considered, if I may be allowed so to express myself, as an immense citadel placed in the middle of the world, would shew its natural garrison, in a national guard, regularly organised, uniting to the constancy and instruction of old veterans; all the vigour of a youthful army.

"This is what the hero has thought fitto do, to render our frontiers inviolable to tranquilise minds the most prompt to conceive alarms-to guard the public se curity against all the attempts of false zeal, from ignorance or perfidy. This is what the father of his people has done; for this great benefit but trifling sacrifices are required.

"The cohorts of the first band will be renewed with one-sixth each year; the young Frenchmen who constitute a part of it will know the exact period when they will return to their paternal roofs, and be restored to their affections, their labours, their habits; they will enjoy the price of

their devotion.

"Arrived at the age in which ardour is united to strength, they will find in their military exercises salutary games and agreeable relaxations, rather than severe duties and painful occupation. They will not be strangers to any of the advantages which the old phalanxes of Napoleon enjoy. Let us now proceed, Senators, to examine the second title.

"You have heard the Minister for Foreign Affairs and for War, expose the frank, firm, and moderate policy of the Emperor. European commerce must be freed from the shameful yoke wished to be imposed upon it. Nature demands this: the most solemn treaties prescribe it; the imperial interests of the state demand

it.

"Already does the enemy of continental independence suffer in his island a part of

those evils with which he wished to inun, date the world. He has swore everlasting war. Let a formidable power render abortive this attempt against humanity. Let all the active armies of the empire be ready to march to whatever place they may be called by the greatest of heroes. Let 100 cohorts of the first band answer to the country for its frontiers, strong places, ports, and arsenals. Let 100,000 brave men," chosen from among those of the first band, join in the standards of glory. Here we again find the same paternal solicitude of the Monarch, and the same foresight of the great Captain.

"What relates to the suecessively res

newing of that part of the first band, which will be placed at the disposition of the Minister of War, is fixed with care; and every Frenchman of the first band who shall have married anterior to the publicaof the Senatus Consultum, shall remain in the bosom of his young family, and consti, The astute part of the second band. sembling of a part of the first band will allow the conscripts destined to augment or complete the active armies, to be longer exercised at their depots; and every thing has been calculated in such a manner, that at the least signal a numerous army can be promptly collected, and with facility march towards all points menaced.

"In order to be better able to judge of all the advantages of the institution proposed to you, represent to yourselves, Senators, all the irregular appeals from the national guard which you have witnessed. Let those of our colleagues, whose military renown and the confidence of the Emperor have frequently placed at the head of these national guards, hastily collected, remem ber how much they have deplored the inevitable disorders of forced and truly pain, ful marches-of dispositions which time did not permit to digest-of sacrifices almost inevitable-of losses in men, am munition, and money.

"If you call to your recollection the cir cumstance so honourable for several departments of the empire, when British pride split upon the banks of the Scheldt, can you suppose, that if at that epoch, at which you expressed in so solemn a manner the devotion of the French people towards the Emperor, the institution which France is going to receive from its tutelary genius, had been established, England would have dared to conceive the hope of the most trif ling success.

"Your commission has, therefore, the honour of unanimously proposing the adoption of the Senatus Consultum, which was presented to you."

The Senatus Consultum was adopted with the utmost unanimity.

SPAIN & PORTUGAL.

SIEGE OF BADAJOZ.

After taking Ciudad Rodrigo, the allied army remained a considerable time in the neighbourhood of that place, with headquarters at Gallegos, and afterwards at Frenada, no disposition having been made by the French to disturb it. On the 6th of March it moved to the southward; on

the

*he 11th, arrived at Elvas; and, on the 16th, invested Badajoz. The progress of the siege of that fortress, up to the 27th March, will be seen from the following extracts of dispatches from the Earl of Wellington :

"Elvas, March 13, 1812.

"I moved the head quarters from Frenada on the 6th, and arrived here on the 11th instant.

