The Express.
London, England, 1849-05-25 00:00:00

PORTUGAL.

The Peninsular and Oriental Steam Company's
vessel, Jupiter, Captain Meehan, arrivr d at Southamp-
ton last tight, and landed her mails under charge of
Lieut. Langton, Admiralty, Agent. Her dates are :
Gibraltar, May 15th ; Cadiz, 16th ; Lisbon, 19th ;
Oporto, 20tH ; Vigo, 21st. She brings firs Ulnae 411
bullion.
The intelligence from Llabon is to the 19th instant.
Quarantine had ben removed from ships arriving
from England and the Baltic, but not from those
hat from Ireland and Scotland; but all quaran-
tine restrict ors were, it was expected, to be
removed from Vigo. No British ship of war was,
when the Jupiter left, at Lisbon. A significant sign
of the times is presented in the fact, that the official
government
the
has put forth several articles
advocating the abolition of the Codes ; whilst
a government project of a law has been
brought into the chamber, having fir its
object the extinction of municipal corporations.
It is also rumoured that the government intend
doing away with the soap monopoly, and giving to
the contractors a monopoly of tea instead. No sym-
pathy has been expressed for the Queen for having
buried her child. It is rumoured that she has offered
Don Miguel an allowance, to renounce his right to
the throne.
The news from the Portuguese provinces is of the
gloomiest character. In some districts distress daily
increases ; no tomes have been paid, and executions
Fare been put into the houses of a vast number of
farmers, and their produce a:ixed, ha.. on being put
up far sale no purchasers are to be found. The wine
trade is as depressed es ever, and a committee has
Ism appointed to inquire into the cause of this un-
preesdeoted depression.
Charles Albert of Sardinia is seldom seen, and,
when he is, appears to be suffering acutely in mind
from his recent reverses.
It is found that the Portuguese colonies do not pay
their expenses, and drain the imperial treasury to
eonsiderab'e amounts. The single colony of Macao
is said to cost the mother country 6,0001. per annum.
The following is our correspondent's letter:
LISBON, Mar IS.
Ten are already aware that the session is drawing
to a dose, without the Cortes having done anything
to useliors'e the condition of the people or to im-
prove the country. The fault rests somewhere. The
government had promised to bring the most important
topics under their consideration. The goverameat,
then, is tob:enne for not having done so; and Baldwin&
bus directed a leading article to be published in the
official paper of the goverament, throwing all the
blame anti the chambers. Really this is too bad.
But it is the character of that statesman to
promise, cajole, and blame others for his owa
fault. The act in question is a sort of
stone thrown at the constitutional system in Portogal.
and an endeavour to induce the people to believe that
if there were r o Cortes salutary measures would be
adopted by the executive, but that no salutary mea-
sures can spring up where there is a Codes to cut
and carve them to their will. Saldanba was called
to some little account by the president of the chamber
and others; and, quite like himself, disavowed the
article, and to give, as he said, a proof of his having
had nothing to do with it, the editor should be dis-
missed : this was done, but he was appointed to a
better situation!
Petitions have been presented to the chamber,
the house not to lose sight of the constitution
daring the project of law for administrative
'retorts. The constitution guarantees a municipal
chamber la every town and borough, and the project
of law preps= the abolition of some of them.
Oa sous of the committees being urged in the
chamber to present their report*, they declared they
had dews so, but that it belonged to the government
to being them forward: this particularly relates to the
siestiene, roads. and administrative reform. It is re-
m/Male how blindly the government majors. vote
bur way article of the ministers' expenditure. Audis
eloquence sad endeavours of the opposition to intro-
duce reform and economy are melees. The majority,
being placentae, and directed how to vote, think
of nothing but obedience. The other day,
however, a Mr. Lopes Lima made some jed
those remarks. and objections to some of the
items ; and, as they serried conviction with dm,
some of the members directed to vote by the treasury
voted with him, and afterwards *the items, this
voting both aye and no.
Mr. Pereira—dos Reis, he. recommended in the
Cortes the necessity of abolishing the soap Inemarkre
and many petitions have been parroted hen verbal
puts Of the country to the same Act ; iiifr<repattet

