The Sun. — London, England, 1833-10-29 00:00:00

4; TM! STOW•BOAT FISKERY, OR CATCHING OF SPRATS FOR MANURE. This fishery,which prevails principally upon the Kentish, Norfolk, and Essex coasts, has been proved to your Com mittee to occasion very extensive injury to the spawn and brood of fish. The nets used in it are of a very flue de scription, so small as " not to let a pen pass through," and enclose not only sprats, but the spawn and young brood of all other kinds of fish ; and as these nets are fre quently drawn along the ground and in shallow waters during the breeding season, and in the winter months before the young fish are gone into deeper waters, an immense destruction of the spawn and brood of fish is the inevitable consequence ; whilst from the almost unlimited demand for this species of manure for land, and there being a ready sale for all that can be procured, this branch of fishing has greatly increased, and there are at present from 400 to 500 boats engaged in stow-boating on the Kentish coast only, which remai❑ upon the fishing grounds frequently for a week together, not for the pur. pose of catching sprats, or any other fish to be sold as food in the market, but until they have obtained full cargoes of dead fish for the purpose of manuring the land. Now, limn the very destructive nature of this fishery, its being of modern introduction, and considering also the almost boundless extent to which a demand for its produce may be carried, if the system be permitted to continue without restriction, your Committee have been inclined to question whether its further prosecution ought not to be entirely prevented ; but upon the best consideration which they have been able to give to the subject, they recommend that at least it should not be permitted to be carried on with ground or drag nets between the Ist day of April and the last day of November in every year, nor with drift or floating nets in the bays during the breeding season, namely, from the Ist day of May to the last day of August, within a league of the low-water mark, or in less than 10 fathoms' water ; nor at any other time with nets of so small a mesh as is now generally used. 5. THE LICENSING SYSTEM. By the statute 6 George IV., c. 108, at present in force " for the regulation of Customs," vessels and boats of certain descriptions, as well those employed in fishing as others, are r , quired to be licensed ; and a discretion is vested in the Commissioners of Customs authorizing them to grant or to refuse such licenses, and to prescribe within what distances of the English coast they shall be respec tively employed—a system which has heretofore occasioned great complaint on the part of the fhhermen, as well in respect of the narrow limits (generally four leagues) from the English coast, within which they have usually been restricted in their fishery, as also in respect of the fisher men and others who apply for licenses being rendered dependant upon the opinion of the local officers of Cus toms and their private report to the board in London, whether the party applying was suspected of smuggling, and therefore not to be deemed a fit person te be licensed ; or, in other cases, to be favoured with an extension of his license to within a league of the foreign coast. These regulations, as practically acted upon by the Board of Customs until a very recent period, your Com mittee believe have been very injurious to the fishermen and boatmen generally upon the coasts of Kent and Sussex, not only because many valuable fishing-grounds lie beyond the prescribed limits and were thus abandoned to foreigners, but because the system was liable to unfair partiality on the part of the local officers of Customs ; while the secu rities required to be given by the parties applying for licenses have been found to be oppressive and difficult to be obtained. And, inasmuch as the owners of foreign boats could not be placed under similar regulations, but have continued at all times the free exercise of their right to traverse all parts of the British Channel from shore to shore, not only have great advantages of fishing and of intercourse between this country and France been, in the opinion of your Committee, unnecessarily abandoned to the subjects of the latter country, but the desired protec tion to the revenue of this country against smuggling has not been obtained, by season of the natural effect of the licensing system being to cause the use of foreign vessels exclusively, whenever a smuggling transaction was to be undertaken, which would subject the owner of an English vessel not only to the forfeiture of the vessel, but also to the penalty of his bond. Your Committee, however, have been glad to find that the Board of Customs have lately extended the fishing licensee generally to within a league of the French and Dutch coast., and thus the principal cause of complaint, in reference to this subject, has been removed ; but still the system of giving bond continues, and the parties applying Lar licenses remain liable to the secret report, upon suspicion only, of the local officers of custom;, by which their applications may, and frt quently are, refused. Your Committee, therefore, after baying examined the Surveyor of Customs, Mr. Robilliard, whose duty it is to superintend the licensing department of that establish ment, and having inquired particularly as to the necessity of the system, from tie most respectable and in.elligent witnesses conversant Ivith its tffects, deem it their duty to report, that in their opinion the continuance of the present system of licenses is injurious and oppressive to the fishermen, and unnecessary for the protection of the revenue, and that the same ought to be abolished ; and they recommend that all fishing vessels and boats should be allowed to fish at sea as extensively as may be consistent with the rights of foreign countries, subject always to the forfeiture of the boat, and such further penalty and punishment of the offender as are now by law inflicted in the event of the vessel or boat being employed in smug • filing ; but that the owners sl ould not be required to give bond or find sureties for their good conduct in this particular, which your Committee believe imposes a serious difficulty upon the poorer classes of fishermen, and, in the opinion of every witness who has been examined by your Committee, may be safely dispensed with. 6.—INLAND CARRIAGE OF FISH. A large portion of the fish caught upon the English coast being supplied by Lind ca rriage to the London and in- land markets, and it being desirable to lessen as much as possible the expense of such carriage, with a view to extend the supply of fish inland, and to render better returns to the fishermen for the quantity of fish so supplied, your Committee are of opinion that it would greatly assist the fishing interests if carriages laden with fish . only were exempt from the payment of turnpike tolls, in addition to the relief which is at present afforded to them when tra velling with post horses, of exemption from the post horse duty. Your Committee have some reason to believe that such exemption from toll was formerly allowed to fish carriages travelling to and from market, and it bas been so stated by one of the witnesses examined ; but your Committee have not been able to find any statute to that effect. This exemption, if granted, would particularly relieve the fisheries at Yarmouth, Harwich, Dover, Folkstone, and Hastings, and increase their supply of fresh fish, par ticularly of mackerel (which requires quick conveyance to the London market.) 