in the service of Chile, quitted it for that
of Brazil. Neither party in Portugal was prepared for the separation of
Brazil, and it was therefore opposed, but without much effect, by the
home government. By the end of 1823 Cochrane had captured all the
Portuguese posts in Brazil, and in August, 1824, he suppressed a
republican movement in the north of that country. On July 23 of the same
year Great Britain signed a commercial treaty with the new empire. This
irritated the Portuguese government. Meanwhile, Beresford, who had
returned to Portugal in a private capacity, had been requested to resume
the command of the Portuguese army. This he refused to do so long as the
Count of Subserra, a French partisan, held office at home. There was a
difficulty in forming a ministry without him, and eventually Subserra
became virtual prime minister, and Beresford was excluded from office.
In order to obtain an excuse for the introduction of French troops into
Portugal, Subserra sent a request to Great Britain for a force of four
or five thousand, knowing it would be refused. Great Britain's refusal
had not, however, the expected consequence, because the influence of the
other powers at Lisbon was weakened by their anti-constitutional policy.
In July, 1825, the representatives of Austria, Brazil, Great Britain,
and Portugal assembled at London to consider the relations of Portugal
and Brazil. While the conference was sitting it was discovered that
Subserra was carrying on separate negotiations with Brazil. Canning was
now able to obtain his dismissal, which was followed by the recall of
the French ambassador, De Neuville, who had been the principal opponent
of British influence at Lisbon. As a result of this conference the
Portuguese government on August 29 recognised the independence of
Brazil.[80]

The restoration of absolute government in Spain revived the question of
Spanish America. Ferdinand VII., on recovering his authority, proposed a
congress at Paris for the consideration of South American affairs.
Canning, however, declined his invitation, and it was thought useless to
hold a congress without the participation of Great Britain. The position
in which Great Britain had been placed by the negotiations of Verona, as
diplomatic champion of Spain, had caused her to suspend her complaints
about the treatment of her merchant vessels trading with the revolted
colonies; but disorder continued, and on one occasion the British
admiral