The Express.
London, England, 1858-11-02 00:00:00

FRANCE AND PORTUGAL.

The official gazette of Lisbon, the Diane do
Grocerno, gives the following account of the diffi-
culty between France and Portugal:
On the 29th of November, 1857, the comma:Awl alibi
naval station of Mozambique captured the Ftwach barque
Charles et Georges, because It was found anchored near the
island of Quitangonis, in the Bay of Condo* a port
tuterdieted to foreign commerce. and for having on board
110 nevem, who declared they had been forcibly shipped,
isdepewlass of the vessel having on board effects •
according to the list attached to the decree of the 10th
December, 1838, are considered indicative of the Illicit tralBo
' in slaves. _ _ .

--TlUcrown lawyer or advocate at Mozambique having cm
the 26th of December, 1867. nude his accusation, in com-
pliance with the sail decree of the 10th of December, 1836,
against the captain and mew for tho Infraction of the bell
laws and the purchase of slaves, and all legal formalities
having been complied with, sentence wee lamed on the Bth
of March, 1868, oondemning the captain in two years of hard
labour with the fine of 500 milieus (1000, and condemning
the vessel and specie, but absolving the crew. The crown
advocate and the captain both appealed to the Court of
ashcan (Caseation) at Lisbon against the maid sentence.
The French government, not ',cow:Mang the right of cap-
ture and the luality of the judgments of the Portuguese
tribunals. under the pretext that the vessel wee authorised
to contract for labourers, and had on board a dekatas ap-
pointed by the Governor of the Island of Reunion, demanded
the delivery of the vessel and release of the captain.
The Positivism government did not consider it could in-
terfere in a matter which was before the tribanale, whose
. .

ilie;;;Oie;a7Tt;;;Liairol mach without brcshing tires far.
demented law of the state : and the French government coo-
' ironing its claims, especially in a note from its minister at
this court on the 14th of September biet, to which the
Minieter of Foreign Affairs replied on the 19th of the MOO
month, and transmitted the documents which explained the
affair, the government, by despatches of the 2nd and 6th
nit., directed its minicar at Paris to propose to the Wl-
peril government the dedmon of the pending question by
the mediation of a third power, to be choeen by the Emperor
of the Frio* racording to the ptintiplea era forth in Per
tecol No. 23 of the Fran Conferences on the 14th of Araff,
1366. This proposal was immediately rejected.
By despatch of the 13th nit., Coosa Waleweki, Hides
ter of the Foreign Affairs of the French Empire, directed
the Marquis de Lisle de Slry, Minister of France at this
court, to inform the Porcupine« government that the
Imperial government would accept an arrangement epos the
following basis :
" Delivery of the captured vessel, release of the capbbit
24 hours after the departure of the French ships
_al oar
from the Tagus ; mediation of the Eine of Hulked, te
the indemnity to the parties interested, France rspriliagag
ides of mediation upon the question of right."
Count Welewalu added that, upon the non-ecospiesne d
this basin the Minister of Frazee should carry out the h-
aemostats he had received. These inetructims would, ed
cording to the verbal explanation given by that agnietir to
the President of the Council (Marquis de Louie), as • Let
resource, result in his Excellency's retiring, with all the
diplomatic and consular cores in Portugal, thus intennotiolt
diplomatic sad commercial Manors between the two rase-
tees, and leaving to Admiral Levant], Commander if the
French naval forces In the Tagus, the termination of the
pearling question.
Coder them chenmetamore the government penises( is
the conviction of its right, but seeing at the seem time the
Impossibility of imattag that right prevail, believed it to be
its duty to meanie towards the country the grave raped-
Milt, of aiding to the iperemptory exactions d Fromm by
directing the release of Captain &mail, and the &livery
of the captured vowel to whomever the Franolt Minnie
might designate.
As regards the media** indicateA by the larowitt
yernment for fixing the sant demanded, wader the title of
deneeleselan, the government coraidered that mediadea at
having been ereepted by Francs, open the question of right,
the only One effecting the honour and dignity of the wants,'
Portugal could not accept it upon the pecuniary (lutetium,
sad therefore left France to proceed to that torpor as it may
Jodys convatient, declaring that it maid code to the reside-
tlyn France may adopt, for the Name reseona which bad
obliged it to cede to the other exactions.
In this conformity .1 note wan, on it.: 3rl inn., mot by*/
Minister of Foreign A Heirs (Lout.) to the repromelklAtil'S of
the Imperial government at this Court.
All toe d...nments relating to thin matter will bit hid
before parliament at the approaching opraine of the Wino'
lature.