Granting of the Charter

News that Pedro IV had granted a Constitutional Charter (Carta Constitucional) to the Portuguese Monarchy on 29 April 1826 reached Madeira on 12 July of the same year.

On the night of the 14th, while several citizens were gathered at the house of Manuel José da Silveira to celebrate the restoration of constitutional monarchy, the building was stormed by a picket of the 7th Infantry Regiment, which attacked those present with fixed bayonets, even though the governor and his aides-de-camp were among them. In the fray Major Adão was wounded, as was the celebrated António Manuel Rodrigues, known as ‘o Aninhas’, an ardent constitutionalist and one of the strongest men of his day. In the end, however, the soldiers were forced to withdraw in the face of the resistance put up by the constitutionalists, who used the chairs, the tables and everything else in the house to defend themselves against their attackers.

The Minister of Justice had ordered the prelates to issue pastoral letters and to instruct parish priests to explain the Constitutional Charter to the people. According to the Defensor da Liberdade, however, the Bishop of Funchal did not comply with this order, and it is certain that three years earlier he had been lavish with instructions to his subordinates to speak against liberal principles.

As the soldiers of the 7th Infantry continued to insult and provoke the constitutionalists, the Municipal Council (Câmara Municipal) resolved at its session of 22 August 1826 to ask the Infanta Regent to transfer the regiment. On 5 October of the same year it also resolved to ask the Governor that the regiment should no longer supply patrols for policing the city and that its other ranks should not leave their barracks after 7 in the evening.

On 23 November 1826 the Council resolved to thank the Infanta Regent for granting its request for the regiment’s departure. Only after the troops had withdrawn could the constitutionalists give themselves over, without risk of provocation, to public demonstrations of rejoicing at the fall of the absolutist regime.

Despite the presence of the 7th Infantry Regiment in Madeira, there were several celebrations on 6, 7 and 8 August of the granting of the Constitutional Charter. See Proclamation of the Constitutional Government.