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

THE SUN, LONDON, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 2, IQ4I.

FRANCE.

CHAMBER OF DEPUTIES.-SITTING OF JAN. 29

The Chair was taken at half-past one by M. de SAvandy,
one of the Vice- Presidents. The Ministers present Isere
Marshal Soult, and MM. Guizot and Humann.
The Order of the Day was the adjourned debate upon
tho Paris Fortifications Bill.

M. Arago read a written speech ;n support of the plan
adopted by the Government and the Committee—namely,
the continuous wall, with intrenchments. The Hon. De-
puty entered into considerable details of a scientific na-
ture to prove that this was the only efficient method of for-
tifvint the capital, and cited Vauban, Valaze, Napoleon,
and various other military authorities whose opinions he
considered decisive upon this important question. With
respect to General Schneider's amendment, he thought it
altogether inadmissible, being nothing more than a second
edition of the system of detached forts which had already
been rejected.
M. Arago occupied the whole sitting with his speech,
and the Chamber adjourned at six o'clock.

PORTUGAL.

The Tagus (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 left un-
supplied by the central Government, its commander was
on the 16th instant driven to the necessity of extorting a
certain sum 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 Ftgucira, 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
Lanfcaty, George Powle, Edward Edmonds, Samuel du
Plan.

LISBON, JAN. 25.—The " Senate" has, at last, mustered
a sufficient number of Members to form a House. The
Douro question was accordingly brought under discussion
at that Chamber on Saturday; and as the greatest expe-
dition is used, it is hoped that it will be completely got
through to-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
Spanish corps are approaching the frontier, and that it is
generally reported its that quarter that the 3d of February
In 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 tea, and, strange to say, are
nearly manned with volunteers. On Thursday the King
went on board the different vessels to inspect them, and
declared himself perfectly satisfied with the state of for.
wardness in which ho 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 are 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 Miniiter'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 for 1840,
which increase is stated to have been caused prir:cipally
by the warlike preparations going on for the defence of
the country. The revenue for the year is estimated at
8,630 contos, and the deficit (exclusive of the instalment
payable on the Ist of March next, on account of the claims
of Lord Beresford and others) at 600 contos. 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 be 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 of the ultras. As the Government, however,
is perfectly secure of a majority 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, ssiiis 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 seaworthy without them. The reason of
this was, that the Custom louse insisted upon having the
whole cargo taken out, to which the master 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 he had at
first solicited.

active measures against Ibrahim. His request was not
granted.

ARMY MOVEMENTS.--The second wing of the 92d High
landers, consisting of two companies, embarked on board
the Somerset transport on the 9th, and sailed for Barba-
does on the 10th of January. The head-quarters will
follow in the Cornwall transport on ►he 23d inst. These
two vessels conveyed to Malta the 88th or Connaught
Rangers. January 12th, tho Abercrombie Robinson,
chartered transport, arrived with 21 officers, 622 non-
commissioned officers and privates, 42 women 851.1 59
children of the Ist battalion Rifle Brigade, under the corn •
mand of Lieut.-Col. Hope, to relieve the 47th, which
will proceed in the same vessel to the West Indies, on the
Ist of February. Paymaster Clarke, of the 47th, died
suddenly on the 14th January. Her Majesty's ship
Svphire, with 9 officers, 2 lathes, 349 non-commissioned
officers and privates, 43 women, and 96 children, of the
59th regiment, under the command of Major Gordon,
put into Malta, on her way from Corfu to the West
Indies, on the 13th January.
SMYRNA, JAN. B.—The French brig Alcibiade has ar-
rived here from Beyrout, which was quiet, and no fears
were entertained of its tranquillity being disturb..d.
Egyptian troops who have followed Ibrahim continue to
make their submission to the Sultan's dominion, and pro-
visions, in consequence of the rapid increase of the popu-
lation, have become scarce and dear. In the interior bands
of robbers prowl about and waylay, and sometimes wan-
tonly murder, the unfortunate traveller whom they may
encounter. At Aleppo and Damascus all was quiet, the
Consuls had long since returned, and business was trans-
acted with less fear. M. Guys, the French Consul at
Aleppo, has particularly distinguished himself during the
troubles, in relieving the hardships of the inhabitants
through his great influence with the Governor. He
lately succeeded in saving from the enemies of the coun-
try a rich and distinguished Turk who had fallen into
their hands.

The inhabitants of Jerusalem, particularly the convents,
continue to suffer severely from the excesses and contribu•
tions levied on them by the Bedouins.

INDIA MAILS AND PASSENGERS.
( From the Malla Times )
Copy of a circular addressed by Captain Johnson, deputy
agent of the East India Company :
" Alexandria, Dec. 29, 1841.
" Gentlemen,—l beg to inform you that his Highness
the Pacha has requested me to make known to passengers
proceeding to and from India, the insecurity of the Desert,
and to caution small parties proceeding between Cairo
and Suez, as they have hitherto been iti the habit of doing.
His Highness was further pleased to say that he had given
orders to Abbas Pacha to furnish a sufficient escort for Go-
vernment mails, and he recommends travellers to take ad-
vantage of this protection. I have to request you will
communicate the above to the persons concerned.
I am, Gentlemen, &c., &c.,
(Signed) "H. JOHNSON,
"Deputy Agent to the Hon. East India Company."