which took place on the evening of the 16th of October, at prince Metternich's, and at which were present the British ambassador and the Portuguese plenipotentiaries. It was not until after having obtained their entire concurrence, that this despatch was this day sent to London. The Portuguese plenipoten tiaries announced to the conference, that the Infant had likewise made them acquainted with his final determination relative to his voyage; that his royal highness had ordered them to prepare letters which he wished to communicate in consequence, without delay, to the emperor his brother, to his majesty the king of England, and to the Infanta, his sister; that he had likewise ordered them to draw up the letter to the Infanta, in such manner that it might be made public, and that it should at the same time leave no doubt of the firm desire of that prince, in accepting the Lieutenancy of the kingdom, which the emperor his brother had just confided to him, to maintain religiously its institutions, to bury what had passed in entire oblivion, but to restrain, at the same time, with energy and firmness, the spirit of party and of faction, which has too long agitated Portugal. All the members of the conference could not but render unanimously the most entire justice to such laudable intentions on the part of the Infant; prince Metternich on his part added, that immediately after the Infant's letters should be written and signed, he had offered to send them speedily to England by M. de Neumann, who only awaited their completion, to depart, and to transmit duplicates to Portugal by a courier, whom he intended to send forthwith by Madrid to Lisbon. The Portuguese pleni potentiaries having accepted these offers, prince Metternich thought it proper still further to observe on this occasion, that, above all, the Infant ought undoubtedly to a ffirm, in the letters which he intends to write to the king of England, and to the Infanta his sister, the title of lieutenant of the kingdom, since it is under that title that the emperor intrusts to him the regency; and that it appeared to him proper, and even necessary, that the Infant should take, together with the title of lieutenant, that of regent of the kingdom, since, being called by the decree of the emperor Don Pedro, of the 3rd of July, to succeed to the Infanta, his sister, in the office of the regency, it would be equally contrary to his personal dignity, to that of the Portuguese nation, and to the pleasure of the emperor Don Pedro, that he should take any title inferior to that which the Infanta had borne; that there could not, moreover, exist any doubt of the intentions of that sovereign in that respect; that they were clearly demonstrated by the tenor of the note of the marquis de Rezende of the 19th of September, by that of the instructions with which that envoy was furnished, and lastly, by that of the letter from the emperor Don Pedro to the king of England; since, in these different documents, it is explicitly or implicitly said, that that sovereign confers the regency upon the Infant. Moreover, there is no doubt, that the decree of the emperor Don Pedro, to the Infant, his brother, dated the 3rd of July, was addressed "To the Infant, Don Miguel, Regent of the kingdom of Portugal." The British ambassador observed, that having been already informed, for several weeks past, of the opinion of the cabinet of Vi enna in this respect, he had already made his government acquainted with it; that, in fact, he had not yet received any answer upon this subject, but that he flattered himself that it would be in conformity with the opinion of the Austrian cabinet. With respect to the Portuguese plenipotentiaries, they declared themselves in favour of that which prince Metternich had just expressed, and they undertook to inform the Infant of it, observing that, for the interest of Portugal, it was undoubtedly desirable that the Infant should not scruple to take, in conformity with the intentions of the emperor Don Pedro, his brother, the title of regent of the kingdom. MM. de Villa Secca and Villa Real added, that they had received the order of the Infant to declare, that, filled with gratitude for the paternal kindness which his majesty the emperor of Austria has constantly shown to him since his first arrival at Vienna, and still more particularly on this last occasion, his highness would consider it his duty to express personally to his imperial majesty the deep and respectful gratitude which he feels, and that he relied upon his sentiments being made known to him by means of the conference. Prince Metternich undertook with eagerness, in the mean time, to become the channel of his royal highness's sentiments to the emperor, his august master, adding, that his imperial majesty would receive the expression of them with the most sincere satisfaction. (Signed) METTERNICH. LEBZELTERN. NEUMANN. H. DE BOMbelles. H. WELLESLEY. CONDE DE VILLA REAL. BARAO DE VILLA SECCA. (Annex 1 to Sub-Enclosure A in THE MARQUIS DE REZENDE to Vienna, Sept. 19, 1827. The undersigned, envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary of his majesty the emperor of Brazil, is authorized, by a special order of his