70--THE LONDON FISHHARKILT. Your Committee have also examined the clerk of the fish market at Billingsgate, and some salesmen and fish mongers who frequent it, in reference to the present state of the supply of fish to that market, and the regulations tinder which the market is conducted, with a view to ascertain, if possible, whether any improper monopoly or regulations exist affecting the supply of the mat ker, or tending either to increase the price of fish to the consumer, or to lessen the fair profits of the fishermen; but your Committee do not feel that they have fully investigated the subject, although, from the evidence which has inci dentally come before them, it has not appeared that any such monopoly or injurious regulations exist, either in the mode of supplying the market or in the tale of fish. It appears, however, to your Committee to be desirable Fla* a more efficient remedy than at present exists should be provided to enable the clerk of the market to prevent the sate of fish in an improper state to the public, there being now no other remedy than the forfeiture of the &11, and the expensive and dilatory proceeding by indictment. Your Committee, therefore, recommend that a clause should be inserted in any Bill which may be introduced upon this subject, inflicting a pecuniary penalty for this offence, recoverable by summary proceeding before a magistrate, and to be mitigated at his discretion. 8.--TITHES OF FISH. In the progress of this inquiry it has been also brought under the notice of your Committee that tithes of fish ethaneght at sea, and brought on shore, are in some parts of asparticularly in Cornwall and Norf.) k, de mandeeoclatnd paid, but they are complained of as I burden some to th e fi s h ermen • and the legality of the claim is generally questioned , law. thou gh it said to have been esta blished in courts of ev id ence , however, has been cffered to your Committ ee to en a ble them to form any satisfactory op ; nion upon this subject. z3ISWORTH AND OTHER OYSTERrIISaFiIERIES. In reference to t he p etitions which have been d your Committee respecting the oyster fisheries in the tar . bouts of Emsworth and Langstone, in the county of }Lots, and Busham, in the county of Sussex, your Committee Sod that. not only in those harbours, but in others, a practice generally prevails, and which appears to b e of .recent introduction, of persons coming in fishing smack's from a disianee to dredge for and carry away the young brood of oysters, and other shell-fish, found in harbours, to, the great — daiiiage and destruction of the oyster beds, and the prood_9( 'other S*ll there, and to the serious injury of the &helmet* itnd inhabitants of the neighbourhood ; and it appearfiWtii:your Committee that such practice is i t su uniublii*tntich as the oyster beds in those situation e are generally known to have been formed by the labour and industry of the fishermen and inhabitants of the neighbourhood, of their ancestors ; thus affording to them a beneficial source of employment, upon which they have been accustomed to rely, and in which, therefore, they ought to be protected. Your Committee have examined the several statutes for regulating oyster fisheries—namely, the 31st Geo. 111., c. 51, and the 48th George 111., c. 144, by which latter statute they find that it is rendered unlawful for any persons so to dredge, or fish for and carry away the brood of oysters in any oyster fishery being private property ; but that the provisions of the first mentioned statute, which were to the same effect, and applicable to all oyster fisheries, yet appear to have been rendered less extensively operative than was intended, by reaso❑ of an exception contained in it in favour of all persons who were" lawfully entitled to take oysters" in such fisheries ; and which, therefore, practically restricted the operation of this Act to such oyster fisheries only as were private property. Your Committee, therefore, re commend, and think it would be attended with much public as well as local benefit, and tend greatly to pre. serve and increase the supply of oysters, if the provisions of the before mentioned statutes were extended to all beds or layings of oysters and other shell-fish (not being private property) situate in any harbour upon the coasts of this kingdom ; and that it should be declared unlawful to take and carry away any oysters from such beds of a less size than are fit for food—that is to say, of less than two inches and a half in width, or to fish for oysters in such beds at any time between the first day of May and the last day of August in every year, or during such other time as should be fixed in reference to any particular harbour, according to the season in which the oysters there become fit for food ; such seasons and all necessary regulations for those fisheries, being determined and approved by the magistrates of the county or district in which they are situate, and enforced by conservators or officers to be locally appointed for the purpose. Additional regulations, for the purpose of protecting the other fisheries in the harbour of Emsworth and Lang stone, as regards the catching unsizeable fish, fishing at improper seasons, and stopping or priming with nets the ritbs or channels in the harbour, as proposed in the evi dence of Charles Mint, Esq., and alluded to in the petition from Langstone, your Committee are of opinion may he beneficially adopted and introduced i❑ any Bill hereafter to be brought forward on this subject. 10. THE DEVON AND CORNWALL PILCHARD SEINE FISHERIES. These fisheries appear to your Committee to be of great importance, and to have received the early attention and protection of the Legislature. They have lately suffered great depression and decrease, and are now carried on at a less, in consequence of a bounty of Bs. 6d. per hogshead upon pilchards exported having been taken off by the Government about five or six years ago, at the same time that a heavy duty upon pilchards imported into the Neapolitan territories (which is the chief market for this fish) has been continued, and increased to 18s. 2d. per hogs head. This duty amounted in the last year to about 10,0001., and the amount of the bounty formerly allowed by this Government, if calculated upon an average export of 30,000 hogsheads, would amount to 13,0001. per annum. The pilchards are a small fish, very similar to the herring, and are only found upon parts of the Devon and Cornish coasts, where they come in large shoals, generally in the beginning of August or September, and again in November or December; care being requisite for the protection of these fisheries that the shoals of pilchards when coming towards the coast into shallow waters are not broken or diverted from their course by fishing vessels using floating or drift.nets withi n a cons id era bl e distance (restricted by Act of Parliament, 14 Charles 11., c. 28, to a league and a half) from the shore : the non-observance of which Act constitutes at present one of the principal grounds of complaint of the parties interested in these fisheries. The pilchards caught are immediately salted or pickled, and exported to foreign markets, chiefly in the Mediterra nean, where they are much esteemed; they were formerly exported to our West Indian colonies. The