The Express.
London, England, 1847-08-12 00:00:00

NEWS FROM PORTUGAL.

Her Majesty's steamer Phamix, arrived at Ports-
mouth, has brought us accounts from Lisbon to the
4th inst. By an ordinance published on the lot inst.,
the liberty of the press and of the subject had been
restored, and by a subsequent decree the municipal
bodies of the kingdom were directed to proceed to new
elections ; but nothing had been decided on as to the
meeting of the Cortes, nor, what is perhaps of more
importance, respecting a change of ministers. It ap-
pears, after all, that the representatives of the allied
powers had refrained from pressing Lord Palmerston's
requisition for the dismissal from power of the Ca-
balist ministry. which is accounted fur by an indis-
positionon their part to emtarrass the government
in the present position of affairs. It was, however,
understood that the demand would be made imme-
diately, in the shape of a "collective note," with'
which the queen would probably comply, though
protesting against such an uncalled-for interference
with her prerogatives. It was reported that Sir G. Sey-
mour had placed before her majesty a list, comprising
some thirty names, from which any selection made
would be satisfactory to the allies ; but in the selec-
tion of a ~ew cabinet there were numerous difficulties
on all hands, and not the least of them was the bank-
rupt state of the nation.
Das Antas was still at Lisbon, and had addressed a

remonstrance to the ministers of three powers as to
the cruelties inflicted on political prisoners. An attempt
upon the life of Sada Bandeira was rumoured. As
to the state of affairs, the Dior° reports thus : " In
general, pence is everywhere gradually re-es-
tabliahed. Isolated attempts have been made here
and there, but it is certain that they have obtained
no fruit whatever." The same journal published
royal decrees—the first re-establishing the depart-
ments of adjutant-general and quarter-master-general
as definitively annexed to the commander-in-cbiefship
of the army, which is vested in the king, the Viscount
Campanhaa, the king's aide-de-camp, resuming the
functions of quarter-master-general; and the second
decree reorganising the war-office. The junta of public
credit bad published the programme of the grand
national lottery, which is to cancel about half a mil-
lion sterling of Bank of Lisbon notes. The sale of
tickets proceeded slowly ; but if it could be effected,
it would afford great relef. We annex the letter of '
a Lisbon correspondent :
LISBON, Arorsr 3.
Her Majesty's war-steamer Phataiz has suddenly
received orders from the admiral to leave for England with
despatches. She sails at day-break to-morrow, and as a mail
"making up, lam enabled to give you a-we brief headings
of Lisbon news, aid of the various on rids that are now
160 re particatarly attracting while attention. First, then,
and the most prominent and important event as regards facts,
Isn'heen the removal of the restricons upon the liberty of
the subject and the freedom of the press, and yeeterassy
(Sunday being no publishing day with us) we had the satis-
faction of seeing all our old friends of the press in the
field again, the nerolercao de Neembro, Patrin!a, &c.,
bend" ionic one or two new claimants unon public luna-
tion; amongst these latter is the Eatandarte, a paper put
forwent by the Cabral'', an abusive but a very feeble and
miserable affair in reference to literary ability; in fact sews.
paper talent in Portugal is as yet but at a very low ebb. To
the very moment of the re-appearance of the journals
there was hardly other opinion but that the obnoxious ordi-
nances would have been renewed; and it is believed ster.e.
tally, and the impression is I believe well founded, that to
our minister, Sir George Seymour', energetic remonstrance
alone, we are indebted to this first and very imp_artant article
of the protocol being complied with. The tone of
the journals, as may naturally be anticipated. is not a :act ly of
the most conciliatory description; but, "fleeing upon the
muses of exasperation already past and those yet in existence,
some clamour might be expected.
With the queen, her husband, and the court, neither
English admiral nor minister is in very great favour, a
testimony, by the way, of their exertions being honestly bent
to seethe queen's promises and pledges fairly and fully car.
tied out. At a ball given on the 31st by the officers of the
National Guard, to the Marquis of Pronteira d'Aloena, their
Wand, a marked slight was offered to Sir Wm. Parker, there
prefect ; it was of a trumpery description, but sufficient
to show a paltry animus the French and the Spanieh re-
tinal &nth, ms were repeatedly played during the evening,
and vociferously applauded, while our English " God save
the Queen" wee purposely omitted. The entertainment
itself was of a meagre description, a 1 may be supposed, where
early the entire nobility and gentry of a kingdom are
estranged from a court, and do not recognise the dynasty of
the sovereign. Not but there were present a numerous
sprinkling of new made counts and barons; but these gentry
for the present, wear their bleeding honours but awkwardly
—recollections of the counter and the shop stilt embarrass
theta. Nor can we expect their se.od and lusty dames to
mem extetly the grace and ease of the highborn Ir.d:es of
more exclusive courts.
/be arrival of the Duke of Saldanha from the north, and
the manner of his reception at the palace, have furnished
food for gossip, for, not only cad the queen abstain from the
usual courtesy of sending one of the royal carriages to re-
ceive him, but the Prince of Saxe Coburg, her husband, with
the little princes, purposely absented themselves from the
mewl on the occasion of hie landing, and the poor marshal
had to find his way to the palace in • hackney coach. He is
"Presented as feeling the slight moat bitterly. The Count
des Antos has addressed a strong remonstrance upon the pre-
treat Cite of things to the representatives of the three powers,
and complains that even at the moment of his writing, the
gaols, both here and in other points of the kingdom. were
crowded with political prisoners, and that life was not
Beare in Lisbon. The document, it is stated, met with very
serious attention. A cowardly and attrocious attempt
cos made a few slays past to assassinate the Viscount
Sada Bandeira, another popular chief, who since his
alter' from prison has been residing with the alsrquie
of Fayal ( the Duke of Palmells's son), at his country
seat at Luteear. A party of public employs essayed to
waylay him en his way to Lisbon, but, timely
Iwticc being given him, the Viscount turned back,
was fortunate enough to escape the knives of
me wearies. Great excitement is the consequence ; in fact,
Me condurt of th, government partisans, military and civil,
lief the most vile description. I believe I told you in my
int that a battalion, the Sixteenth, notorious for its
cowardice in the field and misconduct in quarters, had been
ormaitting a series of outrages on the persons of the Gallegos,
110 are the water-caniers, end in general our domestic ser-
vants. The Spanish minister has insisted upon proportionate
Pultiehreent being inflicted, and went so far as to intimate
that be should require • his warports in event of re-
tool The matter is still in abeyance, but the bat-
talk"' Will be moat likely sent into the provinces,
th thus one element of discord will he got rid of in
7°1414 Of the exAzores ition to reduce the we hare
',!,dirt. but, by a salpedmi just in from Madeira,we learn that
~,s 26th ult. the Queen's authori mem meettablished in
n. "Wei, arid her governor ind Jacketed into
...PM. A royal chow has been published, ordering the