The Express.
London, England, 1848-02-07 00:00:00

PORTUGAL.

The Oriental steam-packet Jupiter, Capt. Meehan
arrived at Suuthampton yesterday, and landed 114,
mails, under the charge of. Lieut. Rainier, Admiraltv
agent. Her dates are—Gibraltar, Jan. 26 ; (2.44,
2'7 ; Lisbon, 30; and Vigo, Feb. 1. There wu no
communication with Oporto, on account of the
weather.

The Jupiter was placed in a very critical situation
while rounding the Needles point, by the breaking et
the cross head of the air-pump of the port e
totally disabling the machinery when most required,
It occurred at a most fortunate period,as, had it taken
place five or ten minutes sooner, nothing could have
prevented her going on shore. The steamer came up
, with the assistance of her second engine.
A subscription, to he applied to the relief of the
wives end relatives of the crew of the Avenger, had
been set on foot by the officers and crews of the
squadron in the Tagus, and the following are the
sums each ship has collected: St. Vincent, 122/.45. 2d.;
Canopus, 102/. 10s. tid.; Howe, about 451.; Queen,
551. Os. 10d. ; Amphion, 51/. 19s. 10d. ; ra
43/. 9s. 3d.; Scourge, 36/. 13s. ; Jac
8/. 19s. 7d.; Terrible, 371. Iris, 3d.: making a total
of 523/. 19s. 10d. Should the sum exceed 1,000/., the
surplus to be applied to the relief of the relatives of
the officers left destitute by their loss. The squadron
were very healthy, with the exception of the St. yin.
cent, which was suffering severely from small-pox,
and several of her crew have fallen victims. hi.
fluenza was general among the squadron, but Rash
abating.
LISBON, JAN. 29.
The Cortes have now been in session nearly a
whole month, and hav • no one day mimed a sitting (lie
crowns per day each member), and this long time by been
frittered away upon the most frivolous discussions. Not COO
single sublect of national importance has yet been touched
upon, nor have they even decided upon the usual prelimi-
nary of replying to the address from the crown.
The only subject of interest that has to he recorded is *
motion made by Costa Cabral, in the House of Peers, call-
ing for the production of all papers awl correspondence, of
whatever nature, connected with the armed interference of
the nations parties to the Quadruple Allience, as also of
those relating to the protocol, and to the coovention of
Oramido. doze Bernardo Cabral, his brother, has also, from
the lower house, moved for the production of similar docu-
ments ; so, from this proceeding, we are left to argue that
the two brothers are nut in a hurry to leave Lisbon for the
seat of their embassies in Paris and Bruit, although they
have contrived, even with the poverty of the Portuguese
exchequer, to extract, and have received, large sums
in advance, under the head of outfit and wary,
The Queen has also appointed Rebell° Cabral, another
brother, to be President of the Chamber of De.
parties ; while her confessor, the notorious Padre blame,
named vice president. The non arrival of the rest of the
deputies, only seventy being in Lisbon, is rea!ly acircurastsace
difficult to be accounted for, and, coupled with the fact of
two of the members for the Douro tarring retuned their seats,
gives an air of credence to a flying report that an influence
is in action, before which even D ions Maria mast yield,
and that the con, equence will be a f arc, d dissolut:on, and a
new election. Sir George Seymour, it is also reported, ha
handed in a note to the Portuguese government, c attaining,
amongst other demands, an immediate one for the payment
of the execute incurred by the operations o. the British
squadron, and in the capture of the Portuguese patriot fleet
in May last.
The debate upon the Queen's opening speech, re are pro-
mised, will commence on Monday.
Although the Cortes proceedings drag their weary length
so tediously, the press at least is active end belligerent
enough, and the Unioo, a Cabral paper, hes brought a cam-
plete storm stout its eau. for, in an article in which the
desperate state of the l'ortuguese finances is admitted, the
UMW comes to the rescue, and puts forward a most notable
scheme tor replenishing a bankrupt exchequer—it is by the
sacrifice of the Portuguese colonial permissions by sale, and
that sale to be, as at as auction, to the highest bidder.
England, it is hinted, would jump at the opportunity of
becoming what pour Mr. George Robins would have phrased,
the " fortunate purchaser." Then comes an estimate of
'slue, which is quietly dotted down at one hundred millions
of erusado', about ten English millions sterling. The
journals of the national parties, both Septembrista and
11' elite, have flown to arms, and denounce the outrage
with all the bi•terneas of wounded nationality. A severe
article appears iu the Name of the '27th, and no it embodies
the feeling of the prise geuerslly, with the exception of the
Cahral-Tojel clique, woo already imagine themselves in
mato ly of the bags containing the " ten millions," why 1
have ventured to translate it:

we have peen to.d.,y (nays the Karoo; a moot remarkable COMM,.
nieslian t.oertrd in the / ).;no, from which it i% to he concluded tbat
the nece-eity has arrived for puttiog up to public SAle, and dipposa
to the higheat bidder, of au•alry of the hraaehes of the withered
trunk of Perim:4l. And what are thaw branch,-! Heir, then. Po,
ce":„;7„.1.‘7,;".t-nks.r.:l
nor*, fle, of Cabo Verde, the rominen;..ltet ritory of Cabo Verde,
the Wand of Sao Thome and Principe,latm, D.inim, Dm, Solor, and
Tilllool. Thl. !turtling plan for improving our finance% i% a sample
of the thorn, U 'tarty, and of a government. We are Portanteq
and are proud of bring on, slid we cannot but we with the bitterest
indignatom that a Portuguew dlould be the advocate for tai. infamy.
It was reverved tin for our duva that a Portuguese propos
the, Poringue* should be reck..ned ae the lobate that twriah, and be
submitted to, and diapoeed of. by public suction.
On board the English squadror., I am pained to state, there
prevails consiuerable sickness, tonal.-pox haying shown itself,
as also a species of influenza, that has been tatsi in many
cases; them have been several di:lth.. The St. Vincent, the
admiral's ship, has been particularly unfortunate. The day
before yesterday they lost their gun room stt ward ( Wilkins),
and I am told that of that ship alone there are nearly one
hundred and sixty men on the sick list. The proceed-
ings of the court•martial recently held span a young
' marine officer (Charles Pyle), belonging to the queen,
have terminated. The charges were of a trumpery nature, rooms
disobedience of orders ; the sentence was that he be placed
two yews back in hie promotion. The youth of the lad, it
is thought, might have pleaded for a more lenient judgment,
as nothing in the investigation carried with it the slightest
censure upon a character for honour or for gentleutanli con-
duct. A most liberal subscription hu been commenced on
board the squadron on behalf of the widows, children, and
distressed relatives of the poor fellows lost with the Avenger;
it was first set afloat, I believe, by the fine crew of the
Canepus. " the pattern vessel" of the fleet, and I am told
that the admiral has actually found it necessary to limit the
amount of individual contribution, fur so deep is the feeling
of sympathy that exists throughout the fleet that numben of
the men offered and pressed to be allowed to subscribe a
mouth's pay towards the fund; the subscription has
however, been limited to a day's (fay tram each Miker and
man, this alone will produce a handsome sum, and should
-his truly generous example be contazieus, and reach the
Mediterranean command, as doubtless it will, a com-
fortable provision will be realised for the afflicted families of
the bet crew.
.

In tradingdoings there is little of novelty and less of en.
couragement to relate, for commerce, through late Events,
and more so from the scandalous di.honesty of the govern
meet, has received a shock it will be 10.. g ere it recovers.
Two or three of the minor English houses are spoken of as
in a tottering state, and one is said positively to have sus-
pended peyote at, so far as creditors in England are concerned;
but in the absence a a formal announcement it would be
irregular to name the firm.
In the exchanges there are some alteration,: on Landon,
at 30 days, 321 ;90 days, 531. In metals no alteration. A
report prevails that the Lisb...n Bank have succeeded in rais-
ing a considerable loan in Parts, but with their notes at
from 40 to 50 per cent. discount I give but small credit to
the rumour.