriage. The effect of the abdication was sus pended according to the opinions of some, and Don Pedro was still the reigning monarch, and the authority exercised by the regent was a delegated authority. On the other hand, it was contended that by the act of abdication, Don Pedro had parted for ever with his right to the crown, and that the conditions had been complied with. Whilst this dispute was pending as to the effect of the abdication, and before the landing of Miguel, à decree by Don Pedro, dated the 8th of July, 1827, arrived at Lisbon, appointing Don Miguel his lieutenant, and giving him all his powers as king of Portugal and the Algarves under the constitutional charter. This put an end to the discussions concerning the complete abdication of Don Pedro; and Don Miguel's acceptance of that delegated authority, was a public assurance of his intention to administer the government according to the constitution. This assurance was also given in a letter written by him from Vienna to his sister. It augured ill for the success of Don Pedro's experiment, that the constitutional government he gave to Portugal, was vested in the hands of secret and active enemies of the liberal party, while only a few of its friends were admitted to a participation of power. Bastos, the intendant of police, was an adherent of the ab. solute party. The secret service money at his command made him a most influential personage with the privy council of the princess regent, composed as it was of the ladies of her household, and of favourites who acted through them. This influence had secured to him the situation of a disembargador, and he was backed by all the weight of the apostolics, with whom he was in strict communion, and whose views he promoted by means of his official satellites. The police was in fact the government, and all its fearful energies were employed to secure the ascendancy of the ultra party. The vacant posts in the army were gradually filled with its friends, and the whole tendency of the adminis tration betrayed a spirit hostile to the charter. The cortes were assembled on the 2d of January, 1828. The chamber of deputies, composed of one hundred and thirty-eight members, chose the bishop of San Luiz for president. Eighty-five members appeared, and their credentials being verified, they took their seats. In the house of peers, however, an objection was made to the admission of the Viscount de Rio Secco, a peer created by Don Pedro, because the council of state had not been consulted in his crea |