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several battles were fought in the immediate neighbourhood of the capital, and the very streets of the city were the scene of bloody conflicts. Towards the end of the year, these convulsions began to subside, and the administration, which had been passing daily into new hands, assumed a more stable aspect.

In the mean time general San Martin, intent in preparing to invade Peru, remained with his army in Chili, which enjoyed complete tranquillity under the government of its supreme director O'Higgins and its senate. Lord Cochrane, with the Chilian fleet, annihilated the commerce and naval power of Spain on that coast; and distinguished himself by the capture of the strongly fortified town of Valdivia. At length, on the 21st of August, the expedition for the invasion of Peru sailed from Valparaiso, under the command of his lordship and of San Martin. As a prelude to this step, a proclamation was issued on the preceding day by the Chilian government, declaring the whole coast of Peru, from 2 deg. 12 min. to 21 deg. 48 min. in a state of blockade. All vessels from Europe, or the United States, or European settlements in America and its islands, which might present themselves after the term of seven months, before any of the ports of this line of blockade, were to be sent to Valparaiso to be adjudged according to the laws of nations. Three months from Rio de la Plata, five from the Brazils, six from Africa and its islands, and one year from European settlements in Asia, were allowed as a kind of notice to all vessels coming to that coast. Vessels

carrying contraband of war, enemies' property, provisions or subject to the king of Spain, were to be sent to Valparaiso to be adjudged; and vessels with false or double papers, were to be considered enemies' property.

The army disembarked at Pisco, and advanced within a hundred miles of Lima. Negotiations then took place between San Martin and the viceroy, which terminated without leading to any amicable arrangement; and the year expired, before any decisive result occurred.

In the course of the present year, the United States imposed a duty of 18 dollars on the tonnage of French vessels, partly as a measure of finance, and partly as a retaliation for the disadvantages to which American vessels were exposed in the ports of France. But the event of most consequence in their foreign relations was, the ratification of the treaty by which Spain ceded to them the Floridas. This ratification Ferdinand had hitherto refused, unless the United States would bind themselves not to recognize or enter into relations of amity with the revolted provinces of South America. To such a condition they would not consent; and they were preparing to take possession of the provinces with a military force, when news of the Spanish revolution arrived. This event induced them to submit to another delay, in the hopes that they might obtain from the newborn democracy, what Ferdinand would not concede. Their expectations were not disappointed. On the 24th of October, the treaty for the cession of the Floridas was, with the approba

tion of the Cortes, formally ratified by Ferdinand.

In the old settled parts of the union much individual distress prevailed; most of the staple commodities fell greatly in price; the banks failed; and the paper circulation was exceedingly reduced. Foreign commerce, too, sustained a great diminution; and the produce of the customs fell to comparatively nothing. For details concerning the state of the revenue and the internal administration, we refer our readers to the message of the president at the opening of the congress. [See Appendix to the Chronicle, page 838].

In the beginning of the year, Constantinople saw the vizir displaced. Esseid Ali Pacha, who succeeded him, commenced his administration by equipping an army for the reduction of Ali, the old Pacha of Albania, who had so long defied the authority of the sultan. The troops of the Albanian chief were every where worsted; and after a defeat, which he sustained on the 31st of August, he was so completely deserted, that, exhausted by age and infirmities, he shut himself up with a garrison of 800 men in the citadel of his capital, Janina, abandoning the town itself to the mercy of the enemy. The general of the Porte prosecuted the siege up to the beginning of De

cember, when want of stores compelled him to retreat to Arta. Ali then issued from his strong hold, and, raising an army of mercenaries, again took the field.

Negotiations took place in the present year between the Porte and Russia, respecting Moldavia and Wallachia. While these were pending, some drunken soldiers discharged fire-arms, and commenced an alarming riot at the gate of the Russian embassy. Strogonoff, the ambassador, with the help of his janissaries, seized one of the rioters; and, though a tumultuous assemblage of his comrades demanded his liberation, delivered him over to the Turkish authorities. They yielded to the menaces of the mob, and permitted them to carry off the prisoner in triumph.

Next day Strogonoff insisted on immediate satisfaction. Some of the inferior functionaries were sent, to apologise to him in the name of the Reis-Effendi. This concession, however, was not sufficient; nor did the ambassador declare himself satisfied, till the Ischa baschi went to the hotel of the embassy, and there apologised in the name of the sultan for what had happened. Several of the soldiers were afterwards strangled; some of their officers were cashiered; and their commander-in-chief was displaced.

CHRONICLE.

CHRONICLE.

