entirely forgotten in the capitulation, showed a mutinous spirit; and the foreign seamen, who had been buoyed up with the hope of immense prize-money at Callao, were so clamorous for the arrears of their pay, that lord Cochrane found himself compelled to satisfy them out of the money which had been put on board the transports, for the sake of greater security, while the Spanish forces were near the coast, and which San Martin was anxious to reserve for his own use. Two Spanish frigates and a corvette had been, by a convention dated the 15th of February, surrendered by the governor of Guyaquil to the new government of Peru. Lord Cochrane seized one of these frigates by force; and, had not the other been secured in the harbour of Callao, would have taken possession of her too. There was, therefore, no longer any co-operation between San Martin's army, which had once been Chilian, and lord Cochrane's fleet, which was Chilian still. In the beginning of the year, the southern districts of Chilé were disturbed by a predatory chief, named Benavides; but tranquillity was speedily restored. On the 23rd of July, a congress was held at St. Jago, when the supreme director O'Higgins formally resigned his high office. He was immediately re-elected. A few weeks afterwards, he was deprived, by an insurrection, of the dignity which he had long exercised with great prudence and moderation. The proceedings of the finance minister had created general dissatisfaction: the province of Conception rose in arms; and the result was, that the existing authorities were overturned, and a junta of three persons appointed to carry

on the government. The late supreme director and senate had succeeded in raising in London, in the month of June, 700,000l. sterling on bonds for one million, and carrying 6 per cent interest on their nominal amount.

The provinces of the River Plate still contiuued disunited, though tolerably tranquil. A conspiracy to effect a revolution in Buenos Ayres, was detected and crushed by the vigilance of Rivadavia.

In February, the Mexican congress met. The intelligence that Spain refused to ratify the treaty of Cordova, having put an end to the scheme of elevating a prince of the House of Bourbon to the throne, the chief Iturbide resolved to grasp the vacant sceptre with his own hand. For this purpose, he formed a party in the congress, which, though in itself weak, might be able, when aided by the rabble and the common soldiers, whom he had seduced into his views, to accomplish his end. On the evening of the 18th of May, some of the troops, intoxicated with liquor, assembled in a tumultuous manner at the theatre, and loading their muskets with balls, compelled the people to cry out,

66

Long live Augustin the First!" Then issuing from the theatre, they ran through the streets, abusing their opponents, and vociferating, "Long live the Emperor!" The weak and timorous were obliged to join in the cry, and the bells of the churches were rung during the whole night. At daylight on the 19th, the president and all the deputies of the congress were summoned to assemble. The deputies, who were hostile to Iturbide, were prevented from attending; and thus the ses

sion was composed only of the members of his party.

The result was such as was anticipated. The crowd broke into the hall of the congress, and Iturbide was called for by'acclamation. He came; and in his presence the deputies began to deliberate, whe ther they would acknowledge him instantly, or wait for the information of the will of the provinces, as several members had affirmed, they had not the power to consent to his pretensions. Meanwhile, the galleries, which were filled with the populace, cried, that before half an hour they would crown Iturbide. The seats of the deputies were filled with friars, officers, and the mob, well armed with swords and poniards; who, if any one even apparently posed the coronation, exclaimed, "Let him die, he is a traitor." The congress at last resolved to vote with closed doors; but the factious, fearing that the issue might not answer their purpose, insisted they should not vote, but nominate by acclamation. The deputies, however, commenced voting; 65 were in favour of the measure; and, though that number was one-third only of the congress, Iturbide was proclaimed emperor

of Mexico.

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The difficulty of maintaining himself in this elevation, was obviously very great. The partisans of ancient institutions could not but loath a needy adventurer; the friends of revolution could not but detest a military despot. All the antient and wealthy Spanish families were his enemies, either from their attachment to Old Spain, or from indignation at seeing a man of inferior rank raised to the supreme power. In spite of the most rigorous edicts to prevent the

removal of money to Europe, they succeeded in shipping off a large portion of it, or, what produced the same effect of impoverishing the country, contrived to conceal it. Iturbide, therefore, found it extremely difficult to raise the funds requisite for supporting his new dignity with appropriate splendor. All the bishops refused to crown him, unless with the consent of the metropolitan; and that prelate withheld it, partly on account of some scruples, lest his conduct should be disapproved by the See of Rome, whose supremacy was still admitted; and partly influenced by his adherence to the high aristocratical party, which was opposed to the eleotion of Iturbide.

The general discontent was not lessened by the mode in which the new emperor exercised his power. His wants obliged him to have recourse to arbitrary exactions; the necessity of conciliating the soldiery compelled him to give ample scope to their licentiousness, which put an end to all security either of person or property. The houses of the wealthy were attacked and plundered; assassinations were frequent; and the ge neral desire of emigrating, which prevailed among all the Europeans, was checked only by the impossibility of obtaining passports. Chiefs of great influence retired into their provinces, and many of the deputies withdrew from the Cortes. Iturbide, to ensure his own safety, now adopted measures of increased severity. Deputies were imprisoned; multitudes of private individuals were arrested; military tribunals of public safety superseded the ordinary courts of justice. Such was the state of Mexico in the month of September.