august master, to address himself to prince Metternich, chancelier de Cour et d'Etat of his imperial and royal apostolic majesty, to notify to his highness the royal resolution of July the 3rd, of this year, by which his most faithful majesty has conferred royal highness the Infant Don Miguel, with the title of his lieutenant in Portugal, the regency of the said kingdom, agreeably to the laws existing in that state, and in conformity with the institutions granted by his august brother to the Portuguese monarchy. upon his The undersigned does not doubt that his imperial and royal apostolic majesty, and his government, will hasten to acknowledge this act of his most faithful majesty, and to afford his able co-operation, in order that it may receive, by the immediate departure of the Infant Don Miguel for Portugal, its entire and full execution. The undersigned, &c. (Signed) REZENDE. His highness Prince Metternich. (Annex 2 to Sub-Enclosure A in DECREE OF HIS MAJESTY THE to be the supreme law for every sovereign who has at heart the welfare and the happiness of his subjects; and, moreover, having in view the good qualities, the activity, and the firmness of character, which distinguish my very dear and beloved brother, the Infant Don Miguel; I name him my lieutenant, bestowing upon him all the powers which, as king of Portugal and the Algarves, belong to me, and which are marked out in the Constitutional Charter, in order that he may govern and rule over the same kingdoms in conformity with the dispositions of the above-mentioned charter. The Infant Don Miguel, my very dear and beloved brother, will thus execute it. Given at the Palace of Rio de Janeiro, the 3rd of July, 1827. R. (Signed) His Royal Highness the Infant (Annex 3 to Sub-Enclosure A in HIS MAJESTY THE EMPEROR DON PEDRO to HIS ROYAL (Annex 4 to Sub-Enclosure A in No. 15.) HIS MAJESTY THE EMPEROR DON PEDRO to HIS BRITANNIC MAJESTY. Rio de Janeiro, July 3, 1827. The necessity of re-establishing Sir, my brother, and cousin,— order in Portugal, and of consoliwhich has there been sworn to, dating the constitutional system obliges me, as lawful king of the country, to order, under this day's date, the Infant Don Miguel, my brother and my son-in-law, to go and govern that kingdom in my name, in the capacity of my lieutenant; and in the confidence I place in the unalterable friendship which exists between us, I implore your majesty to aid me, on your part, not only to enable the regency to enter quickly upon its functions, but also to ensure that the constitutional charter granted by me, and sworn to in that country, may become the fundamental law of the kingdom. I avail myself, &c. (Signed) HIGHNESS THE INFANT DON His Majesty the King of MIGUEL. Rio de Janeiro, July 3, 1827. My dear brother, -I have the satisfaction to announce to you, that, taking into consideration your discreet conduct, and your known loyalty, I have just named you my lieutenant in the kingdom of Portugal, in order that you may govern it in my name, and according to the constitution that I have granted to the said kingdom. I expect, my dear brother, that you will look upon this resolution as the greatest proof I can give you of my confidence, and of the love I bear you. (Signed) PEDRO. His Royal Highness the Infant Don Miguel. Great Britain. PEDRO. (Annex 5 to Sub-Enclosure A in HIS MAJESTY THE EMPEROR DON Rio de Janeiro, July 3, 1827. My very dear father-in-law and friend,-the recent and unexpected events in Portugal, and the firm, constant, and upright conduct which my brother the Infant Don Miguel has manifested whilst near your imperial and royal apostolic majesty, have induced me to direct his departure for Portugal, in order that he may govern that kingdom in my name, and in the capacity of my lieutenant. Convinced also as I am that this measure will receive the approbation of your majesty, I beg your majesty to assist me, as much as may be in your power, in advising him both to execute this order, and to govern that kingdom in conformity with the constitutional charter which I have given to it, and which has been sworn to by his royal highness, and by the whole of my Portuguese subjects. &c. In asking this assistance of your majesty, I consider myself happy, (Signed) PEDRO. His Imperial and Royal Apostolic Majesty. (Annex 6 to Sub-Enclosure A in No. 15.) PRINCE METTERNICH to His HIGHNESS PRINCE ESTERHAZY. Vienna, Oct. 18, 1827. By my despatch of the 8th of October I had the honour to inform you of the arrival of the count de Villa Real, of the favourable dispositions which he manifested, and of the entire assent which that ambassador has given to our preparatory steps, on all the questions relative to the present and future position of the Infant Don Miguel. M. de Villa Real having also found that our proceedings had been cohformable to the principles and wishes of the British government, my first care was to arrange with him, and with the baron de Villa Secca, on the course to be followed in order to engage the Infant to let us know, as soon as possible, his intentions, relative to his departure, to his voyage, and to the line of conduct which he intended to adopt on his arrival in Portugal. I thought it