"There are none of the enemy's troops in the field in Estremadura, excepting that part of the 5th corps not in the garrison of Badajoz, the head quarters of which are at Villa Franca, and a detachment, consisting of about a division, under General Darican, whose head quarters are at La Serena.

"The enemy have made no movement, and I have heard of no operation of importance since I addressed your Lordship last. According to the last accounts, Marshal Soult was in the lines before Cadiz."

"Camp before Badajoz, March 20, 1812. "According to the intention which I announced to your Lordship, I broke up the cantonments of the army on the 15th and 16th instant, and invested Badajoz, on the left of the river Guadiana, on the 16th, with the 3d, 4th, and light divisions of infantry, and with a brigade of Lieutenant-General Hamilton's division on the right. These troops are under the command of Marshal Sir William Beresford and Lieutenant-General Picton. We broke ground on the following day, and have established a parallel within two hundred yards of the outwork called the Picurina, which embraces the whole of the south east angle of the fort." The work has continued ever since with great celerity, notwithstanding the very bad weather which we have had since the 17th.

"The enemy made a sortie yesterday from the gate called La Trinidad, on the right of our attack, with about two thousand men. They were almost immediate ly driven in without effecting an object, with considerable loss, by Major-General Bowes, who commanded the guard in the trenches. We lost upon this occasion a very promising officer, Captain Cuthbert, Aid-de-Camp to Lieutenant-General Picton, killed; and Lieutenant-Colonel Fletcher was slightly wounded, but I hope he will

soon be able to resume his duties. I have not yet got the returns, but I believe that our loss since the commencement of these operations, amounts to 120 men killed and wounded.

"On the same day that Badajoz was invested, Lieutenant-General Sir Thomas Graham crossed the Guadiana, with the Ist, 6th, and 7th divisions of infantry, and General Slade's and General Le Marchant's brigades of cavalry, and directed his march upon Valverde and Santa Martha, and thence towards Llerens; while LieutenantGeneral Sir Rowland Hill, with the 2d and Lieutenant-General Hamilton's divisions, and Major-General Long's cavalry, marched from his cantonments near Albuquer que upon Merida, and thence upon Almendralejo. These movements induced General Drouet to retire from Villa Franca upon Hornachos, in order, I conclude, to be in communication with General Daricap's di vision, which was about La Serena.

"I heard from Sir Thomas Graham and Sir Rowland Hill to the 19th inst. The former was at Los Santos and Zafra, with General Slade's cavalry at Villa Franca ; and the latter at Almendralejo. Lieutenant-General Sir Rowland Hill took three officers and a few hussars prisoners in Merida.

"I have reports from the neighbourhood of Ciudad Rodrigo of the 17th inst. The enemy had sent a small detachment to Bejar, principally with a view to plunder;' but there was no appearance of any immediate movement.. The 6th division had moved from Talavera, through the Puerto del Pico, on the 8th and 9th instant; and the 4th division, on the same days, from Toledo through the Guadarrama; and the first division only remained on the Tagus, near Talavera."

"Camp before Badajoz, 27th March 1812.

On

"The operations of the siege of Badajoz have continued since I addressed you on the 20th, notwithstanding the badness of the weather, till the 25th instant. that day we opened our fire from twentyeight pieces of ordnance in six batteries, in the first parallel; two of which were intended to fire upon the outwork called La Picurina, and the other four to enfilade or destroy the defences of the fort on the side attacked.. I directed Major-General Kempt, who commanded in the trenches on that afternoon, to attack La Picurina by storm, after it was dark that night; which service he effected in the most judicious and gallant manner.

