The Express.
London, England, 1847-09-04 00:00:00

LATEST INTELLIGENCE.

THIS DAY, Four o'Clock.
We have accounts from Lisbon to the 24th ult., an-
nouncing the formation of a new ministry. The
Mario di Governo of the 23rd contains the official
statement of the dismissal of several members of the
old cabinet, and the nomination of their successors.
The Conde de Tojal, da Berea, Bayard, Leitso, and de
Almeida are "dismissed," such is the word employed
in the official document, and the following are ap-
pointed to vacant offices :
A. de A. Mello. • Carcalho.—Minister of the Kiagdom
sad President of the Council of Ministers.
Francisco Antonia Fernandes da Bars Ferrio.—Borleal-
otical Affain and Justice.
Baron da Lus.—Foreign Affairs.
Marino Miguel Fraxami.--Finance.
Julo de F Pereira de Mello.—Marine and Colonise.
Boron de Almoralla.—War.
These appointments are countersigned by Carvalho,
who, having been applied to on the failure of de
Magalhaene to form an administration, appeers to
have found no difficulty in arranging the above
cabinet ; which were at once declared to be Cabralists
in disguise, and therefore nothing more than a con-
tinued violation of the fourth condition of the pro-
tocol. This was denied; bat, whether Cabralists or
not, all parties seemed to be tolerably agreed, that as a
cabinet it possessed neither character nor influence; that
it was so manifestly insufficient for the emergency of the
times, and so incapable of conducting the affairs of
Portugal in the present critical conjuncture, that it
was impossible it could hold office very long. The
avowed Cabralists were of course elated; confident
that the new ministers must, ere many days, give
place to Costa Cabral and his immediate followers.
On assuming the reins of office, the Carvalho cabinet
put forward an exposition of the political principles
by which its members would be guided ; in which, if
they are sincere, it is the more to be regretted that
they are deficient in the power to carry their inten-
tions into effect. In this programme they declare that
the cabinet has adopted conciliation between all
parties as the basis of its policy; that it is determined
to respect and observe the charter ; to fulfil all the di-
plomatic engagements contracted with foreign powers;
and to carry on the government on principles of
honesty and independence. Still the ministry is en-
tirety destitute of consideration; so much so that it
was considered very unlikely it would attempt to
govern the country. The new premier served
for two years as Minister of Justice under
Costa Cabral, but resigned his appointment and
retired from the Cab al party. Dom A. de
Silva Ferrso is a distinguished councillor in the Su-
preme Court, but is considered a decided Cabralist,
and likely to prop up the financial speculations of the
bank. The Baron da Luz, the new Minister for
Foreign Affairs, better known as Colonel Barreiro', is
an accomplished engineer officer. Franzini, the
Finance Minister, is a man of ability, but ignorant of
the details of the department over which he
presides. He was formerly Colonel of the Marine
Brigade, and is a large shareholder in the
bank. Pereira de Mello, the new Minister of
Marine, is a captain in the navy. He was governor
of the Cape 'Verde, where he exhibited considerable
administrative incapaeay. The Baron de Almon:ilia,
the new War Minister, wax one of Baldanha's superior
ofiicere throughout the civil war. He is known as
Brigadier Silva Leao, and is a good artillery officer,
but is a very decided Cabralist, and was one of the
most active of the military 'lent' employed in brining
about a counter-revolution in the palace on the night
of the 6th of October last. Such is the new cabinet.
Sir C. Napier's fleet arrived at Lisbon on the 22nd
Aust.
The discount on Blink of Lisbon notes had risen to
1,900 rein per 4,800.