my duty to propose, in consequence, to these two gentlemen, to consider, in the first instance, the note en closed in copy, which has been addressed to me by the marquis de Rezende, Brazilian envoy at the court of Vienna, notifying to me the determinations taken by the emperor, his master, on the 3rd of July last, with regard to the Infant Don Miguel, his brother, and to demand at the same time the effectual co-operation of Austria, in order to engage the Infant to submit with entire deference to the orders of the emperor Don Pedro, and to hasten his departure for Portugal, in order that the decree of the 3rd of July may receive, as soon as possible, its full and entire execution. We agreed afterwards that I should take upon myself to open the matter with the Infant, that I should invite his royal highness, conformably to the wishes of the emperor his brother, to make us acquainted with his intentions relative to his departure, and to name, without delay, MM. de Villa Secca and Villa Real to conduct and conclude in his name, with the cabinet of Vienna, all the arrangements relating to it. We at length agreed that we should meet every day to make each other mutually and confidentially acquainted with the result of our proceedings, to consider of such others as circumstances might require, and that we should keep a journal of our meetings, to which we should abstain from giving the official character of protocols of conferences, both for the sake of the Infant himself, and in order to leave to his royal highness the liberty of expressing more freely his opinions and wishes. This course having been agreed upon, I went, on the 6th of this month, to the Infant, to represent to him how desirable it was, that he should let us know, as soon as possible, his intentions relative to his journey. I had the honour to observe to him, that, in order to regulate and arrange definitively every thing relative to his departure, it was desirable that he should instruct the persons whom he should judge the most worthy of his confidence, to come to an understanding upon this subject with me; that the baron de Villa Secca and count Villa Real, who were both of them entitled thereto by their fidelity and devotion to his person, appeared to me the most deserving of his preference; that if he consented to appoint those two gentlemen to treat with me, his departure should be the first object with which we should occupy ourselves; that it became every day more urgent to fix the period of it; that it was not the less so to know the route which his royal highness would desire to take in going to Portugal, in order to make the necessary preparations; but that I could not conceal from him that, whatever determination he might feel himself called upon to form, the emperor, nevertheless, could not in any case consent to his passing through Spain; consider ing that, besides the great inconvenience which, under present circumstances, should deter him from it, he could not permit himself so to do without acting contrary to the wishes of the emperor Don Pedro, his brother, and against the unanimous opinion of all the powers of Europe. The Infant, without making any objection to the propositions and observations which I had submitted to him, confined himself to replying to me, that he would immediately name count de Villa Real and the baron de Villa Secca to come to an understanding, and to concert with me upon the different points upon which I had been speaking to him. He gave his orders on the same day to those two gentlemen, whom I hastened on my part to meet, for the end which we had proposed. The result of our first meetings, which naturally had for their principal object that of fixing the period of the Infant's departure, and determining the course which he ought to take in order to proceed, as quickly as possible, to Portugal, soon enabled us to perceive, and to be convinced, that if the Infant had at first entertained the idea of passing through Spain to return to Portugal, the knowledge that the emperor Don Pedro, his brother, and his majesty the emperor, our august master, were opposed to that plan, had been sufficient to induce him to renounce it. I owe his royal highness, besides, the justice to state, that, in conversing with his attendants, respecting his desire to take by preference the route of Spain, as the shortest and the most expeditious, he did not hesitate to give, at the same time, the most positive assurances of his firm determination not to allow any Portuguese refugee to approach his person. But if we were soon satisfied with this first plan of the Infant, we perceived, on the other hand, that the mind of the prince was strongly pre-occupied with two ideas, which had all the weight of two positive determinations:-viz. that of embarking in no other than a Portuguese vessel, and of not landing between Austria and Portugal. As soon as I was assured of this fact, I hastened to make it known to the emperor, our august master, and I received his majesty's orders to engage M. de Villa Real and M. de Villa Secca to represent, in his name, to the Infant, that he had been informed of the desire he had expressed of going to Lisbon in a Portuguese vessel, |