The Sun.
London, England, 1863-06-29 00:00:00

GREECE.

A letter from Athens gives a rather gloomy pic-
' ture of the situation of Greece. It says :—" The
new King will remain at Corfu until the difficulties
which have arisen with regard to the Royal Palace
at Athens shall have been removed. The following
is the pretext, which is rather plausible—The Palace
was built by order of King Otho, who invested a part
of his private fortune in it. Large sums are still due
to the builders, and they have lodged an opposi-
tion against any one again residing in it until all
their claims shall have been settled. That is the
pretext, for it is not very probable that the new
King has the means of purchasing the Palace. In
reaiity, in the face of the parties who agitate here,
and of the intrigues of Bulgaris, a wish is felt to try
the ground, and see in what manner things will turn.
Albania is rather agitated ; the departure of the
French Consul from Janina (Epirus) for Scutari to
replace his deceased colleague leaves the former
district a prey to intrigues which would not have
been attempted in presence of the French represen-
tative."

Another letter from Athens says :—" The Greek
Minister of the Interior has just presented to the
Constituent Assembly a bill relative to cutting
through the Isthmus of Corinth by a company
formed for that object. The duration of the pro-
posed concession would be for 90 years, at the expi-
ration of which time the Government would obtain
possession of the undertaking on payment Of
4,000,000 drachmas (3,520,000 fr.) The toll would
not exceed one sou per ton for either steam or sail-
ing vessels. The company engages to complete the
works within five years. The project is due to M.
Christopoulos during his period of office as Minister
of the Interior in 1861."

PORTUGAL.

Advices from Portugal of the 23d state that in
the Chamber of Peers the Minister of Finance re-
plied to a question respecting the determination et
the Government as regards the tobacco contract.
The Minister said that at present he did not con-
sider the contract would be again put on the
market, but that in January next a decided step
would be taken. The Government has ratified
the contract with M. Debrousse for the construc-
tion of a railway to Cintre, and docks for the
port of Lisbon. The Railway from Lisbon to
Badajoz is finished, and the entire line will
soon be opened for traffic. The Portuguese
press continue to animadvert largely on the Anglo-
Brazilian question, and without a single exception
the tone is entirely against the attitude England
has taken throughout the affair. The news from
the Azores notices that sugar is being largely
planted in the Island of Terceira. benhor Thomas
Maria Bessone, who has for many years held rank
as one of the chief Lisbon merchants, has failed.
The liabilities are said to be very heavy,
the Bank of Portugal being the largest
creditor, its debt being some £90,000 unse-
cured. Most of the other creditors are said
to hold securities. It appears that Senhor Bessone
some time ago became surety for the agent of the
Bank of Portugal, in Rio de Janeiro, who was be-
sides his own agent, and the bankrupcy of this
party making Senhor Bessone liable for a very large
amount has caused him to surrender to his creditors
Business dull, and the transactions in exchanges
limited. London, 90 days, 531 ; Hamburg, 48;
Genoa, 535; Paris, 530; Rented, 481; Coupons,
481 ; Bank of Portugal Shares, 555 ; Oporto, 256.

A Cabinet Council was held on Saturday at the
official residence of the First Lord of the Treasury
in Downing-street. The Ministers present were Viscount
Palmerston, the Lord Chanceller, Earl Granville, the Duke
of Argyll, Sir Geo. Grey, the Duke of ;Newcastle, Earl de
Grey, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Duke of
Somerset, the Right Hon. T. Milner Gibson, the Right
Hon. Edward Cardwell, Lord Stanley of Alderley, and the
Right Hon. C. P. Villiers.

We have reason to believe that the despatch from
the Court of St. Petersburg acknowledging the
receipt of the Notes of the three Powers, containing the six
propositions in behalf of Poland, was received at the Foreign-
office on Saturday. No proposal from the Emperor of the
French for a joint recognition of the Southern Confederacy,
as stated by Mr. Roebuck, has yet been made by Baron
Gros to Lord Russell.

We have visited this week the old palace of
Cardinal Wolsey, in Fleet-street, opposite Chancery-lane,
now a hair-dressing saloon. There is still the elaborate
workmanship of the old baronial hall restored to its origi-
nal style. The Royal arms and cipher emblazoned in gold
combine to form a series of embellishments as fresh and
salient as during the period of its ancient grandeur. Here
are historical associations of high interest in the very heart
of our greatest thoroughfare ; yet not one-tenth part of the
people of London know anything of this—one of the most
interesting relics of ancient London, and assuredly not one
in a hundred who visit this metropolis has ever heard of the
place where a king held his revels, though a single sixpence
will enable any one to see the house and entitle them to a
cropping into the bargain. There are recent discoveries
which induce us to suppose that the old tradition may be
doubted, for we find that about this identical spot in Fleet-
street stood the council office of the Duohy of Cornwall;
the place was also called the Princes' council chamber.
In the time of Charles an order was peremptorily enforced
that people cutting the trees shouhi be punished, and deer
were forbidden to be turned loose in the n‘,Bhbourhood.'

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