The discontent increased, and was loudly expressed. Numerous addresses were presented to Iturbide from various public bodies and districts, complaining of the oppressions of his government, upbraiding him with the violation of his oaths, insisting on the removal and punishment of his ministers, on the suppression of the military tribunals, and on the release of the imprisoned deputies and of the persons who had been arrested on suspicion, and demanding further that the congress should immediately assemble at a place selected by themselves, where they might deliberate in freedom. The universal dissatisfaction ended, might have been expected, in the deposition of Iturbide, who was permitted to retire into private life, not only in safety, but with the allowance of a liberal pension. The castle of San Juan de Ulloa, commanding the harbour of Vera Cruz, was still held by a Spanish garrison for the Spanish

crown.

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The government of Hayti was alarmed, in the month of February, by the appearance of some French ships of war in the bay of Samaria, where a hostile disembarkation was made. What the object of this proceeding was, does not appear to have been clearly ascertained. The attack, however, was repelled by the Haytian authorities; and an embargo laid on all French ships. The embargo continued till the 7th of April, when it was removed on an understanding, that the slaves, which the French had carried off, should be restored.

On the 30th of August, several members of the legislative body were arrested for presenting to it an incendiary writing. One of

these, Darfour, was executed on the 2nd of September. General Romaine also was executed very suddenly, on suspicion of being concerned in some intrigues hostile to Boyer.

The representatives,

who were imprisoned, were removed from the offices which they held, and were expelled from the legislative body.

In September, a number of adventurers landed at Mayaque in Porto Rico, where they issued a proclamation, announcing the establishment of an independent state in that island, under the name of the republic of Boiiqua. The proclamation was signed by a person of the name of Ducondra, who styled himself President, and by one, Irvine, as secretary of state.

sus

In the beginning of the year, our trade with China was pended, in consequence of an affray, which happened between the crew of the Topaze frigate and some of the natives. The frigate had sent several parties on shore, and among the rest a party to cut brooms. Chinese property is minutely divided, and consequently any given portion of it is the more valuable to its owners. This invasion of it was therefore at first resented, and at length resisted. The peasants and labourers mustered in force, and as the party of sailors was small, drove them from their grounds, pursuing them to the water's edge, when they were surprised by a fire from the guns of the frigate, intended to cover the retreat of the crew. The natives took to their heels, when they saw additional numbers of seamen, armed with cutlasses, landing to support their companions. The latter pursued them to their village, where, in

furiated with previous resistance, and uncontrolled by the presence of their officers, they committed disgraceful outrages and indiscriminate cruelties, wounding or cutting down all who came in their way, and even pulling down hovels, that they might reach the poor creatures who sought shelter in them. Only two Chinese were killed, but many were severely hurt.

The governor of Canton immediately demanded that two of the crew of the frigate should be delivered up, to atone by their death for the two Chinese lives that had been lost. This was refused: the governor persisted in his demand, rendered probably more obstinate than he otherwise would have been by the obsequiousness of an American ship, a short time before this affray, in delivering up

one of the sailors who was accused of having accidentally killed a native woman [see Chronicle p. 79]. The Topaze, instead of complying, sailed away. The consequence of these refusals was, that the factory and the trading ships were ordered to quit Canton. This was done, and the vessels fell down the river. The negotiations in the mean time continued: great local interests were concerned in the continuance of our commerce; and at last, without any submission on our part, the quarrel was terminated by an edict, dated the 20th of February, which re-established our trade on its former footing. This result was the more satisfactory as it was an admission by the Chinese, that our merchants and traders were not responsible for acts committed by our ships of war,

CHRONICLE.

IN

JANUARY.

N the last year the amount of gold brought into the Mint and coined, was 9,520,758l. 13s. 10d. The amount of Bank of England notes in circulation was, in January, 1821, from 21,571,714. to 25,904,3571.; and in January, 1822, from 16,566,720l. to 20,283,4801. Thus the addition made to the circulation, by the gold coinage, has been greater, by four millions, than the diminution from the reduction of Bank-notes.

2. THE KING v. WEAVER AND OTHERS.-This was an information for a libel upon the countess of Jersey, published in the "John Bull" of the 6th of May, 1821.

Mr. Scarlett stated the case for the prosecution.

Thomas Wright, clerk to the attorney for the prosecution, proved the purchase of a "John Bull," containing the libel in question. He bought it on the 1st of June, 1821, at No. 11, Johnson's-court, Fleet-street. The house had the appearance of a private house. The words "Shackell and Arrowsmith, printers," were over the door. Witness heard presses at work, when he bought the paper.

The copy of the usual affidavit was then produced from the Stampoffice, to prove the property of the defendants in the paper. It treated Weaver as printer and publisher, VOL. LXIV.

and Shackell and Arrowsmith as joint proprietors, of a certain paper called "John Bull," published at No. 9, Dyer's Buildings, Holborn.

The paper bought by Wright on the 1st of June was then put in.

The Solicitor General, after requesting to see it, objected to it as evidence. The statute, which made the copy of the Stamp-office affidavit evidence, was imperative, that the paper put in to prove the libel must be printed at the place set forth in the affidavit. The affidavit, in the present case, spoke of a John Bull printed in Dyer's-buildings, Holborn. The John Bull put in by Wright purported to be printed in Johnson's-court, Fleetstreet.

The Lord Chief Justice said that the statute ran thus:-The name of the printer, the name of the publisher, and the place of printing, must stand exactly the same in the paper produced, as in the affidavit brought from the Stampoffice.

Mr. Scarlett said, that, if he had been provided with no other evidence than the affidavit, the objection might have had weight; but he had proved the purchase of the paper in question at the office of two of the defendants.

The Lord Chief Justice intimated, that, if the prosecution could do altogether without the aid of the statute (which makes the copy of the affidavit evidence as to the

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