The Sun.
London, England, 1836-09-10 00:00:00

PORTUGAL►

I.l.—There have been several instances
kli`ssCurbances and outrilgZ; upoh life and property, in the
provinces lately ; indeed, the accounts published by the or-
gans of all parties, concur in evincing the unsatisfactory
state in which society is placed, It may be easily supposed
that much must depend in this, as in most countries, upon
the feeling of the Church, Now, the suppression of the
convents, and an alienation of so large a portion of Church
property, arc looked upon by A large body of
.persons here
as nothing short of spoliation and saerilege. Thy poor used
to be supplied %.kiith soup and Othdr food tt the expense of
these religious establiShnie4tt, and their suppression has
created a great deal or additional suffering, particularly in
the provinces, on this head. In Lisbon, mcndicity asylums,
701',1 other charitable institutions, may somewhat mitigate
these evils ; but in the provinces they cannot have the same
source of relief, and it cannot be expected that persons so
situated can be easily convinced of the advantages of that
state of things which comes to them accompanied by des-
titution, and to those to whom they have been wont to
look up, with what they are taught to consider as confisca-
tion and robbery.
This state of things is one which is no less fraught with
danger to the Government than it is with injustice to the
present sufferers. Miguelisun may be ostensibly put down,
and its organs may be compelled to dissemble their opi-
nions ; but they cannot be prevented from exposing, and
they vvill:naturally be disposed to exaggerate, the evils which
the changes that have taken place and an unsettled state
of society may engender. The Eeco, a Miguelite paper
published here twice a week, together with extracts from
the few Carlist advocates of the English, French, and
Spanish Press, contains a good allowance of such notices
as the following, which are taken from its number of
the 18th :

LISBON.—" From the 24th July, 1834, there have died
in the Hospital of San Jose alone 183 individuals belong-
ing to the regular and secular clergy, who had no other
means of procuring relief than those afforded by the
hospital."
" Atrocidades em Setubal.—A few days before the Libe-
ral expedition left this place the house of Jorge de Cabedo,
&c., First Baron Zambujal, was broken open and plun-
dered. His crime was his having been a Royalist and hav-
ing received the title of Viscount."
I may here notice that there is a new journal now pub-
lished, of Miguelite tendency, and his name is one of ra-
ther ominous import—The Trombeta Universal. It hap-
pened that a Journal of the same name was published in
1823, and again in 1828, in both cases coming out just be-
fore the breaking up of the Constitution, and its present
promoters are desirous of availing themselves of these re-
collections, saying, in their first Number, published on the
16th, that the blast of their Trumpet had always been a
dreadful one, and would always continue to be so. This
journal is always published twice a week ; in its second and
third Numbers it contains an article headed " 0 Dia de
Juizo" (the Day of Judgment), the object of which is, by
means of a dialogue between the living and the dead, to
denounce the proceedings adopted with respect to the
Church and Absolutist party. I quote the following as
showing the spirit in which it is written .
" Question : Is there any article in the Charter which
decrees that the rights of life and of property should, in any
case, cease to be respected ?
" Answer : No ; quite the contrary.
" Q. Upon what article of the Charter, then, are founded
those public assassinations which take place every hour of
the day all over the kingdom, and the general, spoliation of
the religious orders of all the goods which ancient dotations
had conferred upon them?

" A. We know no law for it, except the law of the
strongest," &c. &c.

It must be acknowledged that the press of this country
is perfectly unfettered, and its violence is certainly often
without bounds. The two Absolutist papers I have noticed.
The Ultra-liberals have the Nacional and Portuguez Con-
stitutional daily papers, and the Movimento, a weekly jour-
nal. The Diario, Revista, and Independente daily journals
support the Government. Nor is Lisbon without its jour-
nals of the stamp of your Age and Satirist. The Raio
(Thunderbolt) lampoons the chief members of the Opposi-
tion three times a week, and the Toureiro (Bull-fighter)
performs the same good office on those in authority at the
same intervals. It must be allowed, therefore, that, to the
fullest extent. " the press is free."
I may observe that the Portuguese papers generally
confer a title of nobility upon all the captains of the ves-
sels belonging to the Royal Yacht Club. Thus we have
had here within a short period, " Lord Charles Smith," and
" Lord Dyke Ackland," who have not yet, as I am aware,
taken their seats upon the benches of the House of Lords.

