nly.--"_Viesse occupar igual commando no Brazil emquanto durasse Guerra
da Independencia._" This is contrary to fact, as will be seen in the
first chapter of this volume, where both the invitation to accept the
command, and my conditional acceptance thereof are given. To repeat the
actual words of the invitation, _"Abandonnez-nous, Milord, a la
reconnaissance Bresilienne--a la munificence du Prince--a la probite
sans tache de l'actuel Gouvernement--on vous fera justice"_ &c. &c. It
was neither "princely munificence"--"ministerial probity"--nor "common
justice," to dismiss me from the service without my professional and
stipulated emoluments, or even the arrears of my pay, the very moment
tranquillity had been established as a consequence of my exertions, and
so far the Commission decided; though they ought to have added, as was
well known, that my command in Chili had been without limitation of
time, and therefore my Brazilian command, as expressed in the Imperial
patents, was not accepted under other conditions. The above opinion,
expressed by the Commission, could only have been given to justify the
spurious decree of Barbosa, in virtue of which, though set aside by His
Imperial Majesty, I was dismissed by Gameiro, that decree--under the
hypocritical pretence of conferring upon me a boon--limiting my services
to the war, _after the war had been terminated by my exertions;_ the
object being to get rid of me, and thus to avoid condemning the prizes
captured by the squadron. Nevertheless, the promises held out to me in
Chili, were most honourably admitted by His Imperial Majesty and his
first Ministry--and were moreover twice confirmed by Imperial patent,
counter-signed by the Ministers, and registered in the National
Archives. These patents _have never been set aside by any act of mine,_
yet to this day their solemn stipulations remain unfulfilled.

The Commission complains that the Treasury was caused to sustain
"enormous losses by the indemnification of an infinite number of bad
prizes, which it was obliged to satisfy." I deny that there was _one bad
prize,_ all, without exception, being captured in violation of blockade,
or having Portuguese registers, crews, and owners. But even if they had
been bad--His Majesty's stipulation, in his own handwriting (see page
118), provided that they should be paid by the state. The fact was, as
proved in these pages beyond contradiction, that they were given back
by the Portuguese m