The Sun.
London, England, 1854-02-09 00:00:00

! PORTUGUESE

It was mentioned on Monday that a report had been
made by the Commercial Association of Oporto, at the
instance of the Portuguese Government, recommending
the speedy adoption of a complete system of commercial "
freedom. This document has since been received, and
fully justifies the account given of it. After some intro-
ductory remarks on the principles of free trade, which,
although stale truisms to English ears, are absolutely
startling when expressed without qualification by a body
of native gentlemen in communication with the ministers
of Portugal, it proceeds to denounce the prohibitory sys-
tem aad the neglect of public works as the two causes
which have reduced Portugal, with the finest capacities
of any country in the world, to the condition of one of
the most degraded. Methods for an immediate com-
mencement of a reform in the fiscal arrangements of the
kingdom are then suggested, and, finally, the various
resources are alluded to, which are waiting only for the
most ordinary facilities to yield wealth on all sides. AA
illustrations of the existing modes of transit, facts are
mentioned such as exceed even the analogous accounts
of Central America. Potatoes raised in the neighbour-
ing province of Tras os Montes are worth, at Oporto,
ten times their prime cost, and would, nevertheless,
from the expenses of carriage, prove a losing speculation.
The greater part of the internal traffic is performed
by mules, and yet even for this method the roads
are so bad that the animals carry only about one-
fifth of their proper load, and travel four leagues a
day instead of ten. "We are compelled to confess,"
it is added, " that it is more difficult to travel
through Portugal than in any other country of
Europe, or iperhaps in the world. Articles conveyed
from Oporto to Braganza (ahout 90 miles) cost more
carriage than they would pay freight from Oporto to
Brazil and back again in our own ships." With this
barbarous state of affairs the revenue laws are in com-
plete harmony, and the lowest officer of the tobacco
monopoly, or of the Custom-house, whose pay is about a
shilling asday, has the power to stop a cart or a loaded
animal on the road, and to cause the cargo to be unloaded
and each package opened and examined. The committee
therefore contend for the summary abolition of all the
octroi-barriers in the interior, as well as local tolls and
monopolies of every kind, and all permits and assports.
At the same time a reform of the Customs' tariff is
urged upon a scale that shall be free from the danger of
sudden ruin to the protected interests, and of a suffici-
ently progressive character to insure a speedy approach
to general freedom. There are many commodities, how-
ever, which are not fabricated in the country—such as
transparent cotton goods, certain qualities of handker-
chiefs (one of the staple articles from Glasgow), fustians,
bombazines, &c.—that might, it is pointed out, be at
once admitted at a n-, - v nominal rate. The adoption
of low duties generally would also create a large transit
trade with Spain, and the cheapness of the fr
'eegoltte
would induce purchasers from that country to letstp
their assortments with others paying a fair tax, and thus
add considerably to the revenue. Meanwhile, the ad-
vantage of these alterations, in increasing the dispo-
sition to a reduction of the wine duties in England,
is not lost sight of, although the committee rightly
observe, that instead of waiting for that enlightened
measure, it is the business of Portugal to go into the
right path irrespective of it. "If Great Britain," they
remark, " would admit our wines for consumption
at 101. per pipe, or even at double that duty, all
Portugal might be converted into vineyards." Apart
from this view, however, it is acknowledged that the
country has yet to avail itself of the liberality of Eng-
land in admitting, almost free of duties, corn, animals,
oils, fish, fruits, vegetables, &c., which the geographical
position of Portugal would enable her to supply in
abundance if the 200 per cent, profit, at which some of
them could be produced, were not more than absorbed
by the dearness of interior transport Finally, with
regard to the material undertakings that should
attend the new system, the most important are an
improvement of the bar of the Douro, as well as of
the harbour and river, the construction of docks,
the formation of interior roads, the canalisation of
rivers, the introduction of new agricultural imple-
ments, &c. The reception that may be given by the
Government to this report remains to be ascertained.
It has only just been issued, and there is reason to fear
that the intelligence of the people of Lisbon and of the
country generally is far behind that which prevails at
Oporto. Still, it is evident that the time is ripening for
general change, and that any men of vigour might now
commence the accomplishment of all that has been indi-
cated. Notwithstanding the treatment experienced by
the English bondholders, English views are accepted in
Portugal with more readiness than in other continental
countries, and the present document is almost identical
in spirit with the work of Mr. J. J. Forrester, published
as a prize essay on Portugal last year. Whether any
broad and honest course of amelioration is to be looked
for from a Cabinet which has chosen periodical confisca-
tion as one of its regular means of getting over difficulties,
and which therefore cannot command the confidence of
capitalists, is a question, however, that cannot be very
hopefully entertained.

