The Express.
London, England, 1847-08-04 00:00:00

LATEST INTELLIGENCE.

TILTS DAY, Four o'Clock:

In a late edition last evening we were enabled
toannounee the arrival, yesterday, at Southampton, of I
the Peninsular and Oriental Company's strainer
Jupiter, Capt. Mechan, Lient. Inglis, Admiralty
agent, with the peninsular mails, bringing news from
Gibraltar to the 2:ith ult., Cadiz the 26th, Lisbon the
29th, and Oporto the 30th. From Lisbon we learn
that the anti-popular party was still in power, and
appeared likely to remain so, if the. Queen could con-
trive by. any means to retain the services of such
pliant mir.isters. It was, however, reported, that the
British envoy had received instructions from Lord
Palmerston to require the dismissal of the
Cabralist ministry, and that a formal demand
to that effect would immediately he made by Sir
George Seymour: in conjunction with the representa-
tives of France and Spain. It was through that the
Queen would refuse compliance, and protest against
an attempt thus to interfere with the free exercise of
her undoubted prerogative. If she conceded, the
Cabralists threatened her with a revolt, while,
on the other hand, the Liberals were oreani„ zing
&movement to take place immediately on the with-
drawal of the allied squadrons. To increase the com-
plication of state affairs, the Migaelites, too, were not
idle • so that while matters wore the appearance of
general tranquillity, the country
. seemed npe for civil
war. There had been no intention manifested by the
government to proceed to the election for the Cortes.
In fact, the ministry appeared to hold their assembling
in so much dread, that, to postpone the evil day ,a con-
temptible expedient had been resorted to. Arrivals of
troops from the provinces at Lisbon were frequent, and
the plan of disbanding them had led to quarrels
between the soldiers and the inhabitants, the
latter generally coming off with wounds and
bruises. The fact of some Gallegos being svotuidee
in these encounters had produced a eseeplaiat fro.
the Spanish minister on the subject. Saldanha anived
at Lisbon from Oporto in the Infanta steamer, on the
29th, the several squadrons giving him a salute.
The defences of Oporto were being dismantled, so
as to leave the inhabitants no chance of resistance in
case of future revolt. The Spanish troops were still
in possession, but were departing by degrees. Gets.
Concha had left with a portion of the army for the
north on the 27th, intending to embark at Vigo for
Barcelona. These troops were subsequently seen
embarking on board two Spanish steamers, which
afterwards left for Barcelona. The force still remain-
ing at Oporto consisted of five battalions of infantry,
one squadron of cavalry, and a dozen pieces of
artiTillreal was resuming activity, and large shipments
cf manufactured goods were expected.
We annex the letter of a Lisbon correspondent:
LISBON, Jt US 29.
In my last I informed you of aeonternplated change
in the ministry here, and that amongst those who bad been
called upon by the queen were the Count of Lavradia, and
that old and wily diplomatist, Rodrigo Fonseca Maghalriee,
and yet, although this has bees the absorbing and every-day
topic of discussion for pretty near a fortnight, nothing has
yet officially transpired as to the new arrangements. The case
would seem to be that, apart from mere party dfficulties,
every attempt at the formation of a new ministry capable of
sustaining itself for twenty-four hours has been found imprac-
ticable, from the grave and very significant cause, the bankrupt
and desperate state of the Portuguese treasury, every penny
that can be scraped together, forestalled. or extorted, being in-
sufficient cornett the clamorous exigencies of the war depart-
ment alone, the cost of sustainiog an idle parade °timeless and
worthless soldiery absorbing everything ; in fact there would
appear to be but one bond of union likely to reconcile the at
present dice, pant factions into whih the "Portuguese
family" is divided—the universal desire upon all hands to
bane one ether dip into the money bags of suffering John
Bull. A loan is the cry. Upon this point the factious are
not divided. A loan! this small difficulty surmounted,
and we shall then kave no lack of state tinkers eager for
piece and aet for pillage. It remains to be seen then,
whether Mr. John D'Oliveira will by any process of leger-
demain, succeed in a further conversion of English gold into
these:id securities offered by renewed issues of Cortss beside.
It is now a month since we have been assured, and had
the fact proclaimed by the official organ of government, that
the pacification of the country Was complete, and that the
queen's authority was restored in every province of the king-
dom, and yet the liberty of the press is still suspended, and
the convocation of the Cortes postponed. In connexion with
this latter fact, a most running and subtle intrigue has been
on foot, to the no small disgust of the English minister, and
likely to be viewed with equal distaste by the government at
home. A circular has been sent from the minister of the in-
terior, and marked " private and confidential," directed to
all the municipalities throughout the country, and to all the
smaller fry of authorities in the rural districts, directing
them to pour in addresses to the queen without delay, strlpag
the danger to the public peace likely to arise frum the elec-
tions, lad suggesting their postponement; and by this
artifice it was hoped by the government to blind
Sir George Seymour, and to evade compliance with
the first and most important stipulation of the
protocol. So much for the Queen of Portegars
good faith, and upon a par with the good faith
she has in every public act exhibited since Napier and his
sailers and English and French bayonets placed her on the
Portuguese throne. It is to be hoped that this exposure of
the contemplated ruse may have the effect of rendering it
harmless. The city is now thronged with troops, and not
upon their very best behaviour ; in particular, a battalion of
infantry, the sixteenth, recently arrived from Oporto, has
bees guifty of great excuses. ()a Sunday and on Monday
'nights they sallied from their barracks, and made a
general attack upon the (Alleges waiting at the different
fountains, and the disorder reached such a point that
the Spanish minister had to interfere, and his strong re-
monatrance to the Marquis of Fronteira, the civil governor,
was not without effect; but it is highly dangerous for any
Petson to be out after nightfall. the soldiery parading the
town the night through, mid insulting and abusing every
one they come across in plain clothes, or whom they may
choose to suppose may be a " ratulea."
At Oporto, strange to say, the queen's authorities seem to
vie with each other in ditiliketo the English, and let no way
escape them of manifesting it. The following occurrence will
best illustrate the feeling I describe. It would appear that
the other day, upon the Spanish man-of-war brig,
the Soberano, being about to leave, the Douro, the
commandant made the usual requisition for a pilot, and
partientirly mentioned the government acting chief pilot be
name, a Isl. Tabostlin, a most respectable mss, and much
esteemed by the English merchants generally. It so hap-
pened, hewever, that M. Tabordio was obliged to excuse
himself, haying engaged on the sante day to carry the
British war-steamer the Gladiator across the bar. This re-
fusal to leave the one to go to the other yeast was resented
by the Spanish officer. Complaint was made, and M.
Taliordio was immediately dismissed his employment.
Now, as something like a couple of hundred or over of
Engliah malt enter the Douro annually, it is hard that
the British shipping should he exposed to risk and damage
by the dismissal of the ablest piiot at the port ; however, as a
spirited rerresentation to Lord Palmerston is, I ant told, in
course of laturc by the English resident merchants, it
is to be hoped that this ease may be viewed by his lordship.
as one whrre our "legitimate influence in the cour.cils of
Portugal " may be exercised with just effect.