ing cry which he raised was, "Long live Isabella II., and death to the tyrants!" On the 13th, he marched into the village of Najera, in Old Castile, with a band of armed followers, and levied contributions. He afterwards advanced towards Saragossa, and engaged in several conflicts with the Government troops. The disaffection soon spread to other places, and the state of the country became most alarming. Some towns were placed under martial law, and arrests everywhere took place. After one of the skirmishes between the rebels and the Government soldiers, Benito, a younger son of Zurbano, and two companions, were taken; and the royalist commandant in Burgos sent to Madrid for instructions as to the mode of disposing of them. deputation from Logrono went also to Madrid, to sue for mercy to the young men. They had an interview with the Queen and her mother, but in vain; and orders were despatched that Benito Zurbano, and the two other prisoners, should be forthwith shot. This was immediately carried into ef fect, and they were executed without the form of a trial. Another son of Zurbano, who afterwards voluntarily surrendered, was also shot. At the close of the present year, Zurbano himself had not been taken, but his opposition to the Government seemed to be perfectly hopeless. CHAPTER XI. PORTUGAL.-Opening of the Portuguese Cortes-Revolt of Troops at Torres Novas, headed by Count Bomfim-Suspension of the Sittings of Cortes-The Rebels shut themselves up in Almeida, which is invested by Government Troops-Surrender of the place, and Escape of Count Bomfim-Arbitrary Measures of the Costa Cabral Ministry-Resumption of the Sittings of Cortes in September-Unsuccessful Attempt to abolish Slavery in the Portuguese Possessions in the East-Prorogation of the Cortes. GREECE.-Appointment of a Commission of the National Assembly to frame a Constitutional Charter— Articles submitted to the Chambers, and adopted by them-The New Constitution is accepted by King Otho-Change of Ministry-New Session opened. PRUSSIA. Attempt to assassinate the King-Execution of the Regicide-Address from the King to his Subjects.GENERAL CONFERENCE AT VIENNA-Address of Prince Metternich, and Resolutions of the Conference. SWEDEN.-Death of King Bernadotte, and Coronation of Oscar, his Son and Successor. SWITZERLAND.-Disturbances in the Valais, and Lucerne. In order to meet the crisis, of which the danger appears to have been much exaggerated, Ministers applied to the Cortes for extraordinary powers. These were readily granted, and soon after the sittings of the Cortes were suspended. The insurrectionary forces assembled at Castello Branco, and troops were immediately marched from Lisbon to encounter them. Subsequently Count Bom fim, with about seven hundred men, shut himself up in Almeida, which was invested by the Government forces, and a cannonade commenced. The attack, however, seems to have been prosecuted with little vigour, but the besieged were afraid or unwilling to prolong the contest, and, after . a few days had elapsed, surrendered the place. Count Bomfim, and the other insurgent officers, were allowed to escape into Spain, and the disaffected private soldiers were separated into small divisions, and afterwards drafted into different regiments. During the adjournment or prorogation of the Cortes, it became necessary for Ministers to obtain supplies; and they accordingly, without again convoking that body themselves, issued an illegal and unconstitutional ordinance for the continued payment of duties and taxes. This, as might be expected, contributed greatly to their unpopularity; but they seemed determined to pursue a despotic line of policy, and set all opposition at defiance. A series of prosecutions was in the month of August commenced against persons who had been implicated in the late attempt at a revolution, and also against the press. On the 6th of that month, Senhor Costa Cabral, the Prime Minister, caused three royal decrees to be issued for the dissolution and extinction of the municipal guards in various districts; and on the 9th another decree was promulgated, which enacts that all the judges of the second" instancia" of the "relacaos" of Lisbon and Oporto, and of the commercial relacao, can be changed by the Government from one part of the kingdom to another, including the Azores and Madeira, with the sanction of the Council of State. That the judges of the first "instancia" can be moved from bench to bench in any part of the kingdom, including the islands, at the pleasure of Government, after having been three years on the bench in any one place, or before that term if necessary. That no judge shall be removed or appointed to the bench in his native place, except in Lisbon and Oporto. That the judges in the "ultra mar" possessions shall be liable to the same mutations. That all professors (in the University) shall be liable to dismissal at the will of the Government, with the sanction of the Council of State. That all commissions of officers of the army and navy, and municipal guards of Lisbon and Oporto, shall be guaranteed in the form of the laws of March and April of 1835 and 1836; but such officers shall be subject to such changes as the public service may require, to be placed among the "aggregados," and reduced to half-pay. The last article declares "all legislation contrary (to this ordinance) is hereby revoked." Signed, the Queen; countersigned, the Duke of Terceira, Baron of Tojal, J. J. Gomez de Castro, J. Jose Falcao." 