The Express.
London, England, 1850-12-26 00:00:00

PENINSULAR MAIL,

The Oriental Company's steam packet Madrid,
Captain Francis Meehan, arrived at Southampton
yesterday, and landed her mails under the charge of
Lieut. Thomas William Langton, RN., Admiralty
agent. Her dates are: Gibraltar, Deo. 15; Cadiz,
Dec. 16; Lisbon, Dec. 19; Vigo, Dec. 21. The
Madrid brought the following passengers: Mr. Bell,
Lieut. Colonel Budgeo, It E., Mr. I mine, Mr.
Poriant, Mr. Douthat, Mr. Moleswortb, Miss Moles-
worth, and 27 deck passengers. Her cargo incluled
19 bogs of specie and 9 packages of bullion.
The following is the letter of a Lisbon corres-
pondent:
LISBON, Bac. 19.
Portugal is not now gradually approaching, but
striding toeards a precip:o-; for the finances are in
great disorder. To the picture of them I gave you
in my last, I may 11071 add a very dark back-ground ;
one impenetrable to the gaze of the Anglo-Portuguese
credi•or. The beginning of the falling off in the
cuirom-house here, on account of the general features
of the Spanish tariff, exceeded 50 contos in the last
month, as compared with the corresponding month
of 1849. 1 do not inform you of this as a rumour,
bet as a positive fief: and from what I mentioned
relative to the Bank of good° holding security for
their loan to the government of 400 con eon, it is some-
what clear that in future no establishment in this
country will advance the government a shilling with-
out holding ample st curity ; and if the foreign lender
would observe the same lice of conduct, the year
18.51—marked as the year for the payment of alt the
arrears due by the government—might truly become
the year of bankruptcy and winding up of the
aoc•iunts of this ill-starred n ttioc.

The popular party have been desirous of again
sho sing a front, so as to stem the torrent of corrup-
tion at the next general election, which must take
place in 1851; and for the purpose of meeting, they
engaged a place, and advertised a meeting ; but the
ltndlord having received intimation from certain
quarters of the disagreeableness to them of the act
he had committed in engaging the use of his house
for that purpose was unable to perform his cow:Act
—hence an obstruction to tne efforts of the popular
party ; and their meeting has been consequently sus-
pended until a new locality can be engaged.
It is said the Minister of Finance ts busily em-
ployed in endeavours to discover any article that has
as yet escaped taxation; in order th it he may, in the
ensuing session, duly load it with its portion of the
burdens of the state. Royal letters may perhaps at-
tract hie attention ; as it is said the royal correspond-
ence is very extensive and tolerably heavy.
Exchange 51; discount of Lisbon Bank Notes, 61.

THY ORIENTAL COMPANY'S STEAM-PACKILT INDUS,
Capt. Soy, arrind at S.utnaapton yesterday, and lauded her
au Is under the charge of Lieut. Brady, R.N., A inanity
Agent.

Flag IN BEEMONDBEY.—Lbst night • fire, attended
with a serene. destructing' of property, broke out in the pre
silt, occupied by Mr. Cloy, a turner, cerryieg on buses
41 No 7, Orange-road, B•renondsey, within a short distance
of the scene of the late extensive co .fintrations. The flames
' ware first noticed by a person passing by the premiere, wbo
immediately raised an alum, and the whole of Mr. Clay's
property was non enveloped in Nunn, whence the
destructive element extra -d to two spaciau timber
bindings belonging to Mr. Jaakinson, the leather dresser.
The engine belonging to the parisk was quickly on the
spot, and aon a, work, fdllowed by others of the London
brigade, under the directioe or Mr. Henderson. An shun-
dance of water was procured, but three bouts shined en
they could be wholly ingaished, and not until Mr. Clay's
premiere were destroyed, two large buildings oar Mr. Jun-
kies n's estate consented, and some dams done by fire,
water, dte., to Mr. Weetwood's property a buket maker).
The origin of the Bluster k enveloped in obscurity. F.,ra
nately Mr. Clay wee inured in the Sun Ere dike. Mr.
Junlenson was also insured in the Alliance office, and Mr.
' Westwood was protect. d from loss by a policy in the General
Insurance Odic*.

TOE ACIRICELTORAL 'MEERUT. The Solopiaft
Jownvil announces that Viscount Hill has veduired the rents
on his farms between 16 and 20 per cent., tel on some cold
farms even more; and we karts from the CAclrernitatie Jour-
real, that the Rev. W. L. Townsend, rector of Bishop'.
Cleve., at his tithe audit, liberally returned 26 per cent, on
the amount of hie commuta.ion rent charge.—The Right
Hoe. William Loyd Ward, at his rent awiit at Motley. last
week, returned 10 per cent. to hie tenants.—The Bsrl of
Dartmouth hes returned 16 per cent, upon the rents on the
Patehuli estate —Mrs. Mole end Mr Cale have returned 10
per mot. to their tenan,s at Bhereshill en their Michaelmas
teats.

---
ATTEMPT TO PREVENT A 80101 De.—At the High
Forge, near Keswick, on Saturday Jut, a youth, a bobbin-
turner, with lir. Robert 11[111asson, named Charles Bowness,
about 14 years of age, drowned himself. He bad been beat
by some of the men in the mill, and threatened what he ac-
Nally carried out by running direst to the river and plung-
ing in where the water is dcep and rapid. A son of Hr.
Christopher Harringtonolso • bobbin-turner, plunged in after
him, and narrowly escaped being drowned himself, u the
'drowning youth torantly seta-d him by the leg, and be thus
prevents] the gallant young fellow from sAvlog his. They
both rolled down the river, which was mach swollen at the
time, at least 160 yards, and when and a the bridge,
floriagton, by a desperate effort, seized hold of a stone
which they rolled against, and at the same time, by an
equally desperate straggle, freed himself from Borne's.
Harrington was at last rescued from his perilous position. to
• very exhausted state, sad almost dad ; but the other
youth was canted away by the foram of the stream, and was
ultimately found quite dead some 200 yenta further down
the river.—Curaberksnd Pother.