The Sun.
London, England, 1863-08-24 00:00:00

PORTUGAL.

Letters from Lisbon state that the Portuguese
Government has decided on contracting a foreign
loan of 50 million of francs, and the general opinion
seems to be that the operation is certain of success,
as the prosperous condition of the country offers
every security to capitalists.

A MAN'S HEAD NEARLY CUT OFF.—On Friday
a beerhonse keeper, named James Manning, resid-
ing at Bromsgrove, Worcestershire, was committed by the
Bromsgrove magistrates for trial on a charge of cutting
and wounding under the following circumstances. It ap-
pears that on Wednesday last some Irish reapers, and
among them a man named Anthony Tammy, were at
Manning's beerhouse, when a dispute arose between Tum-
mey and the landlord, and the latter, wishing to deprive
Tummy of his sickle (which he had at the time hung
round his neck), seized hold of the handle, and pulled it so
violently as to inflict a dreadful wound, cutting through the
main arteries of the neck. The poor fellow was promptly
attended by a burgeon, but he lies in a very precarious

state,

IRELAND.

DUBLIN, Aug. 22.

The National Cattle Show, which is held an-
nually, under the auspices of the Royal Agricultural
Society of Ireland, is always looked forward to with
great interest, not unmixed with anxiety, as it
affords a most reliable indication of the progess
made by the country during the year in those pur-
suits on which its prosperity mainly depends. In
this respect the show of last year, held at Limerick,
was not satisfactory. An unfavourable season and
scanty harvests had prevented many who would
otherwise have been exhibitors from bringing their
stock %o the high condition necessary to insure suc-
cess in the competition, and the number of entries
was considerably below the average of former years.
This year the prospect is much brighter, and the
approaching exhibition at Kilkenny is expected to
be one of the most successful that the society has
yet held. The competition will be very spirited,
as the best stock breeders in Ireland, besides many
in England and Scotland, have announced their
intention of sending the choicest of their herds and
flocks. In the class of horned cattle there are already
about 150 entries ; in that of sheep they amount to
more than 100, and the swine are equally nume-
rous. The show of horses will also be very good,
and there will be a large collection of agricultural
implements.

The prizes offered to the competitors are nume-
rous and valuable. For sheep two silver cups, value
50 guineas each, are offered for the best rams of
the long and short woolled breeds respectively. The
Messrs. Purdon, proprietors of the Irish Farmers'
Gazette, have presented a silver cup, also worth 50
guineas, for the best general collection of imple-
ments suited to the agriculture of Ireland. In the
equine class n piece of plate of equal value is offered
for the best stallion, mare, or filly in any of the sec-
tions. There are also several money prizes of vari-
ous amounts.

The show is to be held on the fair green of Kil-
kenny, a quadrilateral space, containing about nine
acres, the greater portion of which has been enclosed
for the purpose. On Wednesday morning the judges
will commence their arduous task, and in the after-
noon the ground will be opened to the public. The
show will continue throughout Thursday and Friday.
On Tuesday there will be a trial of agricultural im-
plements, the principal feature in which will be the
testing of Howard's steam plough—an instrument
said to be especially adapted to stiff and retentive
soils.

The Earl of Carlisle has announced his intention
of honouring the show with his presence. He is to
arrive in Kilkenny on Tuesday, where he will be
entertained at a dejeiiner by the Mayor, and receive
an address from the Town-council. He will pass the
night at Woodstock, the seat of Colonel the Hon.
W. F. Tighe ; and on Wednesday he will drive into
Kilkenny and inspect the exhibition. In the even-
ing he will be present at the banquet of the Agri-
cultural Society, which is to take place in the
Athenaeum. Oa Thursday ho will be the guest of
Lady Ormonde, at Kilkenny Castle. On Friday he
will visit the public institutions of Kilkenny and
the vicinity, and in the evening he will attend at a
grand ball, which is to close the proceedings of the
Agricultural Society in Kilkenny.
At the meeting of the Grand Canal Company,
held yesterday, a report of highly satisfactory
character was presented. Notwithstanding the
great depression of trade during the last year and
the diminution of their resources, the directors were
enabled to declare a larger dividend than the last—
namely, £1 2s. 6d. per cent., free of income-tax.
The working of the half-year shows an increase of
income over expenditure of £11,870.

Those who have visited the county of Wicklow
will regret to learn that the famous and picturesque
" Scalp," the property of Viscount Powerscourt, has
been shorn of much of its beauty by a fire which
broke out among the furze on Thursday evening,
and is probably still raging, for up to this morning
the (ffurts made to check its ravages had been in-
effectual. A valuable plantation on the eastern side
of the mountain and several fields of grain have
been destroyed. A great quantity of young timber
has also been hastily felled in order to restrict the
area of the conflagration. The amount of the da-
mage must be very considerable in a pecuniary
point of view, and it will take years to restore the
natural beauties of the scene. It is provoking that
all this mischief was caused by the carelessness of
a young urchin who was roasting potatoes among
the furze.