the present year. Rodriguez, the minister of finance, and the most active of the individuals who were concerned in the government under O'Higgins as supreme director, had lately caused the duties on importation to be raised, and new Customhouse regulations to be introduced. These produced universal discontent among the merchants, and lent strength to the sentiments of dissatisfaction with the existing possessors of power, which had long been on the increase. Amid the financial difficulties of the country, the pay and supplies necessary for the troops had not been regularly furnished: and the military force, which was stationed under general Freyre in the district of Conception, had been for some time abandoned to the resources of the province without any aid from the general government. These troops, with their commander at their head, declared their dissatisfaction with the authorities at St. Jago; and the provinces of Conception

Lima, is out of the question. One and all of us will become the avengers of Peru; nor, if the enemy again subjects your country to the Spanish yoke, can you, even in this case, obtain what you aspire after. Finally, rest assured, that no propitious fortune can alter the principles of natural order which you have trampled upon, and this affair will prove a source of remorse which will accompany you to the grave.

"Have the goodness, my dear friend, to pardon the frankness of my exposition. Having been actuated by no unworthy personal motive, but constituted the head of an independent state, I could not, without failing in my duty, remain silent on the subject of your conduct, which, at the present unhappy period, may produce incalculable mischief to America. On the other hand, I cannot forget what you have done for America, and particularly for Peru, of whose relics you were the saviour. "BOLIVAR."

and Coquimbo made common cause with them. Rodriguez was the principal object of their displeasure; and O'Higgins, whose respectability of character was admitted by all, was at first excepted from their declared enmity. As the head of the existing government, however, it was his duty to resist the insurgents; and in January, he began to assemble troops on the northern bank of the Maule to stop their progress and overawe their proceedings. He was then included in their denunciations; the public opinion was with them: both he and Rodriguez resigned; and the executive authority was placed in the hands of a junta of three persons.

General Freyre continued his march towards St. Jago; and on the 15th of February, encamped within three leagues of it. There the municipality and principal inhabitants of the city paid him congratulatory visits, and welcomed his approach. It was intimated to him by the provisional government, that they were willing to resign in his favour; but general Freyre refused the honour, replying that he came not to assume the reins of government, but to see it estab fished on a solid basis; that, his only object being the welfare of his country, he would perform his duty, in protecting the rights and liberties of his countrymen, and assisting in the removal of the abuses which had crept into the former administration. It was only after being solicited by repeated deputations, that he consented, on the 22nd, to march into the capital at the head of his troops, which had lately been joined by 500 cavalry from Conception. On the 28th, a meeting took place at the government-house, in which

general Freyre acknowledged the provisional government, as competent to act until the assembling of congress. In March, three provisional assemblies met, to regulate the mode of electing deputies from the different provinces to the congress. It was determined that the election should be popular, and on the scale of one deputy for every 15,000 inhabitants.

The provinces were not satisfied with a junta elected without their concurrence in St. Jago, and composed exclusively of inhabitants of that city. It was therefore held expedient to place the executive power in a single hand: and, on the 3rd of April, Freyre was installed in the office of director by plenipotentiaries from the provisional assemblies.

During the remainder of the year, the Chilian government was chiefly occupied with making the requisite preparations for assisting Peru to expel the Spaniards. To this purpose was devoted a considerable part of the proceeds of the loan, which had been raised in England in the preceding year.

Buenos Ayres continued to prosper under the administration of Rivadavia. So prosperous was the state of the finances,that the revenue for the first six months of the current year exceeded the expenses by several hundred thousand dollars. The interior of the country was still occasionally disturbed by armed bands, who annoyed and sometimes plundered the unprotected inhabitants of the plains. The privilege which the military had enjoyed of not being amenable to the civil courts of justice, was abolished, and all citizens, without exception, were declared subject to one and the same law. The government was much dissatisfied with the pro

ceedings of their neighbour, the emperor of Brazil, who was endeavouring to annex to his dominions Monte Video, together with the Banda Oriental (the east side of the river Plate); though Buenos Ayres had always claimed that fortress and that province as part of her confederate territory. In order to arrange the dispute, a plenipotentiary was sent from Buenos Ayres to Rio de Janeiro.

On the 4th of July, a preliminary convention was signed by Pereyra and Robla commissioners from Spain on the one part, and Rivadavia on the other, by which hostilities between the mother country and her colonies were suspended, and the basis was laid for a permanent peace. By a law of the same date, the executive was invested with power, upon the conclusion of a definitive treaty founded on that convention, to negociate with the other independent states of South America for voting to Spain, in order to assist her in the struggle with France, the same sum which the French chambers had granted for carrying on the war against her. This plan, if matured, might have had the happiest results by connecting the recognition of the independence of the colonies with the recollection of benefits received by the parent state. Unfortunately, the course of events in Spain rendered all these schemes abortive.

In August, a slight misunderstanding on a point of etiquette occurred between the government of Buenos Ayres and captain Willis, of the Brazen sloop of war, which was stationed in the river Plate. It had been the practice of English men of war lying in the outer roads of Buenos Ayres, to board all English vessels bound in

wards; but the government had lately stationed a gun-brig in the outer roads, with orders to board all vessels entering, before any boat from the English sloop of war should visit them. Accordingly, a boat being sent from the Brazen, to board an inward bound ship, it was fired on by the gun-boat. Captain Willis demanded an apology from the government, which was refused, and a correspondence ensued between him and Rivadavia, in which it must be confessed the advantage in respect of good sense and moderation was not on the side of our countryman. At last, the latter was ordered on board his ship within two hours. With this order he complied, but declared his determination to prevent all English vessels from entering, and proceeded immediately to act on that determination. On the despatches with this intelligence reaching Rio de Janeiro, sir T. Hardy immediately sailed for the river Plate. Upon his arrival there, the governor of Buenos Ayres, through a person deputed for that purpose, solicited some expression of opinion on his part with regard to the correspondence which had taken place between them and captain Willis; but he replied, that as the affair had already been referred to the British government, he saw no necessity

On ques

for his interference. tioning the messenger what sort of reception he himself might expect if he paid a visit to Buenos Ayres, sir Thomas Hardy was informed that the members of the government were most anxious for that honour, and that he might depend on every act of courtesy and attention which it was in their power to offer him. While the admiral remained there, the utmost harmony existed between him and the native authorities; so that all the apprehensions were effaced, which had been excited by the dispute with captain Willis.

Hayti continued tranquil. To remove the alarms which some entertained with respect to the danger which might arise to the European West-Indian colonies from intercourse with a free negro state, the president Boyer, on the 20th of March, issued a proclamation forbidding Haytian vessels to anchor or touch at any of the neighbouring islands.

Porto Rico renewed its declara

tion of independence, after the news arrived of Ferdinand's departure from Cadiz. The project of the adventurers, who had established themselves there towards the end of the former year under the style of a new republic, was suppressed; and some of the participators in it were executed.