Book 9780461642339

A Reply To Two Pamphlets, Entitled 'Illustrations Of The Portuguese Question, By A Portuguese Lawyer', And 'The Last Days Of The Portuguese Constitution, By Lord Porchester', By An English Civilian W. Walton—William Walton presents a historical-political defense of the legitimate Portuguese dynasty against the usurpation of Infante Don Miguel. The work traces the rights of Donna Maria da Gloria, the daughter of Don Pedro IV, and argues that the crown should remain with the Braganza line, in accordance with the Statute of Lamego and the traditional settlement. Walton contends that the Cortes of Lisbon and the faction supporting Miguel violated constitutional law, persecuted loyalists, and invited foreign interference to sustain tyranny. He denounces British and Austrian diplomacy that he claims undermined the rightful sovereign and aided the usurpation, while advocating a return to constitutional monarchy under Donna Maria II. The pamphlet employs a blend of legal argument, historical precedent, and polemical rhetoric to condemn the episode and defend liberal constitutionalism in Portugal.