The Express.
London, England, 1849-10-27 00:00:00

THE PENINSULAR MAIL.

The Oriental Company's steam packet, Jupiter,
Captain Francis Meehan, arrived at Southampton
last evening, and landed her mane under the charge
of Lieutenant P. Rainier, RN., admiralty agent. Her
dates are, Gibraltar, Oct. 19 ; Cadiz, 20th ; Lisbon,
22d : Oporto, 23rd ; and Vigo, 24th.
The very shameful robbery perpetrated at Vigo by
the authorities in the case of the British emigrant
ship, Pearl (rays a correspondent), ought, I think,
to be broight forward. The Pearl having Asiatic
cholera on board, Font in there and demanded assist-
arx.r. She was offered the alternative of either pro-
ceeding to sea or discharging all her cargo at the I.a
zarette ; and the mate being ill and the master dead,
the latter alternative was perforce adopted. Not
content with the exorbitant fees demanded and paid
for the landing of her very valuable cargo, not a
night passed during the time the cargo was
as4.ore without thinks and cases being clan-
destinely opened and robbed. No one be-
bulging to the ship was allowed ashore
a'ter sunset, and had it not been for a bribe of
about 60/. given to the Alcalde, the peculation and
delay would have been still greater. Many of the
trunks thus opened were worth 3001. or 400/., and, of
course, until the ship's arrival at her destination the
amount pilfered cannot be ascertained. The widow
of her unfortunate master, as well as one of her own-
ers, came home in the Jupiter.
While in Gibraltar the Jupiter encountered a very
heavy gale at east, and on our return to Lisbon we
found two vessels, a German ship and an English
schooner, diemasted.
The news from Portugal will be found in the let-
ter of our Lisbon correspondent :
LISBON, Ocr. 20.
I tad yon in my last letter that all were on the
tip-toe of expectation here to know the result of the
demand made by Viscount Moneorvo en the British
government for satisfaction for the violation of the
territory of .Macao by the redoubtable Captain
Keppel ; and although nothing certain has transpired
regarding Lord Pelmer.ton's reply, yet sufficient is
whi►pered to have roused the indignation of the Por-
tuguese.
The chiefs of the various parties with which the
country has been si long, and is still so unhappilyl
distracted, are now directing all their efforts towards
the support of their partizans for the municipal
offices. While the C-unt de Thomar is making
every exertion to secure the return of the govern-
ment supporters in the municipal election•, his
brother, Jose de Silva Cabral, is using every stratagem
to foil him.

Ot the loan which I mentioned in my last letter, iti
appears 132 contos of reie was readily taken up in
Oporto. The ministry hes also taken up a loan of
100 cc•ntos for the roads, which they were anthorisel
to do by the Cortex, as the donations to carry on that
great part of national improvement were not suf-
ficient.

Some re luctions and other measures which the
government have adopted, have caused an improve-
ment in the finance department. Inquiry into defal-
cations is still going on ; but the great measure with
which the mirastry will hen, to contend hes not yet
caused any remedy to be proposed ; I mean the Spanish
tariff, of the effects of which it is yet impossible to
give any correct opinion.
I mentioned in my last that the authorities had for
the present checked a Guenilla attempt ; but it ap-
pears • part have made their appearance nudes a
Spaniard named Leon. Cavalry have been rent after
them, and it is not positively keown whether they
have a political object, or have been formed only to
plunder the wayfaring.
No decision hes yet been come to with re-
spect to the supplying Lisbon with water.
The Anglc-lueo Company, it is expected, will have
the contract ; but old proposals have been renewed by
some parties requiring the government to modify
their conditions, which arc in the course of being re-
ported upon.
The Governor of Gibraltar has been censured for
the civilities eh 9 tei ii.e Duke and Duchess of
Montpensier, and also for visiting them in Spain.
The cross of Charles the Third, which the Queen of
Spain conferred on that gallant officer, he has been
refused permission to accept.
In order to reduce expense, and incline more to-
wards a constitutional system, the whole of the na-
tional battalions have been dismissed on furlough—a
staff guard being merely kept to take care of their
quarters. The improvements in the navigation of
the Tagus continue, the obstacles at the Villa Velha
have been removed, and the works are going oa to
make the river navigable between that place and the
Abrantes.
Published account of the notes of the Bank of
Portugal :—ln circulation, 435,470,000 reis ; deposits,
metal, 385,595,378 reis • cub, metal, 911,370,272
reis; silver (besides the above), 8,875,200 reis.
Exchange on London, 64. Discount on Lisbon
bank notes, 20 to 22.