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of Treaties, and the second part of the 22d power: In each Division, a Delegate, appointed by the King, from among the Persons most distinguished for their high qualifications, not excluding Members of the Royal Family, removeable at his will, who shall exercise, in the name of the King, the Executive Power, to be inviolable with respect to the American Cortes, and only responsible to the King and General Cortes: In each, 4 Ministers; of the Interior, of Finance, of Grace and Justice, and of War and Marine: In each, a Supreme Tribunal of Justice, and a Council of State. The Commerce between the Peninsula and America, to be considered as from one Province to another. And the Inhabitants of the latter to have equal eligibility with those of the former to all publick Employments.

New Spain binds herself to pay 200,000,000 of reals in 6 years, and contribute annually 40,000,000 of reals to the support of the Navy. The other Parts of America to contribute in the manner that shall be subsequently arranged. New Spain will also pay all the Debt contracted within its Territory, and all publick property to belong to it. On the Sitting of the 25th June, two of the Deputies offered an Amendment to the 5th Article, having for object to prevent the Appointment of Delegates being conferred on any of the Royal Family.

These Propositions were preceded by an Exposé read in the Cortes, a Copy of which I transmit herewith. In it they state that "they desire the Constitution, which ought to make them happy, but which in the actual state of things, they consider to be a beautiful theory, that can only be reduced to practice in the Peninsula. The Americans are freemen, are Spaniards; have the same Rights as the Peninsulars: they are acquainted with, and have sufficient virtue to support them.

The measure recommended by the Committee, to request the Government to present a Plan at an early period, has been acted upon, as you will perceive by the King's Speech, in which he says that his Government, "urged by the Cortes to propose the measures they may think proper for their welfare, on a consideration of the state of those Countries, will do so immediately, and with all possible generosity." These will, without doubt, be proposed on the meeting of the Cortes Extraordinary, which the Speech of the President of the Cortes to the King will have shewn you is to take place. It is supposed that its convocation will not be delayed longer than the 1st of October, if so long.

You will perceive that the Deputies do not demand an acknowledgment of Independence, and pretend not even to aspire to it; and they have declared in the Cortes, on the 4th June, that if the Revolutionists desire Independence, it is because means have not been devised that should make the welfare of those Provinces compatible with their Union with the Peninsula.

The Commissioners of Bolivar, who are still here, on the contrary, insist upon the acknowledgment of their Independence as the basis of

any Arrangement with Spain. Nothing has been concluded between them and this Government, and all Negotiation is suspended.

It is difficult to conjecture what will be the determination of the Cortes and the Executive on this great and interesting Question; when we consider, on the one hand, that they cannot be wholly blind to the just claims, the strength, and resources of America—and view, on the other, the prejudices and illiberality that still exist in a high degree, in the Executive, and a great portion of the Members of the Cortes, and the observation in the King's Speech, "that the Spaniards of both Hemispheres ought to be persuaded there is nothing he desires so much as their felicity, founded in the integrity of the Monarchy, and in the observance of the Constitution."

As far as I have been able to form an opinion, it is, that the Foreign Powers, during the agitation of the American Question, have endeavoured to prevent any Arrangement between the Parties.

On the 9th instant I received a Note from Mr. Ravenga, one of the Commissioners of Bolivar, requesting an interview with me, (Copy marked D.) to which I immediately replied, (Copy marked E.) stating that I would receive him that very Evening.

In this interview he spoke of his Mission to Spain; he said, that when he left Colombia, he had no idea of meeting with the least obstacle; he had calculated to a certainty that his object would immediately be accomplished. He spoke of the ignorance of this Country of the real state of Spanish America, of their illiberality and their prejudices with warmth, and particularly so of the expression of the King, in his Speech respecting Spanish America. He calculated, he said, upon the friendship of The United States to promote the Independence of the Republick of Colombia; he had a full conviction that he could rely upon it. Mr. Monroe, when Secretary of State, had informed him that all the Ministers of The United States in Europe, had Instructions to advance the acknowledgment of their Independence by Foreign Powers.

I sympathized with him in the unpleasant situation in which he was placed, and feared that the sentiment in Spain was not as favourable as could be desired. He was perfectly justified, I said, in relying upon the good dispositions of The United States. It was their interest and their sincere wish, that the acknowledgment of the Independence of Spanish America should be accelerated. The United States had not only been more forward than any other Power, in publishing to the World their wishes with respect to her, but had accompanied them with actions, which certainly afforded the best proof of their sincerity, and among them, I adverted to the Message of the President to the Congress of The United States, at the commencement of its last Session, in which, alluding to the proposed Negotiation between the late Colonies and Spain, the basis of which, if entered upon, would be the acknowledgment of their Independence, he says, "to promote

that result by friendly Counsels, including Spain herself, has been the uniform policy of the Government of The United States."

The friendship of The United States, he said, was very grateful to the Republick of Colombia, and he hoped and expected, that, at the commencement of the next Meeting of Congress, the acknowledgment of its Independence would be decided upon; the moment had arrived when all the Powers of the World would see the propriety of it. He calculated that The United States would be the first to take this step; hoped to see a Confederacy of Republicks throughout North and South America, united by the strongest ties of friendship and interest; and he trusted that I would use my exertions to promote the object he so much desired.

I heartily concurred with him in the hope, that all Governments would resolve to adopt a measure so conformable to justice; joined with him in the agreeable anticipations of the progress of free principles of Government, of the intimate union and brilliant prospects of the States of our New World. I presumed, I said, it was not necessary to bring to his mind, the high interest felt by The United States in their welfare-an interest in which I deeply participated, and desired, as much as he possibly could, the happiness of our Spanish American Brethren. What would be the determination of The United States, at the period of the commencement of Congress, it was impossible for me to foresee; whether they would consider it a seasonable moment for doing that which was so much desired, was a point I could not resolve.

