The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1821-04-25 00:00:00

LOWER CANADA.

The following is an abstract of the Governor's
Speech :

6' Gentlemen of the Howse of duet:B6ly,
" Although I cannot by any mean* express my
satisfaction in the general result of your delibera-
tion•, yet it is with great pleasure I
ackilowledg
your assiduous and zealous attendance in the dis-
charge of your public duties during the long mid
laborious Session which lam now to close. You
will see the administration of the Civil Government
left without any pecuniary means, but what I shall
advance upon my own personal responsibility-3 ou
will see individuals suffering under severe and un-
merited hardships, caused by the want of that con-
stitutional authority that is necessary fur the pay-
ment of the expenses of the Civil Government—
you will see the interior improvements of the coun-
try neatly at a stand—you will see, in short, the
Executive Government in a manlier palsied and
power less."

We have received Lisbon Papers to the 10th
instant. On the Ist a royal salute was fired front
the Castle of the city, to celebrate the 't happy
union of the illostiiuus island of St. Michael in
the glorious regeneration of Portugal."
The Cortes have passed a Decree• '•t fare- of ull

blislaneut, which cost annually above 200 millions of res.,
which Catholic nations,far more powetful than Purtagal,
bare not introduced ; that Portugal had been going to de-
cay ever since it was established ; that the luxury of the
clergy in this city was scandalous, compared with the sim.
plicity of theApoqtles ; that it was founded solely to pros ittr
foe the second sons of the Nobility, who had no iniod
to work; !hal this Corporation formed a Court, the
head of which was disposed to contradict all the orders
of the Government, and opposed every thing that was sow
doing for the good of the conutry ; that on the most solemn
day, on which the united nation had sworn to the bases of
the Constitution, and thanked the Almighty for its just sad
arise reform, he (the Cardinal Patriarch) declared himself
hostile to those bases; that whrn this high authority ains.d
to said, an excess, when he considered his vanity, and the
difficulty of maintaining, ender present circumstances. the
pomp and the expense of sot+ an establishment, he thou; t
the proposed reform es:trent, ly just.
M. Sarmurito agreed with AL B. Csrneirn, and drew a
Rightful picture of the mism y in which the people were
plunged, while fillies were extorted from them to came to
Lisbon! From the institution of the Patriarchate, said the
orator, we may date the ruin and the decline of Portugal.

The speech of M. Carneiro had inflamed the minds of
some Members ; and M. Moura called the attention of the
Assembly to the conduct of • man who pretends to oppose
the will of three million.; that this opposition Deemed con-
trary to the acknowledged sovereignty of the nation ; that
it ought to be seen whether this was a crime or not; and
that a tribunal should be formed to try this man. The
debate on this subject was continued to • great length,
both in this sitting and that of the 12th of April, of which
the following was the result :
The President put these q•ratioua—'t Whether a decree
should he drawn up, declaring that every authority or in-
dividual refusing to swear to the bases of the Constitution
ceases to be a Portuguese citizen ?" Decided iu the affirma-
tive by eight-eight vote, to one.—" Whether the individual
who ceases to he a citizen ought to leave the kingdom
Carried by eighty-four votes to five.
The Committee of the Constitution then went out to draw
up the Decree; mod, returning with it, M. Pereira do
Carrot, read it is the folloaiug terms :

" The General Extraordinary Constitutional Cortesof the
Portuguese nation, considering that be alone is member of
a society, who is disposed to submit to the fundamental
law of that society, &claret, th•t every Portuguese who re-
fuses to folic the oath simply, and without any restriction
whatever, to the Constitution and to the bates of it, ceases
to be a citizen, and is immediately to quit die Portuguese
territory."—This was unanimous?• approved.
In the sitting of the 31st of March, M. Montitro read
the 28th article of the Treaty concluded between England
and Portugal in 1810; and proposed that the Committee
of Legislation should examine tie real meaning, in order to
restrict it to its full observance, awd to see, whether without
injuling the good mob estanding that exists, some just re.
claniations might out he made to the advantage of the 111J-
tion.—SupporieJ by M Catello Branco, and approved.

^

I
We have received the copy of a Ukase, published $
at St. fr'ttsr,borgli, confirming the official :loth e
from the Mini-ter of Finance, for the augmenta-
tion of dutirs cm imports. It aas follows:
" UKASE TO THE DIRECTING SENATE. I_.
" D.sisous of affording further encouragement to the in- 1
dustry of our faithful subjects engaged in the manufacture
of cotton and silk goods, and also of escouraging the col- '
tivation of vineyards iu the southern provinces of the em-
pire, and the reparation of various sorts of liquors from
grapes and various sorts of fruits, we have thought proper
to augment the interior or consumption duty on foreign at-
tidies of these descriptions. We add to the ahove, a mode-
rate increase of the consumption duly un coffee and sugar,
and order that the interior or consumption ditty on the said
articles be billed at the customary houses, according to the
iteconspan)ing register, duly coeSrmed by us.
(Signed) " ALEXANDER.
" Laybach, February 10,1821."
Another Document in regard to Poland is as
follows :