hose
measures you are already in possession of into full effect." After this
angry correspondence the Portuguese finally sailed away; and the British
commander having watched them until they arrived within five hundred
miles of Sicily, returned to his station at Terceira. Count Saldanha and
his squadron instead of returning to England, proceeded to Brest. This
occurrence excited much notice in Europe, and it was brought under
discussion in the British parliament. It was represented by the
opposition as a direct act of hostility in favour of the usurper,
against the acknowledged Queen of Portugal, then residing in England;
and as an armed interference in favour of Miguel at the very moment
when it was pretended that the duties of neutrality did not admit of
interference. It was asked, if not bound by treaties to assist the queen
in recovering her crown, whence arose our right to prevent her, by means
of her own subjects, from making the attempt? Why, when recognizing her
right, refusing to admit the title of Miguel, and pretending to maintain
a strict neutrality, had we interfered by force against a lawful
sovereign? And what could excuse the barbarous injustice of telling the
lawful monarch that, in so far as we were concerned, she must work out
her own restoration by her own strength; and then, when she puts forth
her strength; telling her that we would not allow it to be employed? To
all this it was replied that the armament attacked had been fitted out
in a British port, an answer which decided the merits of the question;
for whether the observance of neutrality between two competitors for the
crown of Portugal was right or wrong, appeared in this case a matter of
indifference; as it had been decided on, no other course could justly
have been taken: and if Miguel's armament had been fitted out in
a British port, it would have met with a similar interruption. If
ministers were to be attacked, indeed, the only vulnerable point was the
maintenance of a strict neutrality towards a tyrant who had voluntarily
sworn to our government that he would obey the laws and preserve the
constitution of their country. In the meantime negociations had been
going on between Don Pedro and the ministers of England and Austria to
effect some arrangement of affairs; and a deputation had been sent by
the Portuguese constitutionalists to point out how these affairs stood,
and to urge the necessity of adopting active measures. Don Pedro,
howev