The Sun.
London, England, 1841-02-01 00:00:00

PORTUGAL.

The Tagu; (steamer) arrived at Falmouth on Friday.
She left Gibraltar, Jan. 21st; Cadiz, 22d ; Lisbon, 25th ;
and Vigo, 26th. No intelligence has been received at
Gibraltar from Tangier of the movement of the men-of-
war. The wants of the garrison of Cadiz being loft un-
supplied by the central Government, its commander was
on the 16th instant driven to the necessity of extorting a
certain cum from the Intendant, by threatening to recur to
violence if his demand were not complied with.
The English brig Emma, of Guernsey, F. de Garis,
master, was wrecked near Figucira, on the 9th instant,
and totally lost. The master, F. de Garis; the mate,
Thos. Yandell ; and two seamen, John Hart and Geo.
Le Riche, were saved ; but it is painful to state, that the
following men were drowned :—Daniel Isemonger, Peter
Lanfesty, G,:orge Powle, Edward Edmonds, Samuel du
Plan.

LISBON, JAN. 25.---The " Senate" has, at last, mustered
sufficient number of Members to form a House. The
Douro question was accordingly brought under discussion
at that Chamber on S ourday ; and as tic greatest exps-
dition is used, it is hoped thee it will he completely got
through tc-day or to-morrow. Thus, as far as it rests with
Portugal, the affair may be considered as settled, by the
unreserved concession of the point insisted upon by Spain.
A private letter from Algarve states that numerous
r Spanish corps are approaching the frontier, and that it is
generally reported in that quarter that the 31 of February
is the day fixed for marching into Portugal. At Ayamonte
alone (a Spanish town at the mouth of the Guadiana)
three battalions of infantry had arrived on the 21st inst.,
and more troops were expected. Another circumstance
which strongly indicates the expectation of hostilities is, that
the impressment, which had slackened considerably, has
within the last few days been renewed and carried on with
great activity, and that the same impulse seems to have
been given to the equipment of the ships of war, which
are now almost ready for sea, and, strange to say, are
nearly manned with volunteers. On Thursday the King
went on board the diff rent vessels to inspect them, and
declared himself perfectly satisfied with the state of for-
wardness in which he found them. The army is by this
time on a very respectable footing, and will soon be raised
to its war complement ; and when to this means of de-
fence arc added the support to be expected from England
in the event of a rupture, the rising; in mass of the popu.
lation in defence of their independence, and though last
not least, the difficulties which the face of the country
itself presents to the advance of a hostile force, Portugal
will be well able to preserve her existence as a nation,
though probably not to avert the dreadful calamities of
which even a defeated invasion is commonly productive.
From the Finance Minister's Report, recently laid before
the Cortes. it appears that the estimates of expenditure for
this year exceed by the sum of 500 contos those fur 1840,
which increase is stated to have been caused principally
by the warlike preparations going on for the defence of
the country. The revenue for the year is estimated at
8630 contos, and the deficit (exclusive of the instalment
payable on the Ist of March next, on account of the claims
of Lord t3eresford and others) at 600 cantos. In the
item of customs there has been a falling off during the
past year of 125 contos, which the Minister acknowledged
was owing to the great increase of smuggling ; and the
decima tax, which had been estimated at 2,000 contos,
only produced 1,600. In order to cover the deficit of the
ordinary expenditure, the Minister proposes, first, to raise
the duties on raw materials imported for the use of the
national manufactories ; and, secondly, to re-establish the
feral impost, or tax upon the transfer of property in lands
or houses, which was suppressed in 1833; and, to meet
the payment of the instalment of 380 contos due in March
next upon the British claims, he proposes that a temporary
deduction should he made from the salaries of all the civil
servants of the State. All these projects will have, of
course, to be discussed by the Cortes.
The debates upon the address, in reply to the speech
from the Throne, began on Friday at the Chamber of De-
puties, and have been rendered very stormy by the furious
opposition uf the ultras. As the Government, however,
is perfectly secure of a rn7jority in both Chambers, all this
fine oratory is a mere waste of words.
The Leeds steam-packet arrived here yesterday, with
the mail from England, The American frigate Brandy_
wine sailed last week for New York. The British brig
Thames, Rutherford, master, which had put into this port
in a damaged state, on her voyage from Leghorn to Lon-
don, isith a general cargo, sailed again on the 23d instant,
without effecting her repairs, although the official surveyors
declared that they were absolutely required, and that she
would not be s"aworthy without them. The reason of
this was, that the Custom •heuie insisted upon having the
whole cargo taken out, to which the Twister would not
agree, as part of it consisted of several blocks of marble,
weighing seven tons each, which could not be removed
without much danger to themselves as well as to the ves-
sel. The Custom-house at last gave way; but the master
of the Thames, meanwhile, had lost his patience and his
temper, and at last would not accept the favour ho had a
first solicited.