tion, headed by Artigas, to which the new director belonged, appears not only to have gained a complete ascendancy in Buenos Ayres, but to have entertained the most deadly hatred of the moderate party, whose leaders were O'Higgins and Puyerredon. The principal care of General Rondeau, on attaining power, was to put Buenos Ayres in a state of defence against the expedition of Cadiz, which, it was universally believed, had for its prime object the reduction of that town and government. Yet even the just alarm excited by the known destination of this armament did not allay the factious spirit which had so long prevailed, and Artigas refused to cooperate in the common cause, unless the Government would pledge itself to make common cause with him against the Portuguese, with whom he had long carried on a partisan warfare, and against whom he nourished a sort of frantic hatred.

The Court of Rio Janeiro has been accused of secretly fomenting the factions by which Buenos Ayres has been so long distracted, with a view to the extension of its power beyond the river Plata, and, as a preliminary step to this, to get possession of Monte Video. This, we think, is rendered extremely probable by the favour which the Court of Brazils has always shown to the moderate party in Buenos Ayres, no less than by the unrelenting fury with which they have persecuted Artigas, whom his countrymen regard as the uncompromising champion of indepen

dence.

The affairs of the United States 'during this year may be classed under three heads; the treaty with Spain for the surrender of the Floridas; the discussions connected with the conduct of General Jackson in the barbarous execution of Arbuth

not and Ambrister; and the state of the finances. Of the first of these, we have taken notice in the beginning of last chapter, under the head of Spain; and we have only to add, now, that when orders were sent to MrForsyth to present his ultimatum to the Court of Madrid, and to demand either its ratification or refusal, the most active preparations for war were forthwith commenced in all the states of the Union, and the most marked attention shown by the President to the envoys of Buenos Ayres and Venezuela, whose mission had not before been ostensibly recognised. This was touching Spain in the tenderest part, and was no doubt a line of policy admirably calculated to produce the intended effect.

With respect to the conduct of General Jackson, it is true, that severe speeches were made, and a vote of censure passed against him in the House of Representatives; but it is equally true, that his occupation of the Spanish posts of Pensacola and San Marcos, in direct violation of the law of nations, was voted by the same assembly to be in conformity to the principles of the constitution; that the freedom of the city of New York was bestowed upon him for the heroic achievement of murdering our two defenceless countrymen ; and that, almost immediately after, he accompanied the President in a tour through Georgia, and along the frontier of the Floridas, to inspect the military posts stationed on the Mississippi and the Missouri, ostensibly to keep the Indians in check, but in reality to protect American com. merce against the dangerous rivalry of English enterprise. These facts, we apprehend, justify more than a suspicion that the conduct of Jackson was secretly agreeable to his employers, and that the vote of censure was merely intended to save ap

pearances, and to furnish grounds for a reply to any remonstrances that might be made on the part of the British Government.

With regard to the financial concerns of the Union, they appear to resemble those of most other countries, the estimated income being not sufficient to meet the estimated expenditure. The former, for the year 1820, was calculated at 22,000,000, and the latter at 27,000,000 dollars; leaving a deficit to be provided for by loan, or otherwise, of 5,000,000. Two methods were proposed for raising the sum necessary to meet this deficiency; first, to create stock to the amount, bearing six per cent. interest; or, secondly, to issue notes on the guarantee of the treasury; this last method being only to be had recourse to in case of absolute necessity. The truth is, however, that America is deluged with paper currency, the evils attendant on which have been perhaps more severely felt than in almost any other country. Commodities have risen in price to a degree perfectly unexampled; the precious metals have been almost entirely banished from circulation; the frequent failure of banking concerns has tended to destroy public credit, and to retard the improvement of the states; and, from the want of an invariable standard of value, the internal commerce of the country has been reduced to the mere barter of one commodity for another. If, to these evils, we add the encouragement which such a system affords to almost every species of gambling and fraud, and the injurious effects which it cannot fail to produce on the public

mind, we shall perhaps be inclined to think that the passing of Mr Peel's bill, by preventing this country from falling into a similar state, was a measure for which no degree of present suffering could be reckoned too dear a purchase.