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"Windsor Castle, Jan. 1. "His Majesty's disorder has undergone no sensible alteration. His Majesty's bodily health has partaken of some of the infirmities of age, but has been generally good during the last month." A gentleman in the city lately received a remittance from Cadiz, -part of which was in Bank of England notes, which turned out to be forgeries. They are allowed to be some of the best imitations ever seen, and the Solicitor to the Bank, it is said, has for some time been in possession of information concerning their source, and on the extent to which the forgeries have been carried. They are believed to be of French manufacture, but difficulties existing to their circulation in that country, the scene of operations has been changed to Cadiz.

For some time past it has been known, that a brute, genteelly dressed, infests the fields near the Edgeware-road. Lately he stabbed a young lady walking with her sister, on the footpath leading to Kilburn, because they refused to listen to his impertinent importunities.

At the present Admiralty sessions, which commenced on Friday last, the following case of dreadful murder came on for VOL. LXII.

trial, before Sir William Scott, Mr. Justice Park, and Mr. Justice Best.

James Pater, a man apparently 60 years of age, was indicted for the murder of his brother, John Pater, on the 14th of November, on board a vessel called the Aurora, lying about two miles off Dungeness, in the county of Kent. There was no counsel for the prosecution. Wm. Bonsey, a youth, stated, that he was cabin-boy on board the smack, of which the prisoner was the master. One night before Christmas last, the vessel was off the coast of Dungeness, and he was lying in bed in the cabin, when he heard a noise something like a tumble. He looked out of bed, and saw that it was John Pater who had fallen down, the prisoner stood over him, and was beating him all over the head and body with the bellows.-The deceased kept crying out, "My dear brother James, leave off." The prisoner and the deceased were both in liquor, and witness saw the former wash the face of the latter with liquor.

Cross-examined by Mr. Alley. Prisoner had some wounds in his head, and was often mad. When the prisoner met a smuggling vessel at sea, he became quite deranged. While beating his brother he constantly cried out, "Richardson, I am giving it to you." He had always previously been kind both to the deceased and witness.-The fact B

of the murder was also proved by two other witnesses.

The prisoner was called on for his defence.

He said he was quite insensible at the time, and he knew no more of what was done than a child. The jury, after a few minutes consultation, retired precisely at five o'clock, and after an absence of half an hour, returned and pronounced the prisoner-Guilty. The unhappy man looked attentively on the jury, and breathed a deep sigh. He was asked if he had any thing to urge in stay of judgment? The prisoner made no answer, and the learned judge (Sir W. Scott) proceeded to pass the awful sentence of death upon him. The prisoner appeared faint, and was led from the bar by one of the attendants. Sir W. Scott observed, that he had been informed the tide would not serve conveniently for the execution of the prisoner until Tuesday; it would therefore be deferred until that morning, but he begged it would be understood, that on account of that circumstance, and that alone, it would be deferred.

A bill is in course of progress through parliament, to amend the marriage act, so as to prevent, for the future, those disgraceful cases of husbands, after having been married for several years, taking advantage of their own perjury, to annul their marriages, and bastardize their issue. Some most atrocious and distressing examples of this abominable conduct have proved the necessity of an alteration in the law.

An American ship which lately put into Cowes, reports, that Mr. Cobbett, in selecting the relics of Thomas Paine, in America, has made a great mistake; for, in

stead of bringing the bones of Paine, he has brought the remains of a negro!-Plymouth paper.

An official account of the total weekly amount of Bank-notes and Bank post-bills in circulation, from the 23rd Nov. 1819, to the latest period to which the same can be stated, states the total for the week ending the 20th November at 23,248,340l., of which 6,745,850l. are under 5l.; for the week ending the 7th December, 22,536,690., of which 6,694,040/. are under 5l.; for the week ending 14th December, 22,418,2204., of which 6,621,9907. are under 51.; and for the week ending the 21st December, 22,194,650, of which 6,569,560l. are under 5l. It appears from this account, that the Bank has reduced its issue of bank-notes within the last month, to the amount of upwards of one million.

Accounts have been printed by order of the House of Commons, showing the amount of the total capital of the funded debt of Great Britain, including the Austrian and Portuguese loans, as it stood on the 1st of February or 5th of January in each year, from the year 1786 to the year 1819, inclusive. By these accounts it appears that the total amount of the unredeemed debt in the year 1786 was 238,231,2487., of which the total charge was 10,302,4027. The public debt thence was gradually sinking to the year 1793, when the unredeemed debt amounted to 227,989,148. From that year it rapidly and constantly increased to the present year; and on the 5th of January, 1819, the total debt of Great Britain and Ireland amounted to 1,181,502,362.; of which has been redeemed 389,637,0497., leaving the total

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