Thomas's Massachusetts Spy, Or, Worcester Gazette

LONDON, MARCH 10.

We have received advices from Lisbon this morning, to the 1st inst. The Cortes had continued their sittings with great regularity, and in that of the 24th ult. the report of the special committee was read, which had been appointed to inquire into the claims of the British officers serving in the Portuguese army. This report, after enumerating several reasons why, in the judgment of the committee, our countrymen should not be considered entitled to any exuberant reward for their past services, finishes by urging the most conclusive argument of all, namely, the state of the National Treasury, which is another obstacle to the nation's being so generous to the English officers as it could desire.

The following are further extracts:

26th Sitting, Feb. 26.

The order of the day was the continuation of the discussion on Art. 21 of the bases of the Constitution. The debate on this subject, which included the proposal to have two Chambers, or to give the King an absolute veto, was extremely animated; and the people in the galleries frequently applauded the members who spoke against the proposal, so that the President was obliged to admonish them not to carry their marks of approbation to excess. It was resolved at length to reduce the question to three points, on which the Chamber proceeded to vote:

That there should be only one Chamber—carried by 59 votes, to 25.

That there is no absolute vote in the person of the King—carried by 78 votes to 6.

That a suspension vote be given as declared in the Constitution—which was carried by 81 votes to 41.

27th Sitting, Feb. 27.

The debate on the bases of the Constitution was continued on the articles as far as the 29th, which passed. Considerable debate arose on the 23d Article, some members wishing to give the King the right to propose laws; but the Article was passed as it stood originally.