LAST MOMENTS OF THE DUKE DE PRASLIN.
The Monileur of Thursday contains an official note
of the secret sitting of es Chamber of Patill on Monday.
The deliberation of that noble assembly turned chiefly upon
the question of the poison taken by the duke, and whether
he could have obtained it in prison or not. The question
was let at rest completely by '.,e Duke Decases, grand re-
ferendaire, who detailed the following circumstances, which
were listened to with intense interest "On Tuesday morn-
ing (the duke died en Tuesday evening), at the entreaty of
the family, and to discharge what they considered a duty,
the grand referendaire visited the. prisoner. The Duke
de Praha complained of his sufferings. The grand
referendaire observed that such sufferings must hairs bees
occasioned by the poison he had taken, while the doctors
had been misled as to its nature, and the proper mode of
treatment by two empty bottles found in his secretaire, sad
which had contained laudanum. The prisoner replied that
he had not taken laudanum; and then, being pressed on the
subject, he acknowledged that he had taken arsenic out of
the phial found on Friday in his drawing-gown. The
grand referendaire having asked how he obtained the
poison, he declared that nobody had given it to him,
and that he had taken it with him from Praslin the
evening preceding the crime, exclaiming at the sane
time, with great emotion, against the supposition that
any one could have believed that he had provided himself
with it for the purpose of poisoning Madame de Praslin. He
avowed that he took the poison at the moment he perceived,
by the measures taken against him, that there were grave
suspicions on his account. Suicide, it was remarked,in pre-
sence of such en accusation, became a confesiion. Upend&
the prisoner observed silence, but he repelled with segmeat
the idea that he should have confided to any one the pro's*
of his crime ; and as he interrupted these explanations by also
of pain, the grand referendaere asked him if his mental
aufferiage did not exceed tome of his body, and if they
ought not to suggest to him the necessity of solacing
such sufferings by the expression of that repentance that
must lie at the bottom of his heart, adding that his family
indulged the belief that he could have only committed such
a barbarous crime in a mom, nt of insensate rage, which he
now bitterly deplored. Raisiag then his eyes and hands to
Heaven, the unfortunate man cried, with a strong yet tremb-
ling voice, (oh, si je le deplore.' The grand refereniaire
then took the opportunity tosay to him, that at such an awful
moment, in order to satisfy at once the Justice of God
and man, he ought to make the expression of kis re-
pentance as public as was his crime, and that a complete
confession would at least, as far as possible, explain the de-
lirium that had carried him away. The grand referendaire
offered to go at once for the chancellor to rec- are his con-
fession should he seem so disposed, or to take it himself at
the moment. He listened to these words with great emotion,
Sad appeared to labour under an in wield struggle ; then, after
a little hesitation, he replied, lam too fatigued and suffer
too math at this moment; tell the chance lor that I beg him
Dot to come till to-morrow morning.' His trouble of
Mind was too visible, and his sufferings too great,
to allow n( this interview being prolonged. The doctors
had jest declared that it was of urgency t? offer the succour
el religion to the prisoner. As no clergyman had been
aimed by the family, and in the absence of the cure of St.
Salvia, this pious mission was confided to the cure de Saint
Jaques du Haut Pea. The collet knows how much strength
tmd calmness the prisoner received from this pious ceremony;
then again the Chancellor offered, but in vain, to receive
ecatession of guilt."

LTSPECTORS OF PRISON/I.—lt is andereiood that
reptain Willime, the inspector of pri,ons for the Midland
I:o!strict, will succeed to the inspectorship of the Home,Dis-
but, vacated by the death of Mr. Russell. Captain O'Brien
will move from the Scot-h district to the Midland ; and the
Intße efor appointed for the Scotch district is Captain Kin-
who Lev for many yean been the goveiner of Bridewell
!Mon.
BARTHOLOMEW FAlR.—Yesterday, at noon, the
led Mayor attended at Smithfield, agree able to annual
Fab,. to proclaim Bartholomew Fair. His lordship arrived
Private, unattended by the nival procession. The Fro" tianetion was made at the Hand and Shears, Cloth-fair,
fw where the ancient court of" Pied Peudre " was also opened,
the trial of offence' committed in tke fair. A warning
was netted to the booth, stall, and exhibition keepers to close
at oin the evening, which might have been dispensed with,
the WY appearance of a fair being half a dozen straggling
.!breed stalls, the proprietors of which looked lonely
d'oinritad, and seemed to think they had much better
hers stop away. At 10 them were closed, and thus ended
wheat day of the ghost of " Bartlemy Fair." The show
driven away by the high rate of charge., held Bar-
tle'', in the Britannia fields, Islington, which was
tblolgol taring