reis; it being considered inexpedient, in the present unsettled state of public affairs, to have recourse to additional taxation.— Another important measure was, to fix the establishments of the different members of the royal family; a duty imposed upon the cortes by the charter. They made liberal allowances to the infanta regent, the queen mother, the young queen herself, and the rest of the royal family, in addition to their permanent income from other sources, and the palaces, and other property in their posses sion. Notwithstanding the ill success of their last attempt, the deserters were diligently preparing for another invasion, stimulated and sup. ported therein by the government of Spain, which still continued to pursue the same ambiguous and unmanly policy, of professed neutrality, but covert hostility. Canellas himself, instead of being ordered out of Spain as Mr. Salmon had promised, openly directed the operations of the rebels. Their plan was to enter Portugal in two divisions, at the opposite parts of the kingdom. Magessi with one division was to invade Alentejo, while Chaves with the other entered Tras-os-Montes; and thence proceeding towards Coimbra, both divisions were to unite in this place and march upon the capital in a body. Previous to putting their designs into effect, they took a solemn oath at La Serna, the 11th of November, with much religious ceremony, to maintain the claims of don Miguel and of the princess of Beira, under whose names they pretended to act. These solemnities immediately preceded the actual invasion. On the 22d of November, a body of the rebels, commanded by the marquis of Chaves and viscount Montealegre entered Tras-os-Montes in the direction of Braganza. They consisted of 800 regular infantry and 200 cavalry, beside a large party of Spanish and Portuguese guerillas. General Claudino, the commander of the province, not having troops enough to protect Braganza, immediately retired upon the town of Chaves, to await reinforcements. Colonel Valdez, who held the Braganza with 500 troops of the regency, was accordingly beaten by superior numbers, and after maintaining the citadel a few days, found himself under the necessity of surrendering by capitulation. At the same time, Magessi enter. ing Alentejo with his division, took possession of Villa Viciosa without opposition. Notwithstanding the publicity of the preparations made by the rebels in Spain, and the notoriety of the intended invasion, it came upon the regency in the nature of a surprise. The frontiers had not been strengthened by any additional de fences or troops; nor had any systematic plan of resistance been devised. So completely disorga. nized was the regular army, that it became necessary to rely upon the militia, for such aid as it might be able to afford. Indeed, when intelligence of the invasion reached Lisbon, the regency felt itself in so forlorn a condition, that instant application to Great Britain for her assistance seemed to be the only certain resource against utter dissolution of the government. The regency justly considered the conduct of Spain tantamount to a declaration of war, and under this idea immediately notified the count of Casa Flores, the Spanish minis. ter, that his diplomatic functions were suspended. Instructions were also despatched to Villa Real, ordering his departure from Madrid, if Spain did not formally recognise the regency forthwith. Volunteer corps were hastily raised for the defence of the country, all classes of persons in and about the capital exhibiting the greatest alacrity in arming to repel the invaders. The students of Coimbra having petitioned for permission to arm, were organized into a regiment. The chamber of peers in a body, offered to march against the rebels; and many of them actually hastened to the theatre of hostilities as volunteers. General officers were appointed to the command of the troops on the frontiers, the marquis of Angija in the province of Entre Douro y Minho, and the marquis of Villa Flor in that of Alentejo. In short, whilst invoking the aid of England, the cortes and the people adopted all the means of defence against the rebels, which the internal resources of the nation af forded. Meanwhile, ere the expected succour from Great Britain had time to arrive in Portugal, the movements of the rebels had contiuned with some vicissitudes of fortune on either side, until at length they sustained a decided check. Chaves proceeded from Braganza towards the Douro, plundering the towns and ravaging the country in his line of march, and thus advancing by the 1st of December, as far as Mirandella. It was uncertain for a while what course the rebels would next pursue. Great apprehensions were entertained in Oporto, lest that place should be the first great object of attack. As the estates and family influence of Chaves were immense in the northern part of the kingdom, disaffection spread them with great rapi. dity, and exaggerated accounts of the rebel force became current in Oporto. Many of the wealthy merchants, especially the English, anticipating that the city, if captured, would be consigned to pillage, embarked their effects, to be in readiness to sail on the ap proach of Chaves. But general Stubbs, who was governor of was estimated at 10,000 meu. Other objects, indeed, now allured the rebels elsewhere, whatever might have been their previous designs upon Oporto. The measures taken to strengthen the line of the Tamego, had left the right bank of the Douro unguarded, and the way open to the province of Beira. And in this province the marchioness of Chaves had been busily and successfully employed, in bringing over the ancient city of Lamego to the cause of the rebels. Animated by her, and by the emissaries of the absolutists, the multitude assembled in the streets, shouting the name of don Miguel, and invited the insurgent army to march to the city. Accordingly Chaves and Montealegre having crossed the Douro, fixed their head quarters at Lamego, and early in December, established a junta of government in the name of Miguel Here they gained a considerable accession of numbers, by means of the disaffection of the towns, and of some militia in that quarter of the province. At one time their force They advanced, therefore, as far as Viseu, the regency having no ade. quate forces to withstand their progress; and waited here until they should be joined by Magessi, according