"The attack was made by five hundred men of the 3d division, formed into three detachments; the right under the com; mand of Major Shaw, of the 74th; the centre under the Hon. Captain Powys, of

the 83d; and the left under Major Rudd, of the 77th regiment, The communication between the outwork of the body of the place, was entered on its right and deft by the right and left detachments, each consisting of two hundred men; half of each of which detachments protected the attack from sallies from the fort, while the others attacked the works in its gorge. ," It was first entered, however, by the centre detachment of one hundred men, under the command of the Honourable Captain Powys, of the 83d regiment, who escaladed the work at the salient angle, at a point of which the pallisades had been injured by our fire. The detachments which attacked the work by the gorge had the most serious difficulties to contend with, as it was closed by not less than three rows of strong pallisades, defended by musketry, and a place of arms for the garrison, musket proof, and loopholed throughout. When the attack upon the salient angle, however, succeeded, the whole got into the work.

"The enemy's garrison in the outwork consisted of two hundred and fifty men, with seven pieces of artillery, under the tommand of Colonel Gaspard Thiery, of the Etat Major of the army of the South; but very few, if any, escaped. The Colonel, three other officers, and eighty-six men, have been taken prisoners, and the remainder was either killed by the fire of our troops, or drowned in the inundation of the River Rivellas, The enemy made a sortie from the ravelin called St Roque, either with a view to recover La Picurina, or to protect the retreat of the garrison, but they were immediately driven in by the detach ments stationed in the communication to protect the attack.

Brigade-Major Wilde, was unfortu nately killed by a cannon-shot after the work was in our possession; and Majors Shaw and Rudd, and the Honourable Captain Powys, were wounded, the latter on the parapet of the work, which he had been the first to mount by the ladders.

"We thus established ourselves in La Picurina, on the night of the 25th, and opened the second parallel within three Hundred yards of the body of the place; in which two batteries were commenced last night.

"It is impossible that I can do justice to the zeal, activity, and indefatigable Labour of the officers and soldiers with which these operations have been carried on In the most unfavourable weather. The Guadiana swelled so considerably, that,

notwithstanding all precautions, our bridge of pontoons was carried away on the 224 instant; and the flying bridges were so much injured, as almost to become useless; but still the operations have been carried on without interruption.

"Since I addressed your Lordship on the 20th, General Dronet has had his troops on the line between Medellina ön the Guadiana, and Zalamea de la Serena, and lerena, apparently with the view of keeping the communication open between the army of the south and the divisions of the army of Portugal, stationed on the Tagus.

"Lieutenant-General Sir Thomas Graham made a movement to Llerena on the 25th at night, but the enemy, consisting of three battalions of infantry and two regiments of cavalry, having heard of his march, retired into the mountains during the night.

Lieutenant-General Sir Rowland Hill has likewise sent a detachment to La Guarena, and proposed to march himself this morning upon Medellina, in order to cooperate with Lieutenant-General Sir Thomas Graham."

From the date of the investment to the 26th March, the British loss has been 7 officers, 5 serjeants, 95 rank and file, killed; 28 officers, 15 serjeants, 2 drummers, 447 rank and file, wounded; 11 rank and file missing.

Badajoz is the capital of Estremadura; it stands on an eminence on the south side of the large river Guadiana, over which there is a bridge 700 paces long, and 14 broad, built by the Romans. On this bridge, the Portuguese were defeated by Bon John, of Austria, in 1661. It is 175 miles S. by W. of Madrid, 170 N. of Cadiz, 120 N. by W. of Seville, and 140 E. of Lisbon. Badajoz contain six monasteries, the same number of nunneries, and a population of seven or eight thousand persons The fortifications are partly ancient and partly modern; the fine Roman bridge over the Guadiana is defended by a tete de pont, on which a few guns were mounted. On the right bank of the river stands the fort of St Christoval, which commands the city. Badajoz was twice besieged by the Portuguese, but was not taken by them.

[An Extraordinary Gazette has been received to-day, (27th) containing accounts of the taking of Badajoz, by storm, on the evening of the 6th instant; these defails we must defer till our next Number.]

