1820 Omitted Apr. 1822

Emancipation Spanish

Lett. 1.

When you have thought sufficiently of the sufferings which the dominion would would

produce at a distance, and the interests it would would produce, at a distance, and

the interests it would have to contend with from without think of the sufferings less

obvious sufferings it would produce, and the less obvious [...?] interests it would

hve to contend with at home - the [...?] in some quarter or other - retrenchment must

be made. In no quarter can it be made with near so little suffering - with near so

little natural and rational resistence - as in this.

While matter to this effect was writing, in come the accounts of the proceedings in

the Cortes. Sittings of July 13 th 1820. According to the Finance

Minister, Contributions, 470,000,000 reals; expenditure 680,000,000, reals: Royal

family's expences exclusive of the King's 40,000,000 reals: increased to that sum

from the 20,000,000 of reals which was the amount in the days of Charles 2 d. Proposed on part of Ways and Means, sale of the whole of the

National Domains, and 1/7th of that of the Clergy.

As to the change in the Constitution, for an indefinite length of time it is to the

exigencies of the state that it will make addition,

rather than to the resources. The relief which it will

afford to the finances is sure; but its non-immediateness is not less sure than its

existence.

With this retrenchment there must be: and at /from/ what branch of the possible

subject matter? Those branches above in addition to the one in question have

presented themselves as capable of being subjected to it: that which regards the

Monarch and his family that which regards the Clergy, and that which regards the

Public Creditor.

How then are those interests, combined against that sinister interest by which the

pursuit of that dominion is maintained: those interests and no one of them a weak

one. Four contending interests, and which of them stands forth in the order of just

preference? To this I have no need to answer: that the one which regards the dominion

stands last, I have answered without difficulty. King, Clergy, and Public Creditor

have this in common - that retrenchment can not apply to them, without giving birth

to suffering: to [...?] suffering. To the daemon of ambition it may apply - and apply

largely - if not without producing any such effect, at any rate without producing in

that shape any thing like equal effect.

See

Mem? [...?] Aug[?] 1820