to the original plan of operations. Magessi, as we have already seen, had easily made himself master of Villa Viciosa, and compelled or persuaded the garrison to unite with his followers. His army contained many Spanish auxiliary troops, and he was promised a park of artillery from Badajos. Reckoning upon the expected disaffection in the province of Beira, he hastened his march northwards, in order to meet Chaves. But at Estremos he heard of the approach of the marquess of Villa Flor, who came up with his rear guard at Portalegre, on the 10th of December. A slight skirmish ensued, in which Magessi being worsted, immediately took refuge in the Spanish territory; and after relieving his troops at Alcantara,rapidly pursued his march northward, along the frontier, upon the Spanish side of the line, until he reached the vicinity of Upper Beira, when he repassed the line, and suddenly made his appearance at Almeida, not far from Guarda, which had already declared for the insurgents. Until this time, Villa Flor had lost sight of Magessi's movements; but on learning where the latter now was, Villa Flor instant ly broke up from Portalegre, and crossing the Tagus, marched northward so promptly, as to reach Guarda by the 23d of December. He defeated the rebels at this point, and placed himself in communication with generals Claudino and Azeredo, the officers of the regency opposed to Chaves; while at the same time, the two divisions of the rebels effected their intended junction; Chaves and Magessi occupying the northern part of the province from Almeida to Viseu; whilst Villa Flor and Azeredo held the western and southern parts of Guarda to Coimbra. Such was the position of the rebels, concentrated in the province of Beira, but held in check by the forces of the regency, who, with their commanders, the nobility, and it was supposed, the great body of the people, remained faithful to the constitution, and prepared to maintain it with their blood; when the news of the arrival of the English troops completely blasted all the hopes of the anti-constitutional party. Intelligence of the tenor of the king of England's message to parliament, and of Mr. Canning's speech, reached Lisbon, December 23d, and was received there with the liveliest demonstrations of gratitude and enthusiasm. Mr. Canning's speech was translated, and sought after by all classes with extreme avidity. It operated like a charm, dispelling at once, all the fears that prevailed, and animating all ranks with renewed hope and vigour. General admiration was excited by the promptitude with which actual succours arrived from England; for when the regency were only expecting to hear the promise of aid, the British transports had anchored in the Tagus. It was considered by the inhabitants of Lisbon a happy omen, that the two first regiments landed on Christmas day. By the 1st of January, 1827, all the vessels in which the British troops had been embarked, had arrived in safety; the government of England having exhibited a readiness of decision, and promptness of execution, upon this important occasion, of which few, if any, more striking examples are found recorded in history. Happily, however, nothing occurred to render the active interference of the British troops necessary. Their presence in Lisbon enabled the government to despatch an additional force against the invading rebels, and to act with spirit and efficiency. Hitherto, the troops of the regency had confined themselves to defensive operations, aware that a defeat would exercise a fatal influence over the feelings of the nation at large; and unwill. ing to hazard every thing upon the issue of a single battle. But the arrival of the British auxiliaries put an end to all these prudential considerations. Claudino and Aze redo entered Viseu, December bling near Chaves, attacked colonel 28th, driving the insurgents before them, whilst Villa Flor came up from the environs of Guarda; and the united army of the constitutionalists brought the enemy to a stand at Coruches, where a decisive battle was fought the 9th of January, in which the rebels were totally defeated. The whole body of the insurgents dispersed and laid down their arms, except about 1000 men, who made good their retreat into Spain. Villa Flor pursued his advantage, and after clearing the entire province of Beira of the fugitives, he entered the province of Tras-os-Montes, and drove to the frontiers the few relics of the insurgent army, which still remained upon the Douro. Contempora neously with these successes, ge. nerals Angija and Mello recovered the town of Chaves, thus leaving only Braganza in the power of the rebels; and the surrender of this place was soon announced. Although it was known that a small party of the rebels continued in the province of Tras-os-Montes, yet it was universally supposed that they no longer held military possession of any part of the kingdom. Of course, great consternation was occasioned by the news that they had re-appeared in force, and were threatening Oporto anew. It appears they entered the province in scattered parties, but in considerable numbers, and assem. Zagallo, who occupied an advanced post at the bridge of Mizarel. la, and either routed and dispersed all his men, or persuaded them to desert their colours. Zagallo himself fled to Oporto, accompanied only by an adjutant and two soldiers, and quickly followed by the garrison and militia of Braga, who did not venture to wait the coming of the rebels. Urgent requisitions were immediately sent to Lisbon for British troops to defend Oporto, but the next intelligence tended to allay the public apprehensions. The rebels had spread across the kingdom as far as Guimaraens and Braga, and their cavalry pickets had advanced to within a league of Oporto; but the count of Villa Flor had, on hearing their approach, immediately moved down to cover the city, and had reinforced the garrison with two regiments sent down the Douro in boats, and Oporto was therefore considered perfectly safe. Villa Flor speedily compelled the rebels to retreat from Guimaraens and Braga, defeated them, and obliged them to fly in all directions. Indeed, this body had not been numerous, and could never have crossed the country in the face of a superior army, had they not been favoured and protected by the peasantry. But all the remnants of the party being now insulated in a corner of Tras-os-Montes, and |