number of boats at present engaged in the pilchard fisheries (including both the seine and drift boats) on the coast of Cornwall, are proved to be about 1,000, giving employment to about 3,500 men at sea, and about 5,000 men and women on shore; and before the withdrawal of the bounty the number of persons so employed is calculated to have been double the present amount. It is also considered that a greater number could not have been beneficially employed in these fisheries, with reference to the limited average quantity of fish to be taken. Now, in order to relieve the various parties interested in these fisheries, it appears to your Committee, in the first place, to be extremely desirable to obtain, if possible, a re duction of the high and increased duty levied by the Neapolitan Government, but into which subject your Committee forbear to enter fully, as they understand it is at present a matter of negotiation between that Govern ment and our own ; they think it right however to state that the witnesses whom they examined upon this point, concur in rpinion that the duty so imposed occasions a material check to the trade in pilchards with that part of the Mediterranean to which nearly one half of the annual export has usually been consigned; and that some con. , tession on the part of this country to procure relief from this duty would be amply compensated by the benefits that would be conferred on the fishermen and merchants en gaged in that trade. Your Committee would further observe that the Nea politan duties also affect materially the Yarmouth herring fishery, and the export trade in cod fish from Poole, and are found very oppressive in those ports. In the next place your Committee recommend that the provision of the statute 14 Chas. 11. c. 28, which enacts, " Tbat no person or persons shall in any year, from the Ist day of June till the last day of November, presume to take fish in the high sea, or in any bay, port, creek, or coast, of or belonging to Cornwall or Devon, with any drift-net, trammel, or stream-net or nets, or any other nets of that sort or kind, unless it be at the distance of one league and a half at least from the respective shores," be duly enforced, and that in such Bill as may hereafter be brought into the House in reference to the Channel Fisheries, a power of summary conviction before the magistrates in Petty Sessions, with sufficient penal ties to secure the observance of this law, may be inserted, and conservators appointed to enforce it. From the evidence adduced before your Committee, and referring also to the written statements respecting this fishery which have been laid before them, and are included in the ap pendix to this report, your Committee find that the Pil chard Seine Fishery is greatly injured by the continual infraction of this statute of Charles 11., by the drift net fishermen, who fish generally far within the distance pre scribed by that Act ; and it is represented to your Com mittee that this may be effectually prevented if instructions were given to the revenue cutters at present stationed upon that coast to compel the drift boats to keep at the proper distance from the shore ; and that it will be satis factory to the parties aggrieved if this protection be afforded to them from the Ist of August to the middle of September annually ; a request, as it appears to your Committee, so reasonable and easy to be complied with, that they cannot but recommend its adoption. 11. THE HARWICH FISHERIES. Your Committee regret to state that they find the fishing interests at Harwich in a state of great decay and distress, which the witnesses attribute chiefly to the want of capital at Harwich, and to their principal fishery for cod fish not yielding a remunerating price, in consequence of their being unable to compete, in the London market, with the fisheries more recently established at Barking, Gravesend, and other places in the river Thames, under circumstances Which do not appear to your Committee to justify the hope that material relief can be afforded by any measures which they are able to suggest. The prohibition before recommended against the im portation of foreign-crught turbots, appears to your Com mittee to be the only measure which may tend to relieve the Harwich fisheries, as the principal part of the turbots now imported are caught by Dutch fishermen off their own coast, but in those parts of the Channel to which the fishermen of Harwich have ready access. It appears that within the recollection of witnesses, 74 or 75 fishing smacks us,d to sail from the port of Harwich, but that they are now reduced to 10, and of those 3 are at present for sale. 12.-THE YARMOUTH FISHERIES. The fisheries of Yarmouth appear to your Committee to be in a comparatively prosperous state, but suffering much in their herring fishery from the heavy duty levied at Nil:oes upon herrings exported thither, being 164. per barrel, which for the last three or four years has amounted to a prohibition, and consequently none have been ex ported to that country ; though it is proved that if this duty were reduced, the exportation to Naples may be esti mated at from 10,000 to 12,000 barrels annually. The &het men of Yarmouth also complain of the injury they suffer, particularly in the herring and mackerel sea sons, from competition with the French fishermen, and trom the illegal importation of those fish, especially mackerel, when caught by foreigners, not being prevented; this they earnestly request may be done, and it has already been recommend e d by your Committee. The propriety of prohibiting, in future, the importation of foreign-caught turbots, free of duty, as injurious to the fishermen and merchants of Yarmouth, Gas also Leen pressed upon the attention of your Committee, and they are of opinion that the suggestion which they have before made in reference to this topic will, if alopted, prove peculiarly conducive to the future welfare and prosperity of the fisheries con nected with this port. A minor cause of grievance, as affecting the fishing interests connected with Yarmouth and Lowestoff, upon the same coast, has been also represented to your Com mittee ; and it appears that for several years past the owners of fishing boats belonging to those places have been compelled by the officers of customs there to pay the sum of 6d. per head per month for every man on board each vessel, as a contribution to the support of Greenwich Hospital. This they consider as paid by them unjustly, inasmuch as they represent, and which your Committee believe to be true, that no such payment is required from fishing vessels at other ports, nor from the same vessels, which are occasionally employed and pay this duty at Yarmouth, when employed at Scarborough and Whitby, in Yorkshire. It is represented to your Committee that he reason assigned for collecting this money from the fishermen of Yarmouth and Lowestoft is, that they cure the fish (principally herrings) on board, as soon as they are caught, and therefore that they are not fresh fish, but must be considered in the nature of a cargo imported. If, however, this reason be correctly stated, your Com mittee cannot refrain from expressing their opinion that it appears to them to be a strained construction for the purpose of including these poor fishermen under the de nomination of " merchant seamen," a class to which they appear not fairly to belong, and in order to compel them to contribute to a fund