The commercial and agricultural distresses of America were, this year, every whit as great as those experienced by the countries of Europe, though exhausted by a long and ruinous war. The produce of the soil had fallen at least forty per cent. in value, and still could not find a market. The carrying trade, which the war had to a certain extent thrown into the hands of the Americans, had now passed into other channels. The merchants of America were in no condition to contend with the immense capitals and improved machinery of England; and to add to their embarrassments, the Banks of several of the States, particularly in the South, discontinued paying their notes in cash, in consequence of which, shares fell to the enormous discount of 90 and 95 per cent. The continued influx of emigrants tended to aggravate these evils, by increasing the competition for labour, at a moment when the quantity required had greatly diminished; and for once the Government was obliged to interfere to moderate, and if possible to restrain, that which they had hitherto systematically encouraged. The truth is, there is no subject on which greater delusion has been practised, even in this country, than in the accounts industriously circulated of the happiness and plenty which are said to await emigrants in the

Western World; a delusion which is sure to be dispelled when the experiment has been tried, but, unhap. pily, only when it is too late.

In the account of Indian affairs given in our last volume, it will be seen that the British dominion in India had been threatened by a formidale and deep-laid conspiracy, entered into by the whole of the Mahratta powers, in concert with the roving and predatory hordes known by the name of the Pindarries. By the admirable policy and consummate military conduct of the Marquis of Hastings, this conspiracy had been defeated at every point. Scindiah overawed into neutrality; the Peishwa of Poonah defeated, and made prisoner; the Rajah of Nagpore expelled from his territories, and forced to wander as a fugitive; the Pindarries completely broken and dispersed; and the British power in India placed on a firmer and more solid basis than ever. The events of this year, few and unimportant when compared with these grand and combined operations, form, nevertheless, the natural sequel to one of the most extended and successful compaigns ever performed in India, and are only wanting to render the objects for which it had been undertaken, complete.

After their entire defeat, the Rajah of Nagpore, Appah Sahib, and the Chief of the Pindarries, Setoo, having collected some corps of Pindarries and Ghonds, had taken refuge in the mountains to the south of the Nerbuddah, where, by their knowledge of the country, they maintained themselves for some time against the detachments sent in pursuit of them. In the months of January and February, however, Rareenawah, Hatrass, and several others of their mountain forts, fell into the hands of the English. Reduced by these reverses to the last extremities, Ap.

pah Sahib and Setoo sought an asylum from Jesswunt Rao Lar, the Killedar of Aseerghur, and, by secret orders from Scindiah, to whom the place belonged, Appah Sahib was admitted into the fortress. Setoo, to whom the same protection had been refused, fled to the neighbouring forests, where he was a few days af terwards devoured by a tiger.

This harbouring the fugitive Rajah was justly viewed by our Indian Government as a gross breach of neutrality on the part of Scindiah; more especially as he peremptorily refused to dismiss the Killedar, by whom the neutrality had been ostensibly violated. Orders were accordingly issued to Brigadier-General Doveton to concentrate a number of detachments, which, when united, amounted to between 18,000 and 20,000 men, and to undertake the siege of Aseerghur, hitherto regarded as impregnable. Early in March, the Brigadier-General broke ground before the place; a practicable breach was opened by the 17th; on the 30th the exterior works were carried by assault; and on the 9th of April the Killedar surrendered at discretion. In the fortress, the English found a numerous garrison, and an immense quantity of artillery and ammunition; but Appah Sahib had once more contrived to escape the vigilance of his enemies.

The Indian seas had been long infested by hordes of Arab pirates, who had their rendezvous at a place called Rus el Khima, situate in the Persian Gulf, about 18 miles from the site of the ancient Ormuz. To root out these miscreants, an expedition, consisting of 4000 men, sailed from Bombay in the latter end of the year; and on the 2d of December carried their principal establishment by assault, took their Sheik prisoner, and placed a garrison in the fort.