The Sun.
London, England, 1841-06-29 00:00:00

THE PORTUGUESEIMINISTRY,

LISBON, JUNE 21.—Your readers will no doubt expect.
an individual account of the Members composing the
new Administration. Rodrigo Fonseca Magalhaes, who
continues at the Foreign Affairs, cannot couple to his
vast talents and oratorical powers a reputation for since-
rity of purpose, and, whether justly or otherwise, his
word and pledge, either as a public or private individual,
Pare not relied on. The Prime Minister, J. A. de Aguiar,
was Don Pedro's Minister of Justice in 1833-34; though
possessing fair abilities, he then made himself very ob-
noxious by his overbearing temper, as well as by his
never-ceasing and most unmerciful persecution of the
Miguelites and their families and friends. From peculiar
private circumstances we must suppose him, at this mo-
ment, rather partially disposed towards France, as well as
towards everything French. Count Villareal is another
sort of man : in private life he is highly respectable, and
his honour is not to be questioned, which is more than I
should feel disposed to say of some of his own particular
friends. As a public man, he is well known at London,
Madrid, and other capitals, where he has filled diploma-
tic missions. His political opinions are next to absolu-
tists, but he has, withal, a sincere anxiety to contribute
to the prosperity of his country ; yet do I think him
wanting in that firmness of character so essentially neces-
sary in a Minister of the Crown. He is active
and laborious, but not popular with the rmy,
over which department he has I,2ea named to
preside. M. Avila, Minister of Finance, is a
young man, a native of the island, petulant, if not
very clever, possessing more than a fair share of self-
assurance. Unless he has made up his mind to play
the automaton, under the leading-strings of M. Gomez
de Castro, it is difficult to imagine what on earth can
have induced him to assume the reins of the Finance
Department, where he must find himself so completely
out of his element; but it is more than probable that he
has been thus placed by. Gomez de Castro, who, well
aware that little credit is to be gained by directing
the financial affairs of the country just now, if the Court
and others are to be pleased, has preferred this mode of
being the de facto Minister, without any of the responsi-
bility or odium being laid at his door. Of M. Pes-
tt a n hhata,littht ee
i•febit eh
highly
goh
respectable
favourable,Marine,l shall a 1 lyaent,s
tatiynwt
ebi ieetnht ltne,
t,
abt
nhudet
truth; he is a highly
an honest and sincere well-wisher of his country's wel-
fare. Pity that he enlisted as a Minister in an Admi-
nistration, some of the members of which do not and can-
not command the respect or esteem of the country. Of
M. Costa Cabral, the former and still Minister of justice,
the least that is said will
be the better for him as well
theas
for the friends of Portugal whose feelings may, in ,
present instance, well be spared without
detriment to any
one, because the man, as a
public one i mean, is so noto-
riously well known. The late President of the Council,
Count de Bomfim, has asked leave towrinetirreesutomEelhviss
sfeonraa.
while, but it is not thought that he
year ; his, cessation
torial functions durin; the present
from the Cabinet has not been regretted by either party,
because he had belonged to them both, but was not
now considered a member of either.
The Duke of Terceira's appointment to the command
of the Lisbon district is generally approved of ; there is
so much of the gentleman about the gallant soldier,
that even his political adversaries admire and respect
him. If there were many such men in Portugal, the
whole of the fractions into which the Liberal party is di-
Nided would merge into one. Lieutenant-Colonel Don
Carlos Mascarenas, a very gallant officer, brother of the
Marquis Fronteira, of the Lancers, has been named
to succeed the Brigadier Cesar de Vasconcellos, a
Deputy, in the command of the Lisbon Municipal
Guards. This :latter officer joined the September
Revolution in 1836, but was subsequently induced
to oppose it in the Chamber of Deputies, and he, no
doubt, conceived that his peace with royalty was made.
He was mistaken ; he ought to have well remembered
that royal persons seldom or ever forgive, and that,
consequently, so soon as it became safe to do so, his
services in that important command could be dispensed
with. Doubts are entertained whether the post of " Ad-
ministrator Civil of Lisbon " will be conferred on the
Marquis Fronteira, or on the Count Mello. I rather
think that the latter has already declined it. It could,
no doubt, be bestowed on the once chief of police, of
odious memory, the Baron de Renduffe, so recently
rejected by the Court of Spain,—were it not that
it would be construed into an outrage of public feeling,
wantonly offered to the nation at large.

THE CENSUS.—The population of the borough
of Swansea has not been made up in time for publication
this week, but it is ascertained that the increase, beyond
the census of 1831, amounts to about 10,000, making the
aggregate 28, or 30,000, exclusive of the higher divi-
sion of the parish of Swansea, which is not within the
municipal boundary. The population of Brecon amounts
to 5,429, being an increase since 1831 of 403 • that of
Carmarthen to about 9,500. The population of Newport
is estimated at 14,000.—Cambrian.
A LET TEIIONITSTRAVELS,-...ACentleinan
of ilia tosvahassent us the envelope of a letter, addressed to
vas sent tlto otmQuezt; Mount Sorrell," in Leicestershire, wh:
d
reached its txt;- and thence to. Montreal, and finally
Jul packet. at.tort after a three months' peregrination.-