a:c~

that the government intend proposing to the nap
ambuctoes the monopoly of tea in its piece.
It appears that the Mtiiister of Marine has launched
his estimates and left them to chance. There is a
flotilla employed on the most of the Algarve% and not
one minister knows by wham department its expense
are borne.
Note little degree of profligacy has been shown re-
lative to the home minister. Seldanha holds this
portfolio; and when a minister holds two post% he is
allowed the option of the choice of which of the two
he will receive the salary of: The salarz of the horse
Inieist-r is 3,200,000 rem, besides which &Manila
holds the appointment of ambassador to France. The
salary is 6,000,000 raise. He has eosen to receive
the latter salary, that is, of a pace he never exercised
the functions of; be it observed that the option re-
ferred to only applies to two ministerial posts at
home. In the face of this inconsistency the blind
majority voted Saldenha his salary as ambassador,
an erased the 3,200,000 reie, so that, should •change
of ministry take place, the home minister will be left
without a slimy.
The dial, s of the wine districts, particularly the
Douro, increases, and, to all the most pressing appeals
that are made to the ministers on the subject, the
only reply they make is, that it is an object of solicitude,
while they sre massing executions to be put into the
farmers' houses for taxes. The vintage of 1848 pro-
demi 111,000 tipett of inferior wine in the Douro
dirr:ct. A cmarnittee is appointed to inquire into
the causes of the decay of the Douro and Estramadura
wine trade.

The report of the committee to irquire into the
affairs of the batik is reedy, bat it is not delivered, as
it is said the opinion of the government is divided
upon the subject. Count Farrobo, who is the life and
soul of the Union Commercial Company, wishes that
all the Lisbon Bank usher should be withdrawn from
circulation, though itmight rain the Bank of Portugal.
Seldanha, it is said, gelded by weighty reams by
thou about him, inclines to the octant ;i while the
Bereer-deOsivra;wer minister. WINO Webs Beak
of Lisboa. &coral *JANA cesacile *ha been
held on the subjest. A petition is in course' of sig-
nature to the chamber, praying that the privilege
iambi laths Lisboa Beak saeissively to ions motes
may be reconsidered, and permission granted to
establish country backs. The want of payments, and
the government encouragement of agiutage, cause
general discottent. Good bills cannot be discounted
at less dim 3 per cert. per month.
News has arrived from Angola, by the brig-of-war
Mondego. Commerce was at a stand-still ; a great
scarcity of European foods ; a misonderstandii g be-
tween the naval commander and the governor; the
crews of the government vessels twehty-seven months
in arrear of pay, and the colony had no moat y to pay
them. A speculator, who had planned a railroad
from Luanda to Colombo, when at Budge-row, in
' London, had arrived in Angola. John Bull bad
better examine this project sbculd a call be made on
his purse to carry it. into • ffect.
Exchange on London, 33) diactunt, Tha discoun
on bank notes is from 44 to 46 per mat.

HAMBURG, Mar 22.
%The Sphinx, according to telegraphic despatches
from Cuxhay.n, went to sea at half-past eight tLis
morning. The object of Per visit probably was to
examine into the state of the blcckade.

The Danish men of war seen from Ntuwerk yes-
terday did not approach any nearer. Tne Hamburg
Admiralty yacht, returned from sea to day, re forte
them to be four frigates, cruising between Heligoland
and the Elbe.

At haif•paat 10 this limning a Danish yawl, with
a flag of truce, came alongside the armed steam vl ssel
Lubeck, and a Darrel (Aker, accompanied by an
officer of the Lubeck, went on shore, where th.-y were
received by (Niigata Meyer, of our artillery, who took
them to the Cluvercor of Cuxhaven, Se•utter Sthamcr.

The Hull steamtrs are nut the only vessels evading
the blocked • ; we have arrivals of other English ves-
sel•, besides Dutch, Spaniel, and American.
There is no news frum the seat of war further than
that, up to the 19th inst., Fridritia gal held out.