The Sun.
London, England, 1830-02-03 00:00:00

LORD PORCHESTER.

A small volume has just been published by
Lord Porchester, entitled The Last Days of'
the Portuguese Constitution. Though it pro-
flsses to be only a fragment of a larger work
which his Lordship is preparing on the state of
Portugzd, it is complete as to its account of re.
cent political events. Lord Porehester passed the
greatest part of the year 1827 and a portion of
1828 in that country ; and, from the respect
entertained of his rank, and the confidence
reposed in his personal character, found .a ready
disposition among all classes to afford him those
means of information of which his good sense,
talents, and previous acquirements, have enabled
him to make so judicious an use.

In the correctness of the able analysis lehich
his Lordship gives to the various interests, aristo-
cratical, ecclesiastical, and judicial, arrayed
against the late Charter, we cordially concur.
'Though all the admitted rights and privileges of
each class were formally guaranteed, and some
advantages, before dependent on the pleasure of
the Court, were placed under the safeguard of
law, the necessary limitations offended some,while
sufficient uncertainty remained to alarm all with
the fear of a future and more sweeping innova-
tion. Thus, though the higher nobility, consist-
ing of those with titles above the rank of Baron,
might be satisfied that the honours of an here-
ditary Peerage and the influence °fa branch ache
Legislature were secured to them, the provin-
cial fdakos, who were necessarily passed over,
felt themselves comparatively degraded. Theugh
the dignity and power of the secular prelacy
were consulted, by promoting the Archbishops
and Bishops to seats in the Upper Chamber,
the heads of the monastic orders and the great
body of the regular clergy became neturally ap-
prehensive that the utility of their instittni'en
might not be so manifest, while their .revenues
might become more tempting, under the new
order of things. The hierarchy of the judicial
order being generally corrupt, apprehended, iii
public discussion and anticipated reforM, the
termination of their lucrative abuses. Thus the
provincial nobility, the regular clergy, and th.e
members of the judicial order, fit that theie
pride, their interests, or their power were at.
tacked, by the direct provisions or the remote ten-
dency of the new Charter. Even the. Peers, whose
hereditary coronets had been placed beyond the
reach of Royal caprice, in the Upper House,
had not been freed from alarm at the resumption
of those stars, ribands, and commendaries, with-
out which the dignity of their rank could net
have long been maintained. Many of the higher
Nobility of Portugal derive half their income
from the commendas which they hold in the or-
der of Christ, and the other three military orders;
and though these grants have seldom in practice
been resumed, they have hitherto been legally
revocable on the death of the party to whom
they were originally given, or on whom they -
have descended in reversion. To show that
under some forms of political innovation the
resumption of these grants and their appropria-
tion to the uses of the State were not visionary
anticipations, we have only to recollect that the
Cortes ire 1821 had ordered an inventory to iv
taken of their amount as a species of available
state property. We therefore quite agree with
Lord Porchester in the opinion that the Cha:ter
would have had a better chance of duratioe„ had
it contained some provisions for the settlement
of the permanent right to those croeen tithes
which the nobility have so long enjoyed. " The
reserve of the Charter," says lie, " on these
points was ill-judged. The question involved so
many delicate points with regard to the Crown
and the nobles,--it was so peculiarly calculated
to create distrust and excite irritation between
the Chambers, that it should have been deter-
mined by the royal framer of the code, and not
left to their subsequent decision."
We have not room to allude to his Lordship's
remarks on the other parties arrayed, by theire
interests or their prejudices, against the Charter,
including the monopolies of the Wine Com-
pany of Oporto, and the Professors of the
University of Coimbra. Suffice it to say, that
all his observations on this topic evince diligent
research, and display the fruits of much good
sense and reflection.

The second and last chapter of the present
fragment details the political events and diplo-
matic transactions which immediately preceded
and followed the arrival of Don Miguel at Lit.
bon till the final overthrow of the Constity.tion:
The questions here introduced are mort debate-
able, and have besides already so often occupied
our pages, that we shall not now enter on the
discussion. We can safely, however, say, that
whatever be the conclusions to which the Noble
Lord has arrived, they are announced with the
utmost appearance of eandour.—Times.

CURE FOR CHILBLAINS.—EquaI parts of
olive oil and spirits of turpentine. To be applied in thu
usual manner, where the pkin is not broken.

Biprovinces,
it
appears letters
while Europe wit.;
plunged in all the Severities of wit;frl., the season there hal
peen unusually mild. It is s: so worthy of remark, that
ese thatr s fromup
t o
t ourhe
2Nd o
a rt
jiiintmr7i.can
our last very wet summer WAS nonnterbaltneed in the same
quarter by a stunror.l- to remarkably dry, that water was
in many places ..lir/Inuit to be obtained, sad the woods
parched and brunt up by heat and spontaneous fire.
Literary 19azette.

The driver of the chaise in which Mr. Lips-
, COIIBE, of Teignmouth, and his nephew perished os Friday
se'unight, as recorthd in our last, well found on Tueslay
' afternoon, about two o'clock, near the root where the
::liaise was discovered. His nem: was Was. HAWKINS, a
young and unmarried man. The left eye is nearly re..
moved from the socket, as well as the surrounding; aria
being cnatts.ed, supposed to have been from a kick ut one
of the horses, which must hive had the (fleet e.f depriving
the unfortunate man of his senses instantly.--,&iteray'red. •
During the last year, there hr,ve been-a bun-
tired and sixty-one deaths in Forfnr, and twenty-nine cue-
ing the past mouth. Typiine fever is at
_present very pre.
vaunt, and in many instances it proves uwetal„ }looping.
I..mgh has, ulna had its share of victinns......lVain'oniests
' Affreirey,