The Express.
London, England, 1848-04-26 00:00:00

PORTUGAL.

By the steamer Tiger, arrived to-day at gonthamp-
ton, we have news from Lisbon to the 20th instant.
The following is an extract from the letter of our
correspondent:
LISBON, Arntt 20.
In one of my recent letters I detailed to Sou the
proposed plans of the Portuguese Finance Minister res-
pecting the budget, and m. nti d the intention of .• capi-
talising " the overdue dividends upon the foreign debt, and
in commenting upon this shameless proceeding stigmatised
the measure as a robbery of the English creditors. Lord
Palmerston, I am hooey to state, appears to have receive d
the news of the contemplated fraud with equal disgust, and
has, in consequence, forwarded instructions to the British
minister here, not only to protest against any such
act on the part of the government; but, what is het'er,
and more to the purpose, the protest has been accompanied
by an imperative demand that the dividends in arrear
should be immediately paid up, and, if his lord-
ship would only slow himself really in earnest
in his demand, some chance might exist for the poor bond-
holder ; but, rely upon it, that if protests and demand are
merely confined to paper cartels, they will be lust as much
heeded as were the stipulation+ of the protocol when Eng-
I and had done the dirty work for Donna Maria, and Eng-
lish assistance wns ho longer needed.
Now, it is not at all unlikely that, out of the circum-
stance of this protest and this demand I.y Lord Palmerston,
on attempt (emanating from here) may be made to force up
Portuguese stock, and to give it a temporary fictitious value ;
such an effort would be peefectlyin keeping with the chars,
• ers of certain stock-jobbing ex-nuniaters, the John Olivetras,
&c., and having tor its own end and aim • little
profitable busines. for their own special behoof and
benefit; you will do well, therefore, to pat your readers
upon their guard, and to sound aloud old 'fownsheners
monitory caution of " Gentlemen, pray take care of your
pockets."
Sir it :mitten Seymour, I can assure you will not be
enabled to writs very cheeringly to his chief upon this
subject, as in his interviews with the Portuguese uon.ster,
the only reply or satisfaction he could extort was simply
a regret at the impossibility of even promising a farthing in
the way of liquidation.
' We bad some notion a few nights since that there would
have been a disturbance, as in the middle of the night the
noise and rattle of the wheels of gun carriages were heard in all
directions ; it proved a false alarm however, and the artillery,
after having been despatched to the various barracks, bad,
in the morning, to be quietly trundled back again.
P.S. A rumour is current of an intention on the part of
the Quern to mat Costa Cabral to her councils; hut I hold
rice report to be altogether unworthy of credence, more par-
ticularly as the Duke of Pal:m.lla landed yesterday from

HAVANNA.
We have bean favoured with the following com-
mercial news from Havanna, nt March 28th: Since tiv•
26th ultimo, the prices of Sugar have gradually experienced
an advance, owing to the combined influence of an active
general demand for Spain, the United States, Germany, and
Cowls and a market, and to the prevalence of unfavourable
weather, which has kept our stocks in a very moderate state,
by impeding the movements of coasters with supplies from
the interior. Such was the state of the market
until the arrival of the English steamer, and the
value of Sugars was sustained at the following rates :
Awned kinds, for n. 6s. 10d. to 75. Ild.; whites, free
on hoard, per cwt., 23,. Ild. to 265. Ild. ; superior, 28s. ld.
to 28a. Bd. ; yellows, 18s. 7d. to 19s. 9d.; Floretcs, 20s. 4d.
to 225. 9d. ; browns, 16s. sd. to 18s. ; Cucuruchos, 15s. Id.
to 15s. Bd. Muscovado Sugars come forward only in mode-
rate quantities, and sales were made at srs. to 51rs. Vcry
little of prime quality makes its appearance. Molasses has
been supported at lira., though loft. rly there has not been
much doing. The late shipments to the United States have been
heavy, resulting from large speculative purchases made at
high rates. The transactions in Coffee are scarcely worthy
of notice, at 61 dole. to 7 dole. The last transactions in
freights were at 21. 17s. 61. to 31. 2s. fal. for Cowes, ace ding
to the size and character of the vessels: one of very
large capacity was taken at V. 12a. fd. For small
English vessels, 31. Ws. was paid, and 31. Sa. for
a smell Spanish brig to Hamburg t irect. One
cannot judge yet what effect the important occurrences re-
ferred to above may exert on the shipping interests in our
ports. The bulk of exchange operations on London for the
packet were at 11 per cent. premium; but since the arrival
of the inward steamer, higher rates were asked, but very
little has been done. The last transactions on Paris were at
3i per cent. discount, but now there is no inquiry fur bills
on that city.

PARISH ELECTIONS took place yesterday in various .
parts of the metropolis. The following points are worthy of
notice: IN LAMBETH, on the election of the board for the
superinten lence of the highways, a ratepayer inquired what
arrangement had been ,ome to on the part of the late board
with tke South Western Railway Company relative to the re-
pairs of the roads rendered necessary by the formation of the
extension line through the parish, and it was stated, in an-
swer, that the board had received from the company 1,0001
towards the repairs of the ro .ds, which was considered a most
satisfactory arrangement. They bad also received from the
company a further sum of 2.501: on account of the rates, and
the balance in hand amounted to 2,0601.—IN ST. SA-
vioules, SOUTHWARK, a notice of motion was given by
Mr. It. Clark relative to future interments in the church.
These interments had been found highly,
.injurious to the
health of these who attended divine service, besides being
attended with other consequences of a painful nature.—
IN BERMONDSEY, Mr. Elkington stated that he had given
notice of a motion to petition the legislature upon sub-
ject of the income tax; but as that question had beenthe settled
in the Rouse of Commons, and as a number of members of
parliament and gentlemen had agreed to seek a better state
of the representation, he thought that it would be more ad.
visable to direct the attention of the vestry to support that
question.--Av ST. ANNE'S, WESIMINBTER. Mr. George,
in pursuance of previous notice, proposed the following
resolution :
That for the purpose of enabling the vestry to ascertain whether so
much of the act of 9 and 10 Vic. c. ;4, 18 may be applicable t
ea- this
. pariah shoukl be carried into effeCt, a committee be formed to evour to obtain the ocincurrenee of someone of the adjoining parishes .a •
form jointly with them isiths and wash-houses, and that they should
ezuleavour to obtain the moat eligible site and the estimates of expense
for the erection thereof.
An amendment, that the consideration of the question be
postponed to that day twelve months, was, however,
moved, and earned by a large majority (for dirt).—
IN ST. GILES, CAMBERWELL, the report on the highways i
and sanitary state of the parish showed that the committee
had, by direction of the metropolitan commission, caused
surveys and plans of the levels of the parish to be
e made
the
with a view to the effectual drainage and sewerag of
parish. The demands against the board were 1,1601., whilst
. they had but GU in hand, 1,2291. of the rate remaining to be
' collected.
THE CHARTIST CONVENTION WWI IIIIIOIIIICed to I
meet yesterday in John-street, Tettenhotn-conrt-road, and
in oorurequenoe a large crowd sureembled, who were doomed
to disappointment, as they were informed by a messenger
stationed at the door that there would be no meeting. Whe-
ther the Cll3llll and Government Security Bill, which re-
ceived the royal assent on Saturday, had an
it y
is effect inrstood pre-
' venting the assembly was not stated, but und
' that some of the delegates have resigned.