TREATY OF UNKIAR SKELESSI.

CONCLUDED BETWEEN RUSSIA AND TURKEY ON THE 26TH
JUNE (BTH JULY), 1833, AND COMMUNICATED TO THE
BRITISH GOVERNMENT BY THE PRINCE OE LIEVEN ON
THE 16TH OF JANUARY, 1834.
Art. 1. There shall be for ever peace, amity, and al-
liance between his Majesty the Emperor of all the Russias
and his Majesty the Emperor of the Ottomans, their em-
pires and their subjects, as well as by land as by sea. This
alliance having solely for its object the common defence of
their dominions against all attack, their Majesties engage
to come to an unreserved understanding with each other
upon all the matters which concern their respective trail:
quillity and safety, and to afford to each other mutually
for this purpose substantial aid, and the most efficacious
a3si s tame.
2. The treaty of peace concluded at Adrianople on the
2d of September, 18.9, as well as all the other treaties
comprised therein, as also the convention signed at St.
Petersburg on the 14th of April, 18:30, and the arrange-
ments relating to Greece concluded at Constantinople on.
the 9th (21st) July, 1832, are fully confirmed by the pre-
sent treaty of defensive alliance, in the same manner as if
the said transactions had been inserted in it, word for
word.
3. In consequence of the principle of conservation and
mutual defence, which is the basis of the present treaty
of alliance, and by reason of a most sincere desire of
securing the permanence, maintenance, and entire inde-
pendence of the Sublime Porte, his Majesty the Emperor
of all the Russias, in the event of circumstances occurring
which should again determine the Sublime Porte to call
fOr the naval and military assistance of Russia, although,
if it please God, that case is by no means likely to happen,
engages to furnish, by land and by sea, as many troops
and forces as the two high contracting parties may deem •
necessary. It is accordingly agreed, that in this case the
land and sea forces, whose aid the Sublime Porte may call
for, shall be held at its disposal.
4. In conformity with what is above stated, in the event
of one of the two Powers requesting the assistance of the
other, the expense only of provisioning the land and the
sea forces which may be furnished shall fall to the charge
of the Power who shall have applied for the aid.
5. Although the two high contracting parties sincerely
intend to maintain this engagement to the most distant
period of time, yet, as it is possible that in process of time
circumstances may require that some changes should be
made in this treaty, it has been agreed to fix its duration
at eight years, from the day of the exchange of the Im-
perial ratifications. The two parties, previously to the
expiration of that term, will concert together, according
to the state of affairs at that time, as to the renewal of the
said treaty.
6. The present treaty of defensive alliance shall be rati-
fied by the two high contracting parties, and the ratifica-
tions thereof shall be exchanged at Constantinople, within
the space of two months, or sooner if possible.
SEPARATE AND SECRET ARTICLE TO THE PRECEDING
TREATY OF ALLIANCE, ALSO COMMUNICATED TO THE
BRITISH GOVERNMENT BY THE PRINCE OF LIEVEN, ON
THE 16TH OF JANUARY, 1834.
In virtue of one of the clauses of the first article of the
patent treaty of offensive alliance concluded between the
Imperial Court of Russia and the Sublime Porte, the two
high contracting parties are bound to afford to each other,
mutually, substantial aid, and the most efficacious assist-
ance for the safety of their respective dominions. Never-
theless, as his Majesty the Emperor of all the Russia',
wishing to spare the Sublime Ottoman Porte the expense
and inconvenience which might be occasioned to it by af-
fording substantial aid, will not ask for that aid if circum-
stances should place the Sublime Porte under the obliga-
tion of furnishing it, the Sublime Ottoman Porte, in the
place of the aid which it is bound to furnish in case of need
according to the principle of reciprocity of the patent
treaty, shall confine its action in favour of the Imperial
Court of Russia to closing the Strait of the Dardanelles—
that is to say, to not allowing any foreign vessel of war to
enter therein under any pret6xt whatsoever.
The present separate and secret article shall have the
same force and value as if it was inserted word for word in
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