The Sun.
London, England, 1853-07-25 00:00:00

THE PENINSULAR MAILS.

SOUTHAMPTON, SUNDAY, Jung 24.
The Peninsular and Oriental Company's steam-ship
Madrid, Captain Weeks, arrived here this morning with
the usual Peninsular mails, and dates from Gibraltar,
the 14th ; Cadiz, the 15th ; Lisbon, the 19th ; Oporto,
the 20th ; and Vigo, the 21st inst.
The Madrid brings on freight 6 packages of specie,
396 half-chests of heinous, 36 boxes and 5 baskets pf
onions, 70 boxes of eggs, and 21 nackarr,,, L „A„ rat
lue pUlAkr.,„9,44hopue,
rchandise.
When the Madrid left Lisbon on the 19th, her Ma-
jesty's steam-sloop, Bloodhound, captain Christian'
from the coast of Africa, was coaling in the Tagus, em
route for Portsmouth. There was no other foreign vessel 't
of war in port.
The Lisbon exchange quotations by this mail are—
London, three months, 541 ; Paris, 528 ; Ilamburgh,
48!, ; Genoa, 527. On the continent little business had
been done, and bills on London continued still rather
scarce, notwithstanding the arrival of the Brazil mail,
so that money remained over at 54k. Business had been
more active in stocks and shares at 401 to 41 for Five
per Cents. ; Four per Cents., 324 to 33'1 ; Bank of Por-
tugal Shares, 163 to 150 milreis discount per share,. these
rates beity, in Lisbon bank-notes, subject to the current
discount of 21 per cent. Oporto Bank Shares were still
at 4 to .5 per cent. premium in metal.
Our Lisbon letters and papers by this mail contain no
particular novelty. A Royal decree had decided that
the Cortes should remain open until the sth of August,
when little doubt existed that the money bills, So.,
would have passed the upper house.
The Queen and Court had taken up their summer re-
sidence at Cintra, as also the Duke de Saldanha, who
was still unable to transact business at the War Depart-
merit. There appeared no chance of his Grace's sup-
pressing, as he had promised, the command-in-chief of
the army he has held, instead of the King, since the in-
surrection of 1851 ; and it is notable that the Liberals
in the Cortes no longer clamour against an expenditure
they formerly decried, particularly as the Duke's unfit-
ness for active duties is now an additional proof oritS
being unnecessary.
A petition front different Portuguese manufactories
had been made to the Chamber of Deputies to reconsider
the reductions made in the tariff last year. They, of
course, want more protection, but make out no case,
and conveniently dispense with the demonstration of any
fact applicable to any particular trade by stating that
"all the circumstances are so obvious and generally
known as to render superfluous the mention of any of
them." No doubt the facts best known and most easily
demonstrated would, in any other country, lead to a
much larger reduction of the Portuguese tariff, but that
is not likely to take place.
The following letter, dated Oporto, the 19th inst.,
gives an account of the appearance and progress of the
grape disease :
" The most important subject now afloat is the disease
that has recently appeared in the vine ; there are many
exaggerated opinions and reports about it, but the fol-
lowing description may be inserted as truly authentic :
—Last year there were instances of the vine disease
both in this neighbourhood and in the Douro district.
it then made no progress, and caused little alarm ; it
has again appeared within the last three weeks here,
and in the Douro, and many of the northern districts ;
It is said to be pretty general, but the number of vines
affected in the same vineyard is not at present great,
except in one or two situations. It is universally ad-
mitted to be a new disease in this country, and no one ►
doubts it being.the same as that which has desolated
Madeira, and, with the fate of that island before them,
people are naturally ~n a state of alarm calculated to
produce exaggeration. *Prayers against the ravages of
the disease have been offered up in many of the parish
churches—a proof of the opinion entertained by the vine •
farmers. If within the next ten days it remains nearly
stationary, we may fairly hope that we shall save this
3', we shall have every
iv.ei
anstoaga e ;tob ufteai if t
that
tenidt
mraapyidl
do incalculable mischief
between the end of this month and the first week of
October.
" The Civil Governor of Villareal has appointed a
commission to examine the report."

THE GREAT LONDON SUMMER POULTRY Snow.--
Saturday was fixed for the reception of the various
specimens of poultry, &e., to be exhibited at the ensu-
ing London Summer Poultry Show, to take, place at
the Bazaar,
in
.....Iting-street, Portman-square, on Wed-
nesday, Thursday, and Friday next, the arrangements
being finally completed. Amongst the contributors are
Lord Berwick, Lord-Hill, Lady Georgiana Codrington;
Lady Caroline' Legge, Hon. Mrs. Astley, Hon. and
Rev. Edward Reppel, Hon. Mr. Hill, Sir Archibald
Macdonald, Captain Hornby, R.N., John Farlie, Esq.'
J. C. Adkins, Esq., &c. The entire area of the bazaar,
excepting that portion where a large amount of light
is not obtainable, is now fitted up with pens for the'
birds. The specimens which have arrived have amongst
them some of the finest breeds in the kingdom. In one
class alone there are no less than 150 pens of chickens ;
and, including the pigeons, geese, ducks, and turkeys)
the number of birds to be exhibited will exceed 6,000.
The judges make their awards of the prizes, which
amount in the aggregate to several hundred pounds, 0'
Tuesday, and there will be a private view on that even-
ing. Amongst the competitors are a large number 0'
amateurs, who have never taken any part in previous
shows, and the specimens they have contributed are ex-
ceedingly fine. Instead of the course adopted of dis-
tinguishing the prizes by red, blue, and white rosettes);
as was the case at the winter poultry show, they t
recognised by cards, printed in different colours,
ae``u,
de-
scribing the character and breed of the birds. To
to the comfort and convenience of the public, not only
will a portion of the gallery be tastefully fitted up for
the purpose of refreshments, but arrangements are
course of progress for introducing evergreens and flowersvii
throughout various parts of the building, which „
e
have a :very pleasing effect.

MOJ

'lharlerc
Dublin
qt•
ad
r
Ist °n,
por%
ig at
0133.2

Banabr
t e'
st
't'outh S
sines,
W. Ix
kingi

ttirt

14.111.
tit
3
btst
Iva;
Ditty
t)itt,
Cotisot
Ezell

Doh
i,
Ditto

1t
11,
: N
i•tou,

Flo
rayest
a
No
rein
~.
ves.
Ala
4t, lat

1)100
t,
1

111,
e-

Ila

148.1 t.

Brow
ti

t)
Lon,
Peri,
185 c
1841