The Sun.
London, England, 1823-09-05 00:00:00

" British schooner Nassau, off Belem Castle, Aug. 13.

" SIR-It is with pain that I take a step which may in sotae
degree appear to be personally offensive to his Majesty the
King of Portugal, when I have no such intention, being too
well aware of his Majesty's present situation ; but after the un-
generous, vindictive, as well as lawless treatment I have expe-
rienced, under circumstances that would have secured me pro_
tection and hospitality from the Governments of even the most
barbarous nations, it is impossible for me to wear the insignia
of a country whose Government has so outrageously violated
these duties.

•: The very possession of these insignia implies obligations
on my part which it is not for my honour should ahy longer
exist, and therefore I have to request that you will take proper
measures to have my name erased from the Commanders' roll
of the Portuguese Order of the Tower and Sword.

" Having formerly refused all pay and pecuniary remunera-
tion from the Government of Portugal during the time I was
employed in its service, I have the satisfaction now to feel that
I am released from every sort of acknowledgment, and that
the service which I rendered Portugal in an extreme moment
of her peril, and crisis of her fate—services which cannot be
denied, have thus been gratuitously given.
" I have the honour to be,
" Your Excellency's most obedient humble servant,_

" R.

" To his Excellency the Count Palmella,
Minister for Foreign A affairs."

In making public this example of independent
principle, we feel we are but pourtraying the
character of its author in its true colours. For
the honour of our country, we trust there are
few Englishmen who would not with him spurn
to wear the badge of such contemptible oppres-
sors. How different is this from the garbled
tales we have found in the Lisbon Prints, the
offsprings of surveillance and terror !—The first
is the language of freedom and honour, ,which is
never to be found without freedom, the latter
that of the deceit which superstition engenders.
—(4llorning chronicle.)

THE CANAL IN Sr. JAMES'S PARK.--We had
occasion, some time since, to contradict a para-
graph published by most of our contemporaries,
in which it was asserted, that the " excavators
had failed in their endeavours to open a passage
for the contents of the Canil." The following
pars-graph appeared in several of the papers of
last night and this morning:—'
" The Canal in St. James's Park was-drained last week, sad
expectations were entertained that some fine fish wouhl have
been caught; but, to the surprise of the keepers, none of any
value were found. A quantity of Prussian carp was the only
sort taken. It is supposed that all the good fish were killed by
the frost, in consequence of the want of due attention in break,
ing the ice to give them air."
It the accuracy of the intelligence ob'ained by
newspapers respecting occurrences at a distance,
were to be estimated by the quality of that
hich they sometimes communicate respecting
circumstances under the very eyes of their con-
ductors, it would be deemed of very little value!
Who that had not had the evidence of his eyes to
the contrary, would have suspected, after all the
minute particulars stated in the above paragraph
as to the destruction of the fish, and the surprise
of the keepers on finding in the bottom of the
Canal " only a quantity of Prussian carp,"• that
the fact is, that not one drop of the contents of
the canal has as Net been drained or—The
new and enlarged piece of sewer was only
completed and covered over last night. Thu
whole of the old piece with which it is united,
is not yet cleaned out; and until that neces-
sary preliminary to the drainage is entirely
finished, no part of the water will be let
off.—Even then, in consequence of the vast ac-
cumulation of mud in the east end of the canal,
where the mouth of the drain enters, it has
been ascertained that it will be necessary to
employ the power of steam, to force the water
from the western extremity. A steam en-
gine is now erecting for that purpose on the
north bank, and this interesting and novel spec-
tacle will be in full operation, it is expected, in
the course of ten or twelve days. The canal
having been once emptied, the bottom will be
entirely cleaned out. and will then be on a level
with the sewer or aqueduct, which will therefcre
be sufficient for keeping up the regular
influx and reflux of the tide, and the steam
engine will be removed. The whole process
Coofudrrsae oinitt.igo,le pitirse hoped,
month.ed,‘ will be be completed t
he
S;
erro-
neous paragraphs which have appeared ri!,;(:ectit)
the Canal, have been made the ground (trifling as
the, whole affair is), of very sagacious rellectioes
on the conduct of the 'Board of Works ! What
we have stated is sufficient to prove that the
authors of the censure really know nothing of
the subject on which they have so confidently
pronounced judgment !

Sir ROBERT PEEL, Bart. has generously pre-
sented to the Birmingham General Hospital a be-
nefaction of 2001.

The Duke of BUCKINGHAM'S indisposition is
said to be very slight indeed, and the Leaming-
ton waters have been resorted to by his Grace
with the most beneficial effects. 'His Grate pro-
ceeds shortly from Leamington to Cheltenham.
Mr. JAMES GoLnErt, of Dunaghmore, County
Cork, under sentence of transportation, under
the Insurrection Act, has been granted a, free
pardon by the Lord Lieutenant.
The Emperor of AUSTRIA has granted permis-
sion to one of the Archdukes of Austria to unite
himself by marriage with a young and agreeable
woman taken from the lowest class of his subjects.
—(Constigutionnel).