66 The Cortes did not resume their sittings until the 30th of September, when the Ministry presented to the Chambers reports of their measures, and the mode in which they had exercised the powers of Government during the lengthened recess. These reports were in each Chamber referred for investigation to a committee, and in both cases the committees took a favourable view of the acts that had been done, and recommended that a bill of indemnity should be passed. This was afterwards carried into effect. An attempt was made to abolish slavery in the possessions of Portugal in the East,-and a bill for that purpose was introduced into the Chamber of Peers by the Count de Lavradio and the Viscount Sa de Bandeira, but it was opposed by Ministers, and rejected by a majority of 23 to 18 votes. On the 14th of December the Cortes were prorogued by the Queen. GREECE.-In our last volume we gave an account of the peaceful revolution which happened in the month of September, 1843, at Athens, and of the convocation of a National Assembly, which was opened on the 20th of November in that year, by King Otho in person. A commission of the National Assembly was afterwards appointed for the purpose of framing a constitutional charter for Greece; and at the close of last year it presented a list of 107 articles to the Chamber. The following, which are given verbatim, are the most important. "POLITICAL CONSTITUTION OF GREECE. Art. 8. No person can be either bought or sold in Greece. Purchased slaves, of either sex or "In the name of the Holy and of whatever religion, are free from Indivisible Trinity. 66 CHAPTER I.-RELIGION. "Art. 1. The predominant religion in Greece is that of the East, the orthodox Church of Christ. All other religions are acknowledged and tolerated, and whatever respects their religious rites shall be celebrated without any hindrance whatever. Proselytism is prohibited. "Art. 2. The Greek Church is, spiritually and dogmatically, inseparably united with the great Church of Christ in Constantinople and the other co-religionist churches; but, in temporal matters, it is independent, and is to be administered by a holy synod. 66 CHAPTER II. OF THE PUBLIC RIGHTS OF THE GREEKS. "Art. 3. The Greeks are all equal before the law. The Greek VOL. LXXXVI. the instant they touch the Grecian soil. 66 "Art. 9. The press is free; and any Greek has the right of publishing, through the press, his own opinions, provided the laws of the state are adhered to. "Art. 10. Public and superior instruction are to be at the expense of the state. "Art. 11. No person can be deprived of his property unless for an acknowledged public advantage, and as prescribed by the law; but, in all cases, such loss of property is to be indemnified. "Art. 12. General confiscation is prohibited. 66 "CHAPTER IV. Art. 19. The King's person is inviolable, his Ministers are responsible. "Art. 20. No act of the King has force, or can be put into execution, unless countersigned by the proper Minister, who is constituted responsible by his sole signature. "Art. 21. The King creates and dismisses his Ministers. "Art. 22. The King is the supreme head of the State. He commands the land and the sea forces, declares war, makes treaties of peace, alliance, and commerce; signifies these unto the Chamber and the Senate, with the necessary communications, when permitted to do so by public interest and safety. Commercial treaties, how ever, and all such treaties as may appertain to the State or bind the Greeks individually, can have no force without the concurrence of the Chamber or the Senate. "Art. 23. No concession or exchange of land can be made without a proper law. The secret articles of any treaty can in no case supersede the public ones. "Art. 24. The King confers and distributes the grade in both the army and navy, creates the public officers, except those excepted by the law, but he cannot create unlawful employments. "Art. 25. The King emanates the necessary ordinances for the execution of the laws, and cannot suppress the effect of such laws, nor except one from their execution. Art. 28. The King has the right of proroguing the opening of the annual session of the Parliamentary reunion. Such prorogation cannot be extended beyond one month, nor be renewed within the period of the Parliamentary congress, without the consent of the Chambers. "Art. 29. The King has the right of pardoning, commuting, or lessening the punishments award |