The Endynzio7t frigate came into the river yesterday
from Corunna.

AUGUST 26.—The affairs of Spain seem rather to puzzle
our journalists. The Portuguez Constitucional which at
first applauded the popular movements, is now furious in
its attacks upon the Ministerial organs for their acquies-
cence in the changes that have occurred.
The Becista of this day contains a copy of the new com-
mercial treaty (which has been submitted to the Legislature
of Brazil) between that country and Portugal. It contains
the usual enactments with respect to reciprocal rights of
navigation, establishment of consuls, &c. The following
clauses are those which will principally interest other
powers, whose relations with these countries will thereby
undergo a material change :
Article 10. " All the goods, merchandize, and articles of
whatever kind, of the production, manufacture, and in-
dustry of the subjects and territories of her Most Faithful
Majesty, imported directly either from her European ports
or those of her colonies, by vessels either Portuguese or
Brazilian, to whomsoever they may be consigned, and in-
tended for the consumption of Brazil, shall pay one-third
part less of duties on entry than are actually paid or may
be hereafter paid by the most favoured nations, according to
the valuation put upon them by the Tariff which shall be
published in all the ports of the empire, where there are or
may be custom-houses."

Art. 11. (Gives the same advantages to the goods and
products of Brazil over those of all other countries when
imported in Portuguese or Brazilian vessels, for consumption
in Portugal). "It being moreover understood, that if,
hereafter, any diminution of the duties levied on the goods
of any other nation, imported into the dominions of either
of the contracting powers, should take place, it should be
equally conceded to the subjects of the present high con-
tracting Powers, notwithstanding the favour conceded by
the present treaty.
Article 12 declares that where the respective tariffs of
the two countries do not happen to have affixed any deter-
minate value to goods imported from the one into the other,
the declaration of the importer shall be sufficient proof
of their value, the custom-house officers having the right,
in case they should be dissatisfied with this valuation, of
taking the goods themselves by paying ten per cent.
above the declared value to the importer, within 15 days,
and returning the duties.
I mentioned in a former letter the subject of British
claims upon this Government, and the difficulties thrown in
the way of any satisfactory adjustment.
It is stated by the Revista that during the period which
has elapsed since the present Ministers entered upon office
(about four months), 3,400 contos, or 800,0001. sterling,
have been paid by the treasury. The same journal men-
tions and defends the payment of the Duke of Wellington's
pension, which has been made the subject of virulent attacks
by the Opposition journals. These statements may, how-
ever, be perfectly correct, without affording the least satis-
faction to the numerous British claimants here, who are un-
able to obtain payment of their debts.
AUG. 27.—The Independente has begun to publish a
memoir, which a Spanish commissioner-appointed to in-
quire into the state of the navigation of the Douro has
put forth, respecting the commerce of Portugal with Spain.
The writer seems to attribute the low state into which the
industry and trade of this country has fallen to British con-
nection, in which he is not at all singular, for the common
practice of all parties agrees pretty much in that respect.
The cause of all this ill-feeling against England seems to
be, that the country being exhausted by a continued series
of unfortunate events, and every species of industry at a
low ebb, as must be the case where there is a general want
of confidence and feeling of instability, instead of applying
themselves to settle their own domestic squabbles and re-
animate their drooping industry, they prefer the shorter
method of throwing the blame of their situation on other
parties ; and as England is the nation which has given Por-
tugal the most assistance, she, according to the mode in
which benefits arc returned here, comes in very naturally
for the largest share of their abuse.

It is expected that the Corteg will meet on the 11th of
next month (the time appointed by the last decree.) A
notice has been published ia the Diario that the steamer
Terceira will remain at Oporto till the 9th, in order to
convey to Lisbon such of the Deputies as may choose to
avail themselves of it. The elections for the islands have
not yet been made known, and the question of a majority
in the Chamber is therefore still a doubtful one. At any
rate, it is obviously the most prudent plan for Ministers to
meet the Cortes and propose their measures ; indeed, with
the spectacle before their eyes of recent events in Spain,
a further postponement at this time might lead to some se-
rious catastrophe.