After the reduction of Valencia, the

French

French army under Marshal Suchet invested Peniscola, a strong fortress, 13 leagues from Tortosa, which appears, from the following letters, to have been treacherously surrendered by its Governor. Alicant is the next strong place in the line of Suchet's progress; and the French papers say, that he is preparing to besiege it in form.

Letter from the Marshal commanding the army of Arragon, to Don Pedro Garcia Navarro, Brigadier, Commanding the Fort of Peniscola.

"Valencia, Feb. 2. "I reply to the proposition for a capitulation, which you have made to General Count Severoli, and I am resolved to accept the principal basis, because I see, with pleasure, that you and the Military Junta entertain the sentiments of all good Spaniards.

"I also promise to treat you in such a manner as to prove to you the esteem which I have for those military Spaniards who are really the enemies of the English Minister.

"I authorise the General of Division, Count Severoli, to receive you, and to allow you, as well as your officers, to go to Valencia, Tortosa, or any other place you may desire.

I am perfectly well acquainted with your present situation, as a part of your letters addressed to General Mahi have fallen nto my hands."

Reply of the Brigadier Don Pedro Garcio
Navarro to the Marshal of the Empire
commanding in chief the army of Ar-
ragon.
"Peniscola, Feb. 3.

"The letter dated the 2d, which you have addressed to me, has afforded me, much pleasure, and I only wish for opportunities to prove the sincerity of the principles I have manifested. I have followed. with zeal, I may say with fury, the party which I thought just, but now that I perceive the necessity for us all uniting ourselves to our King, to render our country less unhappy, I offer you to serve him with the same enthusiasm.

"Your Excellency may be sure of me; the surrender of a strong place which has provisions, and all that is necessary for a long defence, can only be the effect of a full conviction, and serves as a pledge for my promises. I salute you with the utmost respect."

The French troops before Cadiz make no progress in the siege; occasionally they throw in a few shells, but do no damage. Accounts from that place of the 25th March, state, that Marshal Soult had taken his departure for Seville, whether he had been followed by a French division.

The new Spanish constitution, it appears,

was completed on the 19th March, and its establishment was celebrated by the acclammations of the people.

The guerilla warfare continues throughout Spain with unabated spirit; and proves sufficiently harassing to the French, in intercepting couriers and supplies. To this system, however, we can hardly look for any decisive results.

NORTH OF EUROPE.

The subject of the intelligence from the Continent, for some time past, has been the immediate prospect of a sanguinary contest between Russia and France. Bonaparte, we are informed, is pouring an immense force towards the Polish frontier. A large army, composed of French, Bavarian, Wir. temberg, and Saxon troops,' is already on its march to the Vistula. The armies of Austria, Prussia, and the troops of the Conederation of the Rhine, will, it is said, assist in the conflict against Russia; the former are to make the attack on the side of Gallicia.

Russia, on the other hand, has assembled an army on the frontiers of Poland, amounting, according to some accounts, to 280,000 men; of which the Emperor takes the command in person, having under him Generals Barclay de Tolley, and Benningsen.Alexander, while such formidable hostility is arraying against him, is still engaged in said, have refused to treat for peace. a useless contest with the Turks, who, it is

Sweden, as far as can be judged from appearances, seems to favour Russia; and, it is said, will, in the ensuing contest take an active part against France.

AMERICA.

There is yet no intelligence from this quarter to induce a hope that the matters of difference between Britain and the United States are in any forward state of amicable adjustment; and we are sorry to find, that the measure from which, in the meantime, considerable relief to the trade of the two countries was expected, has not passed into a law. The bill which had been brought into Congress for admitting into America, all goods contracted for in Britain, prior to February 1811, after various discussions, was finally rejected. A bill for appropriating 480,000 dollars for the repair of ships of war, and 200,000 annually for three years, for the purchase of shiptimber has been passed; but the bill for raising 50,000 volunteers did not pass, until the number was reduced to 25,000. A proposal to raise 20,000 men for attacking Canada, was negatived by a majority of 58 to 49.