In this interview, Mr. Ravenga confirmed to me what I had previously learned, that his Instructions do not authorise any terms short of the acknowledgment of Independence. I observed to him that I presumed no Arrangement would be made under them, that might have an injurious bearing on the commercial interests of The United States. To this his reply was, that none would be entered into by the Rupublick of Colombia, with Spain, that would not be perfectly reciprocal.

The Hon. J. Q. Adams.

I have, &c.

THOMAS L. L. BRENT.

(Inclosure A.)--Plan of Government for Mexico, proposed by Don Augustin de Iturbide to His Excellency the Count de Venadito, Viceroy of New Spain. (Translation.) Iguala, 24th February, 1821. ART. I. The Religion of New Spain is, and shall be, the Roman Catholick Apostolical, without tolerating any other.

II. New Spain is independent of Old Spain, and of every other Power, even on our own Continent.

III. Its Government shall be a moderate Monarchy, according to a Constitution to be peculiarly adapted for the Empire.

IV. Ferdinand the VII. shall be Emperor; but if he do not come in person to Mexico, to make Oath before the Cortes, within the time

prescribed by them, the Most Serene Infants, Don Carlos, Don Francisco de Paula, the Arch-Duke Charles, or some other branch of the reigning Family, shall be appointed in his place by the Congress.

V. Until the Meeting of the Cortes, there shall be a Junta which shall have their union for its object, and the compliance with this Plan in its whole extent.

VI. The said Junta, which shall be styled Governmental, must be composed of the Deputies mentioned in the Official Letter of His Excellency the Viceroy, by which it shall be convened.

VII. Until Ferdinand the VII's arrival at Mexico, and his taking the Oath, the Junta will govern in the name of His Majesty, in virtue of the Oath of fidelity taken by the Nation; but, until His Majesty hath sworn, any Orders he may give shall be suspended.

VIII. If Ferdinand the VII. should not deign to come to Mexico, the Junta or Regency shall govern in the name of the Nation, until it be resolved who shall be crowned Emperor.

IX. This Government shall be sustained by the Army of the 3 Guarantees, of which mention shall be made hereafter.

X. The Cortes shall resolve whether the Junta shall continue, or a Regency be substituted in its place, until the arrival of the Person who is to be crowned.

XI. The Cortes shall immediately afterwards establish the Constitution of the Mexican Empire.

XII. All the Inhabitants of New Spain, without distinction of Africans, Europeans, or Indians, are Citizens of this Monarchy, with eligibility to all Employments, according to their virtues or merits.

XIII. The Person of every Citizen and his Property shall be respected and protected by the Government.

XIV. The Clergy, secular, and regular, shall preserve all its privileges and pre-eminences.

XV. The Junta shall take care that every branch of the State remain without any alteration, and that all the Officers, Political, Ecclesiastical, Civil, and Military, continue on the same footing as at present. They alone shall be removed who decline entering into this Plan; substituting in their place those Persons who are most distinguished for their virtue and merit.

XVI. A protecting Army shall be formed, under the title of the Three Guarantees, because it takes under its protection: 1st. The preservation of the Catholick Religion, co-operating, with all its efforts, that there may be no mixture of any other Sect, and attacking all the Enemies who may injure it. 2d. The Independence, under the system already manifested. 3d. The intimate union of Americans and Europeans; and guarantees these fundamental bases of the felicity of New Spain; for the preservation of which, each Individual, from first to last, will prefer sacrificing his life to permitting the infraction of any of them.

XVII. The Troops of the Army shall observe the most strict discipline, according to their Regulations, and the Chiefs and Officers shall remain on the same standing as at present; that is, in their respective Classes: with eligibility to such publick Employments as are vacant, or may be vacated in consequence of those who may not wish to follow their career, or any other cause, and those which may be considered as necessary or convenient.

XVIII. The Troops of the said Army shall be considered as of the Line.

XIX: In the same light shall be considered those who may afterwards adopt this Plan. Those who do not delay so to do, those of the former system of Independence, who shall immediately join the said Army, and the Countrymen who may desire to enlist, shall be considered as Troops of the National Militia, and the employment of each, for the interior and exterior security of the Empire, shall be dictated by the Cortes.

XX. The Employments shall be conceded to true merit, in virtue of references to the Chiefs, and in the name of the Nation.

XXI. Until the Cortes be assembled, the proceedings against Criminals shall be agreeably to the Spanish Constitution.

XXII. For conspiring against the Independence, Criminals shall be imprisoned until the Cortes decide upon the punishment for that greatest of all Crimes, next to "lesa Majestad Divina."

XXIII. A strict watch shall be kept over those who may attempt to create disunion, and they shall be reputed Conspirators against the Independence.

XXIV. As the Cortes which are about to be installed are to frame a Constitution, it is necessary that the Deputies should receive sufficient powers to that effect; and consequently the Electors ought to be informed that their Representatives are to be for the Congress of Mexico, and not of Madrid. The Junta will prescribe just rules for the Elections, and will fix the necessary time for them and the Opening of the Congress; and as the Elections cannot take place in March, the term shall be shortened as much as possible.

Iguala, 24th February, 1821.

ITURBIDE.

(Inclosure B.)-Report of a Committee of the Cortes of Spain, to whom was referred the Disturbances in the American Provinces, with Instructions to propose Measures for their general Pacification. Madrid, 24th June, 1821. (Translation.)

THE Special Committee, appointed to propose to the Cortes what it judges most conducive to put a stop, in the most effectual manner, to the disputes and dissensions which unfortunately prevail in the Provinces of America, is duly penetrated with the importance of the charge, and is desirous of corresponding to the confidence with which the Cortes has

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