The Express.
London, England, 1856-12-24 00:00:00

PORTUGAL

LISBON, Das. 16.
The weather still continues wintry and stormy in
the estreme, and all vessels from the north report
long and boisteroas passages.
Yesterday the British Minister, Mr. Henry F.
Howard, gave a diplomatic dinner to a numerous
circle of guests. It is said that his Bros Honey will
shortly retire from the post he occupies here to under-
tele the duties of the ministry at Fraoklort-on•the-
Maine. Mr. Crampton is mentioned as Mr. Howard's
11:100.11101%
It is said that the government commission
appointed to report upon the dierits of the respective
projects of Messrs. Bushell and Law for the forma-
tion of a patent slip and other facilities for the
repairs of vertels on the banks of the Tagus, have
represented the plans of Mr. Law as being more easy
and prompt of execution.
Signor Felix Pereira de Magalbaes, a rich man
and a councillor of state, has been proved guilty in a
court of law of smuggling veal, mutton, and sausages,
through the city gates, to evade the oetroi duty. As
Signor Magalbses is said to be an old offender, he
has been visited with the full rigours of the law.
The brig Clarence, whilst lying near Belem, on
her first voyage to Mentalism, caught fire and burnt
to the water's edge, a few days ago.
The Viscount da Las, when lately at Madrid, pre-
sented to the Spanish government a project for the
connexion of that city and Lisbon by electric tele-

Gb•
Gneral Wyld has laid before the Portuguese
administration his plans for touching at the Azores,
and another point of the Portuguese pomesaions, with
the projected line of nbmarine telegraph to America.
No obstacles wen offered by the Portuguese govern-
ment. _ _ .

...,„...
Neither of the mail downers, Togas or Avon, have
yet made their appearance, and they ere anxiously
looked tor.

Letters written by some officers of the Russian
army of the Caucasus, and dated from Orosnsja and
Kisler, state that in those places a campaign in
Persia is regarded as exceedingly likely. One of
these lettere says :=' Orosnsjs is very much agitated.
Troops are continually arriving and starting, and
there is a constant movement of generals, couriers,
and ammunition waggons. The beet troops—the
regiments of grenadiers of the Caucasus and the
dragoons—are being sent towards the Persian frontier.
Schamyl keeps quiet. Siam his eon was restored to
him be makes no move. Besides, he would find it
dace& to cross the triple cordon of our lines of
Tchernomorie, the Centre, Wiakankas, and the left

wing."
The Austrian Gazette, in referring to the capture
of the 18 small vessels by the Russians on the coasts
of Cireassis, declares that Russia is in the right, and
then goes on to remark :—" It would be erroneous to
me in them facts the germ of a new quarrel between
Russia and Turkey, as they can be satisfactorily
explained. Bookhoom Kale is a Russian town, which
a band of mountaineers and Turkish deserters had

occupied ; and naturally, after the war, Russia wen
desirous of retakiog possession of it. The Turkish'
government =mot feel offended at this event, as it
quits recently refused to listen to the deputations of
Circassian. who have at several occasions solicited the
co operation of the Porte. The capture of the Turkish
merchant vermin is consented with the measures

which Russia takes to reestablish her sovereignty in
the Caucasus. Diplomacy has nothing to my to this
affair, which loslouge entirely to the consular agents."

OUR DISPUTE WITH PERSIA.

dome of the Vienna journals profess to have n-1
aired information that Feroukh Khan, on the Bth,
sent off the ultimatum of Lord Stratford de Redefine,
1 which demands the revision of the treaties now ex-
isting with Persia; the evacuation of Rent; autho
risation to establish trading settlements on the shores
of the Persian Gulf; and the concruion of railway.
on the Persian territory to English companies. The
same intelligence states that Persia, supported by
Russia, demands the neutrality of Turkey in the
present war; whilst England, on the contrary, wishes
for the alliance of Turkey, or at least for authorisation
foe the pusage of her troops to Trebizood. The
Imago of Muscat sides with the English, and refuses
to pay the anneal tribute which he owes for salt
mines in Persia. Great activity prevails in the
Persian anenale. The Russians have rent arms and
ammunition to Enuh, a bay on the Persian side of
the Cavite Sea.

The Grand Duke Michael of Russia, travelling
ander t%s ■asse of Count 11,1thalioff, pseud through Berlin
on t%e 18. h vith Ms suite, on his way to C erlsruhe to visit
the Princess of Baden, to whoa he is betzothou