The Sun.
London, England, 1841-07-12 00:00:00

tql, '-- PORTUGAL.'
The Bragatizas. ;{steamer) arrived at: Falinouth on Saturday
morning, with the following dates . —From Gibraltar, July 1 ;
• Cadiz, 2; Lisbon, 5; Oporto, 6 ; and Vigo, 7.
Lassos, JULY s.—The Cortes have, during the past week,
been occupiel with subjects, of mere domestic interest; such as
the law of Foraes, or quit rents, and the provision to be made
for the parochal clergy. It is expected that the projects of the
commission, or more proserly the modifications made in them
by the Government, will meet with much opposition in the
Senate.
By the copy of the project which I sent by the last mail, you
will have perceived that, amongst other things, the commis-
:ion proposes an augmentation of the import duties on several
sorts of foreign manufactures. The details with which I have
been furnished only regard woollen and cotton goods. To
begin with the former:—
Carpets and rugs, which paid 360 reis per lb., are to pay 400
reis per lb., an increase of 11 per cent. Blankets, horse-cloths,
and saddle-bags, to be raised from 240 reis to 280 reis per lb.,
an increase of 17 per cent. Druggets, damask, woollen web,
broad-cloth, rateen, ladies =cloth, and satinetts, to lie raised
from 360 reis to 480 reis per lb., being an increase of 33 and
one-third per cent. Baize, coarse and glossy, and seraphims,
from 240 reis to 280 reis per lb., an increase of 17 per cent.
Baize, fine without gloss, of snore colours than one, from 140
reis to 170 reis per lb., an increase of 21i per cent. Shawl.'
and handkerchiefs of kerseymere, printed, from 400 reis to 600
reis per lb., au increase of 50 per cent.
" As several sorts of goods pay the same rate per pound,
it follows that those whose cost is highest pay the lowest rate
per cent. on their value ; but it so happens that the articles of
the greatest consumption are those of the least value, and most
of these, it is said, will he effectually excluded, should the ex-
tra duties be laid en. Superfine broad cloth will continue to
pay at a comparatively moderate rate, but the advantage, in
this respect, will be for from compensating, in any degree, for
the injury done, as regards other articles, its consumption being
very limited in thin market. "
It is not known what augmentation of duties is proposed
upon the cotton, and the information I have received on ti is
head relates principally to the alterations priticipally made in
the customs tariff, and to come into operation en the 20th of
next month. The effect of this augmentation will be to
shut out most completely several of the articles chiefly, if
not solely, imported for contraband transmission into Spain,
and eventually to exclude many others imported for the
same purpose, as the Spanish smugglers, being accu,tomed to
look for a certain assortment of goods, will look for it else-
where if they can no longer get it here. The total cessation
of that very profitable trade into. Spain, may, therefore, be,
shortly expected as a necessary cotistquence of the foOlish
measures of the Portuguese Government. The principal
articles for the Spanish market are cotton shawls and hand-
kerchiefs, and it is therefore upon these that the heaviest duties
are to be laid, with the view of giving a lift to the Portuguese
printing establishments, which it is absurdly imagined will
thereby be ensbled to import the goods raw and gain the in-
termediate profit of printing them. The absurdity of the at-
tempt consists in this, that it is persevered in after having been
tried without success, the Spaniards having always shown the
greatest possible distaste for the Portuguese patterns. The
distinction made in the duties on goods, in which there is
scarcely any difference in quality or va'ue shows at once the
object aimed at. Thus, printed cottons pay a comparatively
moderate duty ; but if, although of the same fineness and
value, they should be marked for division into handkerchiefs,
the rate amounts to a prohibition. By this means, the impor-
tation from Scotland, which consists principally in shawls
and bandkerchiefs, will soon be nearly at an end. The
abolition of the differential duties, established in 1837,
for the encouragement of the national shipping interest,
which the commission proposes, though favourable to
British navigation, will operate injuriously upon the im-
portation of British goods, as the importer will cease to re-
ceive the bonus of 15 per cent. upon the amount of duties
with which he has h therto been favoured in respect to goods
brought in Pcrtuguese bottoms. Nevertheless, we may re-
gard the abolition as a benefit, since it will tend to give the
carrying trade again to British vessels. The commission,
likewise, propose an extra duty upon butter, of ten reis per
pound, which is very likely to put a total stop to the trade
from Ireland ; which, indeed, has been already brought to so
low an ebb by the competition from Hamburgh and Holland
that, whereas the average importations formerly was 50,000
firkins a year, only 1,400 firkins have been imported during
the last six months, of which 600 firkins came by the Portu-
guese schooner Voader, and 800 by the Echo. Both these
cargoes arrived on the same day, to what was considered an
excellent market ; but, unfortunately, two other vessels came
in from Hamburgh nevt morning, and of course down went the
prices at once from 290 to 260 reis, so that the speculation
must have proved an unprofitable, if not a losing one. From
the ruinous effects of this competition we were formerly se-
cured by the treaty of 1810, according to the provisions of
which our goods only paid half the duties charged upon those
of any other country.
" The Government has given great umbrage to the army,
y depriving several officers of their commands, and placing
nem upon the retired list, without assigning any reason for so
loing. The object of this is evidently to substitute them by
others on whose political adherence they can more confidently
rely. Colonel Mesquite Pimentel has demanded a court-mar-
tial, and it is expected the example he has set will be followed
by others. Count Bowfin, who so recently left Lisbon for his
estate in the province of Alemtejo, with the avowed purpose of
retiring altogether from public life, has again made his appear-
ance in town. As he was a great favourite with the army, this
sudden alteration in his resolutions is said to be regarded with
some degree of uneasiness by the Government.
" On the 30th ult., a quantity of exchequer bills and notes
of the old paper currency, amounting together to 194 contos,
or 44,000/. were cancelled and destroyed at the treasury.
" M. Passos Manoel, well known as .the leader of the de-
mocratic party in the last Cortes, and sometime minister of
finance, has been elected to the seat left vacant in the Senate
by the death of Baron Ribeira de Sabrosa.
" The following documents appear in the official part of the
Government journals.
I(From the Diarie de Goberno, July 3.)
" ' Itappearing that Portuguese vessels frequent the ports of
Africa, that not being the destination mentioned in their pass-
ports, and experience showing that such deviations from the
course they naturally ought to pursue have for their object the
illicit ir .ffic of slaves, the Queen commands, by the Secre-
tary of State for Marine Affairs,lbat the authorities of Western
and Eastern Africa, with the adjacent islands, at all times that
any 'captain or master of a national vessel enters a port of their
respective jurisdictions, which port be not mentioned in the
passport of the ship, that they oblige the said captain or master
to give a bond of security for his proceeding directly to his des-
tination, being respons.ble for any deviation that way be com-
mitted; and that bond of security shall not' he raised without
presenting a certificate of its fulfilment. The which is com-
municated to the Governor-General of the province of Angola
to execute, alai cause to be executed by the authorities to him
subordinate, despatching the necessary orders.
" ' JOSE FERREIRA PESI'ANA.
" ' June 22, Palace of Cintra.'
" Similar orders have been sent to the Governors-General
of Cape Verd, Mozambique, and the Governor of the islands of
St. Thomas and Principe."