from which they can never be entitled to receive benefit. Your Committee therefore re. commend that this imposition be further considered, and unless some better reason can be assigned for its continu , once, that the parties he relieved from it. A large pro portion of the men so charged are stated to your Com. mittee to he agricultural labourers, who are taken on hoard the fishing vessels, during the herring season, to assist in pulling and hauling in the nets. The practice of stow-boat fishing for sprats, before noticed, and which prevails extensively upon this coast, is also the subject of much complaint ; as also the collection of tithes upon the fish caught at sea, both herrings and mackerel ; and upon which your Committee would remark that the tithes are collected by the clergyman according to the number of fish caught, and amount generally to between 21. and 3/. per annum in respect of each boat; but although called a tithe, the clergyman's share appears not to be more than 1 80th part, after deducting the boat's expenses. Your Committee further think it right to notice, that on interrogating a witness from Yarmouth as to the effect that would have been produced to their mackerel fishery, if the provisions of a Bill lately introduced into Parliament for the better observance of the Sabbath were adopted by the Legislature, they are incormed and believe that the effect of those provisions would be to destroy, or, in the words of the witness, to " completely annihilate" that fishery, by reason of the perishable nature of mackerel. They therefore recommend this opinion to the future notice of the House, and as applicable to all other mackerel fisheries in the Channel. The fishing vessels belonging to Yarmouth are stated to be about 100 sail, averaging from 40 to 50 tons each, besides about 50 or 60 vessels annually hired from York shire during the herring season ; and the number of men employed at sea are computed at between 4,000 and 5,000, besides a great number to whom employment is also given on shore. The capital embarked is estimated at about 250,000/. The fishery at Lowestoff, nine miles from Yarmouth, employs about 70 fishing boats of 40 tons each, with a proportionate complement of men. In conclusion, your Committee desire to state that time has not permitted them the opportunity of examin ing evidence upon the petitions which have been referred to them from Plymouth and Bosham, farther than as the evidence furnished from other places may bear upon the complaints from these. Neither have they been able to pay atten'ion to the communication addressed to them in reference to the fisheries connected with the Scilly Islands, which will be found in the appendix ; nor to in quire into the state of our channel fisheries connected with other places than are mentioned in this report and appendix. - Your Committee also earnestly repeat their opinion, that the present state of our channel fisheries satisfies them that their interests have been too long neglected ; and that it is of the first importance, as well to the naval and commercial prosperity of this country as to the local interests connected with the fisheries, that the future welfare of these valuable establishments should receive the further attention of Puliament, and of his Majesty's Government in particular ; and they beg leave to submit the various suggestions contained in this report to the early and serious consideration of this House. August 16, 1833. Since the return of the Duke of Wellington from \V*lmer Castle, there have been occasional meetings of such members of the Conservative Clique as the active Whip_ per-in could muster. The manifesto of the chop-fallen and almost hopeless expectants of place and power, which appears in a certain Quarterly is indicative of their sadly perturbed restless state and disappointed hopes. A case of conspiracy has just been tried at Wil;s sessions, where four persons, one a farmer of great respectability, residing in the parish of Bromhatn, were indicted for removing a female pauper, when in a state of pregnancy, from that parish to the parish of Melksham, for the purpose of settling her bastard child on that parish. Mr. Gunning and Mr. S. Williams were counsel for the prosecution ; and the circumstances elicited by Mr. Wil liams, in his examination of the young female, during their afflicting detail, filled the court and jury with horror and indignation. We will not offend our readers with a repetition; suffice it to say, that the female, a most inte resting and delicate young woman, not more than 15 years of age! appeared and told her story, with her infant in her arms; and it seemed her master seduced her, and, when actually taken in labour, at the hour of midnight, her master, his wife, and mother, procured from the other defendant his horse and cart, took the young woman out of her bed, put on her clothes, and actually put her into the cart, amidst her groans and supplications, and con veyed her away towards Melksham. On the road she was delivered of her child; and although much impaired in mind and body by this most cruel treatment, she was able to attend and tell her story at the present Wiltshire ses sions. The parties were all found guilty, and sentenced to different fines, and terms of imprisonment.—Bath Journal. DRAMATIC AUTHORS.—The Society of Dramatic Authors was last week thrown into sudden combustion by what they call an unexpected blow. W e only wonder that they have not foreseen it; and we know that hints of the danger were thrown out very soon after the passing of the Act giving writers for the stage a property in their productions. It is known that Mr. Duncombe and Mr. Cumberland have elch, from time to time within the last ten years, purchased (often at rates we should hardly have thought it worth while for authors to accept) plays, farces, &c., represented at the different theatres. So far they are the "assigns" of the authors— a term employed in the Act ; but whether they are the " assigns" for any other purpose is a different question : they claim, however, to have the right to permit the repre sentation of any pieces they have published, anti they have sent a formal notice of that claim to the Author's Society. Hence the alarm that has seized that sensitive body. It is said that Mr. Cum. berland, in particular, has armed himself with counsel's opinion on the question ; but it is almost a proverb that a man may get an opinion on any side he pleases, and that by the statement of the case; conse quently, without any fault, or corruption, on the part of the barrister. Without the slightest interest, we will venture an opinion directly the other way. The Act was passed for the encouragement of dramatic authors ; and when Messrs. Duncombe and Cumberland purchased pieces of the authors, they never contemplated any such advan tage as they may flatter themselves the Act gives them: they became the " assigns" of the authors merely for the purpose of publication, and often drove bargains which were anything but an encouragement to authorship. Take the case of Sheridan Knowles. The copyright of most Of his plays, if not all of them, was sold by him ; and, according to Messrs. Duncombe and Cumberland, the booksellers only would have the right to say to country managers, " Pay us so much for the permission to perform The Wife, William Tell, or Virginias." Now, we know that the ten years' retrospective clause was introduced into the