his mission was, to exert himself in procuring an amicable arrangement of differences between the republic and Brazil. He had failed, when at Rio, in all his efforts to persuade the emperor to make concessions; and it would appear that he was not more successful with the republican government. The republic, in the meantime, was threatened with serious dangers from intestine commotions. The provinces of Cordova, Rioja, and Tarija, refused to recognise the authority of the President, or the validity of any constitution not upon the federal principle; while the weight of the imposts, and a forced levy for the army of all males between sixteen and forty years, occasioned a general insurrec tion in Tucuman, Catamarca, and other districts. The insurgents were suppressed by the regular troops which were sent against them; but the districts in question still continued a prey to almost every species of disorder.

The congress terminated the work of a constitution on 24th December. It resolved, in defiance of the general opinion of its constituents, that the constitution should be founded upon the principal of unity, and that the sovereignty of the state should be vested in three distinct powers,-a Chamber of Senators and of Representatives; a President, to be chosen for a limited period by the provincial juntos, and having the power to appoint, with advice and consent of the Senate, the governors of provinces; and a High Court of Justice, to which all other tribunals were to be subject.

The most important transaction in which Brazil was this year concerned, was a treaty of friendship and commerce, concluded, on 8th January, between it and France, on the principle of reciprocity. We have already noticed, under the head of Portugal,

the resignation by the emperor of his right to the crown of that kingdom, in favour of his daughter Dona Maria da Gloria.

On his return from Bahia, the republican spirit of whose inhabitants had demanded his presence, to Rio Janeiro, the Emperor caused to be solemnly proclaimed in all the provinces the constitution which the previous year he had submitted to his subjects for their approbation; and he himself was the first to take the oath to it. About the same time, on 16th April, he established a new or der of knighthood, called that of "Pedro the First, Founder of the Brazilian Empire ;" and made a large distribution of its decorations among the principal personages of his court and army, and the two chambers.

The session of the two chambers was opened on 6th May, on which occasion they were addressed by the emperor in a speech, in which he spoke of the tranquillity enjoyed by the empire, with the exception of the Cisplatine province-the recognition of its independence-the death of his royal father-and the arrangements he had made with regard to Portugal; and pointed out the subjects which ought chiefly to occupy the attention of the chambers. To this speech, suitable addresses, in reply, were voted.

On 10th June, M. Ledo presented to the Chamber of Representatives the project of a law upon the liberty of the press, which he described as the greatest ornament and main support of a representative government. The project was remitted to a committee; and, at length, after much discussion, was adopted by both chambers, with the addition of some repressive clauses, applicable to the case of the defamation of individuals.

On 2d August, both chambers assembled in the hall of the senate, to

witness the registration of a solemn act, by which they acknowledged the Prince Imperial to be heir to the throne; and soon afterwards, the budget* having been settled, the session was formally closed by his Majesty. Having at length ratified the commercial treaty with Great Britain, the emperor commenced preparations For prosecuting the war against the Argentine republic with great ardour. He directed forced levies both of men and equipages, which were executed with a rigour that excited much discontent. On 24th November, he himself sailed for the seat of war in a ship of the line, accompanied by a frigate and transports, having on board a foreign battalion, two

companies of lancers, a train of artillery, and military stores. On the 29th he landed at the isle of St Catharine; and on 2d December joined his army upon the frontiers of the Rio Grande province, where he issued a proclamation, inviting the inhabitants of the Cisplatine province to choose between the blessings of a limited monarchy and the calamities inseparable from war. It is probable that the emperor intended to conduct the war in person; but having received intelligence of the death of his empress, which took place on 1st December, and was caused by a bilious fever, he returned with speed to his capital.

VOL. XIX. PART 1.