The Sun.
London, England, 1862-01-04 00:00:00

TEE PORTUGUESE CORTES.

At the meeting of the Portuguese Cortes on the
23d ult., under the Presidency of Viscount de
Castro, supplementary President of the Hereditary
Chamber, the King, Dom Luis 1., bearing in his
hand the Royal sceptre took his seat on the throne.
His Majesty, while his right hard rested upon the
Holy Gospels, covered with a cross, renewed the
oath in these terms :

" I swear to maintain the Catholic, Apostolic,
Roman religion, and the integrity of the kingdom;
to observe and cause to be observed the political
Constitution of the Portuguese nation and the other
laws of the kingdom ; and to promote, as far as I
may be able, the general welfare of the nation."
His Majesty afterwards addressed to the As-
sembly the following speech :

" Worthy Peers of the Kingdom and Deputies of
the Portuguese Nation,—Called unexpectedly to
rule the destinies of the Portuguese people, I appre-
ciate from the depth of my heart the solemn event
which has placed me in the midst of the national
representatives. I shall consecrate all my solicitude
to the Portuguese people, whom I have learned to
love from my tenderest infancy, in order to
assist as much as shall lie in my power in
securing the great prosperity which it deserves.
I shall follow eagerly the noble example which
has been left me by my dear brother, whose
loss we so profoendly regret. The grief which is
inspired in all of us by the fatal event we now
deplore is at once the most honourable testimony
consecrated to the memory of King Dom Pedro
V., and the strongest stimulus to us to endeavour, as
he did, to fulfil our duty. On this occasion I must
express to the King, my august father, my grati-
tude for the devotedness with which, under the
most grievous circumstance, he accepted the Re-
gency of this kingdom during my brief absence. It
is a new proof to the nation and myself of his zeal
and goodwill. The people over whom I have the
honour to rule are an enlightened people, and
worthy, on account of their love for constitutional
institutions, to occupy a distinguished rank among
the most cultivated nations. The oath which I have
just taken is the sincere expression of the senti-
ments of my heart. Fidelity to the institutions
which we have the privilege to possess ensures to us
tranquillity for the present, and promises us happi-
ness for the future. May Almighty God make the
reign which is commencing merit the blessing of
Heaven and the national sympathies. I depend
upon the enlightened co-operation of the represen-
tatives of the nation in promoting the public inte-
rests and in facilitating the execution of the mission
which has been confided to me. The gratitude of
the Portuguese people, a worthy object of the
highest ambition, will be the just reward of such e►
noble solicitude."

The President of the Cortes replied to this Ad-
dress with protestations of devotedness, and charac-
terised Dom Pedro V. as a thoroughly constitu-
and a good citizen. At the conclu-
sionof athis discourse, the greater part of which was
a paraphrase
of the Royal Speech, the President
threett i° n
times,liin and with loud voice, proclaimed the
very high, very powerful, and very faithful King of
Portugal, Dom Luis I. His Majesty quitted the
Chamber amid enthusiastic acclamations.
Advices from Lisbon state that King Luis is in
good health, and that the Infante Dom Angusto is
convalescent.

DISTRESS IN WIGAN.—The distress which exists
at Wigan, in consequence of the dulness of trade, has oc-
casioned the holding of a public meeting, at which the
mayor presided. The members for the borough were also
present, and about £l,OOO was raised in the room to assist
in alleviating the distress.

THE SUMTER PRIVATEER. —A letter was received
yesterday at Lloyd's from the Secretary of the Admiralty
stating that the Inspecting Commander of the Coast Guard,
at Ramsgate, had reported that a suspicious looking steamer
was seen cruising about the Channel, of Dover, on the 27th
ult., which, from circumstances since transpired, there i
every reason to suppose was the Confederate privateer
steamer Sumter. The Adder, revenue cutter, boarded an
American ship on the Ist instant off the South Forealanteu
which left New York on the 28th of November, the m?!
last
of which reported that the Sumter, when she
Coast
heard of by the Federal navy, had left the South direction
er!'sots
of America, and when last seen was making is the
of Europe. The officers of the Adder found a seaman on
tbaoianreddwfrhoomhhaidm ptrheevfui oullsly description a rved
of
tion of the ship seen off
in
htheer.S.unishteerw,
aasnadboobu-t
th other parti-
-1,600 tons, painted black, and veil.—
culars, which answers the descriP
' Dover.