The Express.
London, England, 1852-04-15 00:00:00

THE PENINSULAR MAIL.

SOUTHAMPTON, APRIL 14.
The Oriental Compapy's steam packet Iberia, Cap-
tain J. W. Burney, arrived here to-day, and landed
her mails under the charge of Lieut. Veitch, R.N.,
Admiralty agent. Her dates are :—Gibraltar, April
5; Cadiz, April 6 ; Lisbon, April 9 ; Oporto, April
10; and Vigo, April 10.
The Iberia brings 49 passengers.
The Iberia experienced fine weather on her home-
ward voyage, with fresh easterly winds from Cape
Finistore, with a head sea. She left at Gibraltar, April
6, H.M. ship Queen (with the flag of Sir W. Parker),
Vengeance, Hercules, Terrible, Spiteful, and Janus ;
Queen and Hercules were to sail in a day or two
for England ; at Lisbon, April 9th, H.M. ships Al-
bion, Indefatigable, Phaeton, and steamers Dragon
and Encounter. The foreign ships of war at Catlin
were the American steamer San Jacinto, 6 guns; the
French steamer Newton ; the Spanish frigate Villa
de Bilboa, 30 guns ; the Spanish schooner Cruz, 6
guns; the Spanish steamers Vulcan, 6 guns, and
Isabel IL, 16 guns.
Our correspondent writes:
LISBON APRIL 9.
In my last I informed you that ministers had
been defeated on the question of abolishing the punishment
of death for political offences. The abolition, whichuV
opposed, is popular with all classes throughout
ases Port
and th-ir conduct, therefore, has in no wise improved their
position. The greater number of the members who vela
with the cabinet in the minority are known to be favorable
to the principle of the resolution carried, and only
it on account of point, of detail. As the present elr2Creta
incontestably the most independent and respectable repre-
sentative body which has hitherto been assembled in Por-
tugal, the Minister of the Interior cannot easily be ex-
cused by constitutionalists fur setting himself so inflexibly
against its decision. It has been said that the ministers
were anxious to go out of office, and took advantage of that
incident to tender their resignation, but no effort has been
made to form a new ministry ; on the contrary, the petty
coup (Pilaf of Seabee Magalhaens in adjourning the cham-
bers shows rather their anxiety to retain office. The
decree adjourning the Cortes to May 28, is very short, and
gives no intimation of the reasons of the measure.
As it was known that the decree had been signed to ad-
)varn the Cortes, a declaration was laid on the table before
its arrival, signed by 15 deputies, protesting against the
eellection of the taxes from the lot of July (the commence-
ment of the civil year) forward, without their being voted
the legislative body, according to the form prescribed by
Ike Bth paragraph of article Idol the constitutional charter.
Tim adjournment, however, demonstrates that the minister'
have 1116 a majority in the chamber, and that, consequently,
duty easiest carry out their intentions ; but the fact is the
chamber is a body composed of what we should rill inde-
pendent men, who merely look upon the government as the
executive body, sad will not be blindly led by it; It wishes
to see the programme of the Duke carried out, but it is
perfectly aware that the government contains a member
who is not only a conservative, but an anti-reformer and
who in bringing in the additional act, was only yielding to
circumstances. The Chamber is anxious—nay, desirous, to
see, and to support the Duke at the head of affairs, but it
objects to Magalhsens and Fontes Pereira de Mello, the
minister of finance.
The total less of the steamer Porto, one of the steamers
employed to run between Lisbon and Oporto, has filled the
tufty of Oporto with mourning. The steamer was is a bad
state, and required repair, yet, notwithstanding this, she
gut to sea from Oporto on the morning of the 28th nit, at
ftit time threatening, if not actually blowing, a gale of
'edeit. A few hours afterwards she sustained a defect, bat
aid every exertion to contend until the following day,when,
UN( off Figueira, the passengers obliged the mate (who
bathe command et the vessel, the captain havingbecn left oa
*ore sick) to bear up for a port, and she re-appeared off the
bar of Oporto at half-past five o'clock p.m. of that day ; but
unfortunately her state would not permit her to contend
with the violence of the sea, and she struck on the rock on
flee earth side of the Douro, in front of the castle of St.
lan do Ws. In this desperate situation, beating upon the
test, the sea rolling over her, and the violence of the wintl
almost precluding all succour, the cries of the unfortunatf
peinagers and crew for aid only augmented the horror of
the wbils there was no life-boat or any other remedy
egos toss slightest reliance could be placed as
NNW On mese of a single life. Notwithstanding these
=ee, two pilot boats put off, only to return
, as they were unable to sustain the
tested with the all-devouring waves ; yet another
put off, and succeeded in so nearing the steamer
as to catch a hawser which the crew of the latter
threw towards her. At this critical moment, the
pulling the boat towards the steamer by assiesel7tt
bawler, the people in the boat let go the bawler to avoid
certain death, and with it every hope of the peemegass was
lest ; the boat was enabled to keep the *ea mail the middle
of die night, but without being able to save say ass. Ohs,
it Is Mid, were made of an immense amount for gulag the
pentagon; so much as a coot* of eels (2201.) for se ewe
saved, yet all in vain; dismay alone reigned. Attempts
Two made to throw ropes to the steamer by means of
=ibut this too failod ; at length the fire was quenehed,
tte
vessel broke into two halves, and immediately sunk,
dr pilau of her masts appearing above water, with. pas-
se,rtlresamin/tcomtheo,nan,:lf
.iiryeing in, vain f
the sea ilr.daludr,eavirr
over the awful scene of horror, which had been wit-
od hy_multitudes from the city. In this horrifying
tanner 27posons have perished.
A commission has been appointed to examine the locality
north of the Douro, for the purpose of forming a port, is
conjunction with improvements to be effected at the bar of
that river, and other measures taken to succour vessels in
danger; and another commission is to inquire fully into the
causes of the late disaster, and if the vessel was seaworthy,
and where blame exists.
Para is declared " infected with yellow fever," and Per-
nambuco declared " infected."
From official returns it appears that in the 24 years from
1820 to 1851, 50,488 persons emigrated from Portugal to
Rio de Janeiro.
On the let, Le Voyageur, French steamer, sailed on her
way to Cayenne.
_ , Exchange, 64j. Discount of Lisbon bank notes, 2 per
right rent.