Dramatic Author's Act prin cipally and avowedly that he—unquestionably lunge et facile primus among our modern writers for th 3 stage —might reap the full benefit of his labours in the cause of our nation il literature. If any booksellers could have such a claim as is now set up, those who pu bli s h e d Knowles's plays would, a fortiori, be entitled to it, for in some cases they gave as many hundreds as Messrs. Duncombe and Cumberland have given pounds. We think, therefore, that the Dramatic Authors' Society may make themselves quite easy upon the subject, and that neither Court nor Jury, law nor equity, would give a decision against them. What is now insisted upon was never within the purview of the framers of the Act, and if it were so construed, it would inflict an injury in stead of conferring an advantage upon dramatic authors. Messrs. Buncombe and Cumberland only bought, and could only buy, what the authors had the power to sell ; a year ago authors had no such property as the booksellers now contend they purchased,—,Observei. PORTUGAL. (From the Second Edition of The Sun of yesterday.) LISBON, OCT. 20, ONE A.M. Since the sortie of the 10th inst., we have had very little news of any interest, and that not very certain ; however, the Queen's army, after pursuing the enemy across the country, has for several days past been sta tioned a short distance from Santarem, where it is believed that the main body of the Mi guelites are at present. A small force of the Miguel ites (about 400) have, however, passed to the south of the Tagus, for what purpose it is not very clear, if not with the intention of keeping the road to Elvas open. The head-quarters of the Pedroites are at present, or at all events were yesterday evening at 5 p.m. at Caltaxo, a town about three leagues distant from Santarem. It is reported several skirmishes have taken place, hut certainly nothing material has occurred, and the armies remain in statu quo. The Lancers, about 400, are always on the alert, and do excellent service. Many anecdotes of pereonal encounter might be related of their bravery ; but I Is we no time to relate them. Several gun-boats, it is said (four in number), have been taken by the Miguelites, the boats having advanced too far ; at all events the particulars are not known. One sergeant, and 20 privates, with a number of barrels of gunpowder were t +ken in them. In considering the retreat the Miguelites have made, there can be no doubt but it was well arranged ; no less than 2,000 cars drawn by bullocks were at their com mand, and by this means the who'e of their heavy baggage was removed immediately from their rear to their front, and kept in advance of the army, conse quently in this respect they have lost nothing ; but their wounded and sick were all left behind, such was the rapi dity of their march, and so closely were they pursued. There is little fear of the Miguelites remaining long in San tarem. Their main object is undoubtedly to retire upon Abrantes or Elvas. It is said they are fortifying San tarem ; but although a place well calculated to be defend ed in such a manner, yet I doubt the probability of their doing so to any extent, or for any great length of time. The Royalist cause must and will fail. It was reported, last week, that General M'Donald had resigned the command, and that the retreat was conducted under the command of a General Lobo. LISBON, OCT. 20, FOUR A.M. The number of regulars in the service of Don Miguel is estimated at 14.000, and pri bably about 10,000 volunteers, guerillas, &c. St. Peter's Dry was, this day, commemorated by salutes, and the ordinary practice, of gala days—general illuminations. Triumphal arches were thrown over many of the streets, and the Queen, with the Duke and Duchess of Braganza, visited, on the night of the 19th, a pavilion, fitted up in the Arsenal, where a numerous concourse of spectators were assemaltd to express their satisfaction at their progress in warfare. It is generally reported, that all the English officers and men will leave the employ of the Queen, in consequence of the wish of the Portuguese Government to place them upon their pay, instead of that of the English Government's scale, under which they were engaged. I here enclose you the songs distributed at the Arsenal meeting. (From the Chronica Constitucional.) NEWS FROM THE LIBERATING ARMY. Ltsnox, OCT. 19. _ _ Marshal Count Saldanha writes frotn his 'head.quariers at Cartago, on the 18th in the evening, saying that the relative position of the two armies was the same as on the preceding day. The enemy still occupied Santarem. Our pickets are posted near that town. The enemy, having passed through Almeiriin with some infantry, cavalry, and three pieces of artillery, for the south of the river Tagus, descended as far as the neighbourhood of Salvaterra, where they found some of our gun-boats at anchor, against which they commenced, on the morning of the 18th, a sharp firing, destroying two, which, for want of water, were grounded on the sand. The crews were saved, and the enemy derived no other advantage from this little affair. , LISBON, OCT. 19. According to the latest intelligence the Miguelite army occupies Santarem and its environs, but it is not supposed they intend to maintain themselves permanently in that situation, as it does not afford the necessary resources for the support of the army, and the band of people (perhaps nearly 2,000 of both sexes) who have followed the party of Don Miguel ; nor is it a point of sufficient military strength to resist a vigorous assault en the part of our army. The division from Peniche, which was commanded by Bernardo de Sa, has marched through the country from Obidos without opposition, not having fired half-a-dozen shots, and is now very near to the enemy (scarcely a league's distance), ready to combine in operations with the main body, now nearly collected together at the Ponte d'Asseca, the bead-quarters of General Saldanha, distant two leagues from Santarem, and it is fully believed that within a very few days a final and decisive encounter will take place between the two armies. The retreat of the enemy upon the positions they now occupy must certainly be admitted to have been conducted with considerable skill, or there must have been some bungling on our part, as no portion of their force was cut off, with the exception of a few guerillas, most of whom were i , artantly put to the sword, the wounded in their hospitals at Lumiar and Loures, and two or three score of straggling soldiers who were at times overtaken by th e cavalry. The desertions to our side during their retreat do not exceed half a dozen officers, and about 100 privates and non-commissioned officers. They saved all their bag gage and artillery, but left a good quantity of round shot and grenades behind them. I was at Cartaxo, two leagues and a half from Santarem, the day before yesterday. Saldanha bad then his head quartets there, with all his artillery, and was awaiting the arrival of the remainder of the force from Lisbon, most of which I met on its in trch in my return to the city. In passing throtteh the rich and extensive plains of the Tagus, in the neighbourhood of Azambuja, I was glad to perceive several thousand head of cattle quietly grasing, which the enemy had not had sufficient leisure to drive away. Colonel Bacon is promoted to the rank of Brigadier- General, and I have heard the Portuguese cavalry officers speak