Senor Isturiz, the late Prime Minister of Spain, is now
here, and is about to proceed to England.
Lord Seaford (Lord Howard's father) arrived on the
sth by the /Manchester, on a visit to his Excellency.

The Duke of Brunswick, in consideration of the
situation of the family of Mrs. Graham under the circumstances
of the late calamity, has presented her with 1001.
Count d'Acetg has left New Norfolk-street on
a tour.

PALACE COURT.-FRIDAY.

ittiLltt% v. rtttCitEli.

Mr. COLLET!' stated that the present action was brought
by the indorsee of a bill of eNchatigd for 2.51., drawn by a
person named Nicholson, and accepted by the defendant
(a female), who pl•mded in bar to the action, first, a co-
verturei and secondlyi that no consideration had been given
for the hill.
Mr. GAZELEE, defendant's counsel, adaiitted flee ac.
ceptance to be the defendant's. The Learned Counsel
however contended that. his client Was not legally liable
for this act of hers, as he should prove that, although she
had been separated ftem her husband several years, yet
that he (the husband) was living when the present action
was brought.
Mr. J. Richardson, a person of most fashionable ap-
pearance, and dressed in the first style of elegance, had
hired several splendid apartments and houses, in Park-
lane, and other places at the west end of the town for the
defendant, who he supposed to be a widow up to the time
of this action being brought. Afterwards, however, she in-
formed him that her husband was living, and at her request
he went down to Manchester, and obtained from the Col-
legiate Church in that town, the certificate of marriage,
which he then produced.
The Judge (- KNOWLES, Esq.), said it was not ne-
cessary to prove the marriage, in actions of this kind ; it
was sufficient for it to be shown that the alleged husband
and the defendant lived together as man and wife, and held
themselves out as such to the world. _ . _

Mr. Richardson, in his cross-examination, said he was
managing clerk to Mr. Henson, solicitor, of Chancery-lane.
Mr. COLLETT (with surprise)—You, Sir, managing clerk
to a solicitor ? Witness—Yes ; and I frequently lend Mr.
Henson money to carry on his business.
Mr. COLLETT—Why, have you not yourself recently
taken the benefit of the Insolvent Debtors' Act? Wit-
ness—Yes, about three years since.
The COURT—What was the amount of your debts at
that time ? Witness—Somewhere about 8,000/.

The COURT—Have your creditors been since paid ?
Witness—No ; or otherwise I should have talm my
schedule off the file.

The COURT—How much money of yours had your em-
ployer at a time ? Witness—Twenty, twenty.five, or
thirty pounds, as he might require.
The COURT—Do you not know, Sir, that this money
belongs to your creditors ? Witness—l intend to pay all
my bona fide creditors.
On the witness's further cross-examination by Mr. COL-
LETT, he said that he had heard of a person of the name of
Coster. He had had the misfortune to be indicted for a
conspiracy with John Minter Hart. He was tried with
Hart in the Court of King's Bench, and acquitted. He
had taken the benefit of the Insolvent Act twice.

The COURT—You say that you are now an attorney's
clerk, you certainly have not been in that capacity all your
life ? Witness—No : I started in life as a gentleman.
A witness named Rodolph knew the defendant at the
time she was living with her husband, a surgeon, at Man-
chester, in 1824, 1823, and 1826. Her husband, about
1826, eloped with a female servant. He was subsequently
obliged by the parish authorities to allow the defendant 1/.
per week for her maintenance. Saw Mr. Fletcher, de-
fendant's husband, and supped with him not a month since.
Another witness deposed to the defendant being a mar-
ried woman, but in his cross-examination he said that he
was of opinion she had not lived with her husband for some
years.
Mr. CoLLETT, in reply, contended that if such a de=
fence as the present was to avail no tradesman would be
safe. For years the defendant had made purchases, taken
splendid houses and apartments, and never until the pre-
sent action was brought had she ever hinted that her hus•
band was living.
The JUDGE, in summing up, said the only question the
Jury had to decide was, whether they believed the defers•
(lanes husband was living at the time the action was brought.
If they were of that opinion, it could not be maintained.
The Jury, after some deliberation, returned a verdict for
the defendant.