enthusiastically of the services he has rendered the army on its march. Candido Jose Xavier, Don Pedro's most confidential and favourite Minister, died on the 14th instant. He is succeeded in the post of Minister of the Kingdom by Joaquin Antonio d'Aguiar, one of Jose da Silva Carvalho's followers. Francisco Sinmoes Margiochi, one of the Saltlanha party, has been nominated Minister of Marine; and Agostinho Jose Freire is temporarily charged with the Foreign Affairs. It is said that Don Miguel has issued a proclamation to his army, stating that it is his intention to retire to Tras os Montes, in order to avail himself of the many resources which his uncle, Charles the Fifth (alias Don Carlos of Spain), has promised to place at his disposal. It is affirmed here that owing to the influence of the Cabinet of England, the Regency of Spain will recognize the Government of Donna Maria in Portugal. Two vessels have arrived from England with about 400 recruits for the service, under the command of Major Kelly. The Talavera has been relieved by the Revenge, and the former vessel will proceed to the Mediterranean. The Nautilus carries home the mail of this day, and on her arrival in England will be paid off. Her commander, Lord George Paulet, who has the art of rendering himself respected and beloved by everybody, has been promoted to the rank of Post Captain. The Forsoken, Schroeder, laden with salt, was captured in coming out of Figueira, and has been sent in a prize. The vintage around Lisbon is concluded, and the wines are expected to turn out of a mature and superior quality. The accounts received from the Upper Douro state, that in that district the vintage has likewise been a favourable one, and that part of this year's growth will quite equal that of the favourite ones of 1812, 1815, and 1820; in the neighbourhoed of Regoa, the chief town in the wine country of the Douro, the price of wine of last year's vintage varies from nine milreis to forty milreis metal (21. ss. to 10/.) per pipe; but owing to the civil war these wines cannot he transported down the river to Oporto; therefore in that city the price has advanced at lea , t 61. per pipe, and the article may be there quoted at 301. to 521. 10s. per pipe. Company's "I3ilhetes" are at 22 milreis to 24 milreis per pipe, with every prospect of a further advance, as no fresh bilhetes have been issued by the Company for the last two years, therefore very shortly there may be none to be obtained. Although the hand of reform has been busy in every other quarter, it would appear that this Royal %Vine Company is still to be upheld with all its abuses, and that port wines shipped to England are to continue to pay an exclusive tax (not imposed on wine exported to other nations), contrary to treaty, to the diminution of the consumption of the article, and, consequently, to the injury of the revenue of Great Britain. The present junta of directors are likewise for the most part ignorant men, with strong pre judices against the English merchants, probably originating in the rivalry of trade : one of them, whose manners are peculiarly coarse, told a foreign merchant the other day, that " neither he nor any of his brethren were wanted at Oporto ; that the Portuguese could carry on their commerce very well themselves !" and this to one of a body of men whose capital (although, no doubt, for their own interest) has gone further to give encouragement to Portuguese industry than the whole batch of the illustrissimo junta put together. It is a fact worthy of record, that the enterprize of foreign merchants in the pursuit of gain saved the brave inhabitants of Oporto during the last siege from the alternative of abso lute starvation, or unconditional submission to a hated enemy. Don Carlos left on the 4th for the Spanish frontiers, and on the Bth the Infantas and his wife, and the Princesa da Beira, followed him in that direction ; and I have just now heard that these illustrious ladies are performing quarantine at Elvas, for which place they have given di- rections to send the baggage they have left here, but for the present our Government has not consented. Lord W. Russell has had for these ten days a courier on the Spanish frontier, but who has, to his astonishment, not yet returned ; neither has the Spanish Consul heard from his Government since the 4th. On the 14th death deprived us of the most moderate of our Ministers, who was intrusted with the home and foregn department; the latter has been filled up by Jose Augustinho Freire, Minister of War and Marine, giving up the latter portefeuil, which was given over to the Councillor of State Margiochi, and the Home Department has been bestowed on the Member of the Supreme Court of Justice, Aguia. The two new acquisitions are colleagues worthy of Freire and Jose da Silva Carvalho. We have now a compact ministry,—viz., they all four have been on the ultra liberal side in the Chambers of 1820. General Saldanha is commanding in chief the ad;ancrng expedition, and enjoys the full favour of Don Pedro, who had the gallantry to take to him at Villa Franca a Chronica, in which was published the reinstating of his grandfather's bust (the Marquis of Pombal) on the statue in Black Horse-square, and also a diamond star (gracha) of the Order of the Tower and Sword. Our city is improving with supplies—the water again is becoming plentiful, and the mills give flour sufficient ; but, notwithstanding, best quality American would sell at 14 dollars per barrel. (From the Period;co dos Pares, No. 67.) LtssoN, Ocx. 14.—Since the official intelligence re specting the glorious operations of our army on the 10th and 11th, we have been enabled to gather the following from a trustworthy source : The rebels, who had retired in the direction of Laures, knowing that road was cut off by the forces under the command of the Baron de Sa, took the one of Tojal, and thence followed in the direction of Santarem, as we announced in our paper of Saturday. In Lumiar, where Don Miguel was quartered, we found, besides many other things, two large coffers, which, from their weight, were supposed to he full of money or hullion. These his Imperial Majesty ordered to he sent to Lisbon, and they are now deposited in the Royal Palace of Neces sidades. On the 12th our troops continued the pursuit of the enemy, almost at the point of the bayonet, making a number of prisoners in the neighbourhood of Valonga. The enemy, in his precipitate flight, evacuated Villa Franca during the day of the 12th, and our army passed during the night there. On Saturday a part of the volunteer cavalry, com manded by the Conde de Farrah°, and two companies of the infantry, went out to clear the districts of Belem and Adjuda of some guerillas and pirates, who had there committed their accustomed rapine and vexations, and succeeded in apprehending many of those infamous peoplt., as well as some of the higher actors of the time of the usurpation, and amongst the latter the well known De sembargador Alascarenhas, councillor of the extinct Senate of Lisbon. (From the Periodico dos Pobres, No. 68.) Lisson, OCT. 15.—Alter what we yesterday pub lished respecting the glorious operations of our army, we have not been able to learn much with certainty. Our vanguard, which left VIII, Franca yesterday morning, on arriving at Castanheira, learned that the enemy had halted at Villa Nova da Rainha ; in consequence our Lancers advanced at a trot, and discovered the rebels forming in columns in the fields around that town. At the same time our gun-boats advanced up the Tagus from Villa Franca, for the purpose of incommoding the enemy on that side and supporting our operations by land. The Lancers in this march made prisoners of many of the enemy's straggler., and put to the sword some guerillas, who, favoured by the rebel chiefs, bad committed the greatest robberies in the country in their occupation. The enemy perceiving themselves threatened by our cavalry and the gun boats, immediately commenced retiring upon Azambuja, which they effected previous to the arrival of the remainder of our force, thus evading the attack, and retarding their complete destruction. As our troops had marched without baggage or knapsacks, and were unpro sided with rations, it was necessary to allow them a little rest, and in the mean time await the necessary supply from Lisbon. The army consequently encamped be tween Villa Franca and Castanheira, the vanguard occupying the ►oads of Santarem and Leiria, where they separate beyond Carregado. In the mean time the divi sion under the orders of Baron de Sa, which, as we have said, had marched by the highway from Torres Vedras upon the enemy's left, having arrived at Bucellas, was put in communication with the rest of the army, and, in combination with it, continued its match by the way of Sobral de Monte Agraco, in the direction of Alenaquer, to operate in the way of flanking the enemy. As it ap pears, the enemy still continues his retreat towards San. tarem, where k e will probably halt, on account of the favourable positions which that town affords, in order to re-unite his routed and dispersed forces, to the end that his retreat may be continued in better order, which, according to some deserters, will only be discontinued in Alemtejo to be afterwards resumed by from thence passing into Spain. The number of prisoners and deserters have within the last few days been considerable. LISBON, Om 13.—We did our enemies too much honour when we supposed that the 12th would decide their fate ; for this to happen it was necessary that they should await the combat, but finally taught by the lessons which they bad received on the 10th and 11 th, they agreed that the best thing they could do was to seek in flight the advantages they could not gain by resistance. Ac cordingly towards midnight of the I 16, they commenced their flight along the road of Valonga. Fear had the effect of discipline, and this delicate operation was so perfectly carried into execution that the silence of the night did not betray it. When we were prepar ing •at day-break to combat them, they had disappeared. It may be said that they have not executed so good a manoeuvre during the whole campaign. His Imperial Majesty having posted his army in echelons, as far as Sancto Antonio de Tojal, resolved to give his troops some repose, and to wait for a column which was coming from the position of Torres Vedras to join him. Having placed the troops in these positions, his Imperial Majesty returned to Loures, whither he was called by the necessary care of the wounded, especially of the enemy, recollecting the neglected state in which he had found their hospital at Lumiar on the 11th. It is impossible to describe the state of wretchedness, neglect, and filth, of the hospital at Loures; the sick without medicine, the wounded without attendance, the lead without sepulture, all were confounded in that abode of misery and suffering. The poor patients were in such a state of excitement, that at the entrance of his Imperial Majesty into the house of the Conde de Penafiel, where the hospital i., those who were able endeavoured to escape through the windows ; others tried to crawl to some place of concealment, and the others lifted up their hands to the conqueror, supplicating him to spare their lives, so persuaded were they that his Imperial Majesty would put them to death. The Duke of Braganza, with his natural affability, endeavoured to quiet their apprehensions and irnme ;lately ordered bread and water to be given to them; and that, while our surgeons, and those of the neighbourhood were engaged in dressing their wounds, some soldiers were removing the dead bodies, some of which had been there for three days, persons appointed as attendants should prepare the food necessary to preserve their lives. It was interesting to see how the counte- Dances of those unhappy persons became animated ; they acknowledged the error under which they bad hitherto laboured, anti blessed the name and the goodness of their liberator. Besides the patients in this hospital, there were eight others in a house and two sick women in an other, destitute of everything, and locked up, their inhu man goaler having taken away the key. Among the sick, whom the enemy had been able to remove, was one of our soldiers, of the battalion of Cacadores, No. 3, severely wounded, whom they deliv, red to a sergeant of the same battalion, their prisoner, and because the soldier could not follow the march of the battalion, they killed him ; the sergeant was thus able to escape, and rejoined his battalion. His Imperial Majesty, having thus regulated the hos pital, and given the necessary orders for the following day, returned to Lisbon. Oa the 13th his Majesty left the Palace des Necessi dades at half past nine in the morning, and, embarking at the marine arsenal, proceeded to Villa Franca, in which di rection the gun boats had been sent to obs erve t h e marc h of the rebels. At half-past six in the morning these gunboats were in sight of Villa Franca, by which the enemy bad passed at half past three in the morning, and when the Commander hoped that the tide would enable them to get up to Villa Nova, Brigadier Joao Nepouw ceno met the vanguard of the Corps of Obstruction at Torres Vedrv, being informed very late of the progrok, the attack. From the difficulty which occurred in Wi pa lp et i the communications to him in time h ecou ldscarcelYat Bucellas on the evening of the 12th when the Bari Sada Bandeira found him with the main body troops, and in the night of that day be placed n f ot with it in th e f ron t o f our army , w hi c h a d van ced i ro „ morning of the 13th with the view of attacking the e r ' e ros ti A deserter from th e re b e l s w h o procee d e d a l o ng the .01, of Villa Franca said they were going to Santareini;o: that it was currently reported in the army that they fr to march from that place to Spain. Our lanl n ipg, its positions at T o j a l at fi ve o ' c l oc k t hi s nw r o or and learning at Castanheira, that the enemy p,ae front at hand, the cavalry advanced at a trot, and i n ' of Villa No va f e ll i n w i t h t h e re b e l s w h o were fCr i o o l je their troops in cl ose co l umns; i n t hi s marc h We The some prisoners, and cut to pieces some guerillas' „o r rebels who, whil e th ey were p l ac i ng t h ose column,/ our gun boats approach, began to retreat, without giv i "dfor infantry time to come up. Our yin-guard occol'' or e two roads of Sant arem an d o f Ri o M a j or , and nurbeirP encamped in the environs of Villa Franca and Clea n er re' The division of w h i t we spo k e as coining from Vedras to BucellaQ, came to-day to Sabral de , Agraco, whence it will march to-morrow to Al e ltbe Such is the re l a ti ve pos i t i on o f t h e two arm i e s night of the 13th. ACCOUNTS FROM THE LIBERATING I° l ) ;ti'i LISBON, OCT. 17.—O ur army , w hi c h o n the , cijs occupied Alemquer, C as t an h e i ra , C arrega d o , an" till Nova da Rainha, the reserve being in Villa Fran? , Restauracao, advanced, on the 16th, to Azandl, Atalerin, and Cart a x o , i n w hi c h l ast p l ace the quarters were fixed. de On the 16th, in the morning, the Marshal C° P : f illi Saldanha made a reconnoissance towards Santarentil, s , caused a piquet o f cava l ry to a d vance b eyo nd fo ot d'Asseca. The enemy posted all his c av a lry in front () li d advanced posts, supported by battalions of infantr% fe . scarcely had our ow n cava l ry f orme d i n li ne t han I' treated to his positions. en d , Our troops were an i mate d w i th the greatest siasm, desiring again to encounter the enemy, wh°t tb i gage, provisions, an d h eavy art ill ery are retreat i ng 1" if direction of Abrant es — a ll w hi c h i n di cates that WI not intend to make any vigorous defence of Santarem' 1Y LISBON, Auc. 19.—(Here follows the account o'l' destruction of two gun-hoots by Don Miguel's troe Lisbon Chronica to 19th Oct. inclusive. HAMBURG PAPERS. , 0 5 4 C HAMBURG, OCT. 23.—BORSEN H ALLE , rlA . '" ' ffOr Two O'CLOCK. —Owing to a short supply of Wheat 0 0' the interior, and the probability that large arrival 6 jio6 not be looked for at presenet holders have been so ° o o out for higher prices. The transactions, however, 01 3 not been large. The supply of Rye is also 00 814 some demand havint , manifested itself for th e articl e, " quotations were readily given by the speculators ari fi n fo l sumers. A few parcels of Rap esee d were di s pood the quotations. I)3'ti From the 12th to 18th i ns t. 31 cargoes o f co re P s v le through the Sound; 9 were bound for British Porto , for Holland, 6 for Norway, 1 for. Oporto, 1 for Ap t and of 4 the destination was not known. Wheat, Anhalt, white I1513c; r 11 9 9 1 1° -- red 80 1 Marks 6.2 t 0 10 Mecklenburg Holstein Lower Elbe 6O to Rye, Mecklenburgh 6O to 0 Holstein Barley, Anhalt 5O to 0 Mecklenburgh 4O to lb Holstein --__ Lower Elbe 6O to 0 Oats, Mecklenburg 32 to 0 -- Lower Elbe 23 to 4 0 Malt, Pomeranian .36 to 0 Beans 60 to to , Rapeseed Pease, Upland, yellow 50 ...a 14 6 to 1 66roi ?' Ditto Cakes 67 t o Faxes.—The account s from Sp a in op e rated WO on prices to-day. 0 7 A 1 Discount 3 per Cent. End of 0., Anglo-Danish Loan, three per cent.... ............... .. 93 4 Anglo-Russian Russian Inscription, 5 per cent., 1820...........•.•••• 990134 Ditto, ditto, 1831 go Ditto, ditto, 1832. Polish Bonds ...... Prussian Bonds, 1832 ............ .. _.Tt 3 ' DDDii iSpanishttttttAustriano4 4m p epe3 et B rL a i CI Cr n i Sharesegeknuntr. Cents, Dutch 23 per Cents.. :394 0 Ditto 5 per Cents —Hamburg Reporter. ' EXCHANGES ON LONDON. HAMBURG, Orr. 25.-13 9 ; two months, 13 7 . , Sr. PETERSBURG'', Orr. 15.—Three months, 10 25.'''' STOCKHOLM, Ocr. 15.—Ninety-five days, 1246. SPAIN. (From the Second Edition of the Guardian and Ledger.) i r Continuation of the Extracts from the Gazet t e traordinaire de Madrid of the 19th of October:- REPORTS RECEIVED AT THE MINISTRY OF 11,0 0 Queen's Regim e nt o f Cavalry, 2 0 0 4 ! Your Excellency,—Thinking it my duty to int o ", of the following facts, which I hav e a lready c° l "„ t ir cated to the Colonel of my regiment, I have sent Yi s r report as follows:—" When I l e f t Villa n euve 51 e 0 0 1 !, rena to-day, to go in pursuit of the rebels of v" de la R:ina, according to the inst ruc ti o ns tb s A t o had sent me, I proceeded to La Casa 0 ralee, where I made no halt, as I f o und no oceliPii doing so, but marched on towards the passags,..,pe n Puercas, where I arrived by two o'clock in the al* - t or; and there learned that the insurgents, e i g ht in ° elf, bad exacted a sack of flour of the mill, and eigh t loaves of bread. I followed the course of the G° 0 0' d and two leagues from there I surprised the Revelnila 1 11 at Guadaperales ; their horses were fatigued, e . fe themselves in the greatest disorder. They did not P e o ; he us, until we were within forty or fifty paces of tb e i pit " They attempted to fly, but most of them, 9ee t t,,,4 couragt and enthusiasm with which the soldiers I 'd lll` ie , them sword in hand, as soon as I had given the vo r i 'tie; so disheartened, that they no longer offered any 0 ,1,1 The prisoners are Don Manuel Maria Gouzles, t) (fi t, trator of the Posts at Talavera, and Commanderrl-00 of the Royalist Volunteers, Don Mariano Ceballe g ' in the cavalry de la Reyna, Dun Saturnio d e ' 604 retired officer, Don J. G. Nimenes, of the Body Don Miguel Lopez de Sales, Captain of the n regiment of Talavera de la Reyna ; but rt n of Alonzo, Don S. Galeti, and Don F. V. u" • s e have *ed. J " After having secured the prison e r s , a s I had ool o rdet;; soldiers, a chief, and a sergeant, at my disposal, of this last, with two soldiery, to sea rc h t h e ow/4.000f mountain; but the extent prevented the eaPta, l l l 4 O it ; fugitives. I then conducted the prisoners into t' s. li d ," ( and with the assistance of the royalist volunteers 14, placed in prison. Some peasants whom I had sent t 4.1. the environs of the mountains succeeded in eapturiepl Alonzo, an officer of the royalist volunteers of T o rslis The rebels had six horses, two pistols, two sol el ' e sl i t st a foil, and two sabres ; they had likewise 12 0 ° - of ~e t gold and silver. To morrow the coi nmande r th e tr o °g royalist volunteers of this town will repair to arse where D. Alonzo was arrested, as this last deeioltsos he there raised 28 reds. I have summoned t he rs ol ( e' tants of the outskirts of Aliajados, in order to 1/ 13 g ts two rebels who have contriv e d to es c a pe. I b e e o' 9 commend to your Excellency the Regent the 0 10 0 0 Alba and the soldiers who acted under my 0 oir whose courage and b ravely are wort h y o f the commendation. " Oreliano la Vierga, Oct. 14,,1333. " Lieutenant Ensign of Cavalry, T. GO3 l 1 "To his Excellency the Minister of War." tfeCteio The Queen has been delighted to hear of the i s o 0 ,0 01 Lieutenant Gomez, and immediately ordered h o ige promoted, which he deserved ; and she has g sere mended that his soldiers should r e ceive the l o tor pence as those who captured Santos Ladron in c 10 1° According to the accounts that Governio e ' v ipe f ' o ,o l ceived from the C iptains Gen e r a l of the P ro Ore,: was calm in Estremidura, Andalusia, Ca t h y ' and Valencia, Murcia, Catalonia, Sarfte" s 'orell Guipuzcon, Old Castile, and Gallicia. The/ on The te 11th and 15th of October. ./ o il h following report was sent from Sanfividoel;elifo " We have the honour to announce to you r c o io l le fe l i f that we are informed, by the report of th e coOPii ° Carbineers, D. Sancho, that this officer to e,' routed and dispersed the rebels, under the co of the rib; Lieut. Col. D. Pedro de la Bircena, adjutantg„jelltioo, vincial royals. We pray you to acquaint leer P rec e a tes Queen of this circumstance. We beg leave w oo r" to the notice of your Excellency D. Pardo. 0 bi tranquillity reigns throughout the province' 0 Santander ."The Members of th e M unic i pa l i ty of SO "' ef Minister of the Inte r ior. 0 1;e 0 (ANOTHER REPORT.) r SO' je " I have th e h onour to announ ce to Y ° " petiglolt that I set out in pursuit of the reb el 00°_,, 8 o'c l • Barbacena with the whole of my soldieri, F• 'a~ 11 1 e till II 4 ddr * ere de Citil cel a , a t ,. Aetk, th, Tfi 4eal 1...% hrt,,, , th ' e 1,, Th, /t out , Po o l f or ' c _