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

PORTUGAL.

By the Royal Tar steamer, which. arrivedatFatlhmo oroaucteo.
Tar's
Falmouth on
Friday evening with Peninsular mails,r.trs
received
datesweleaving
of are,
from despatches. The Royal .
from Gibraltar the 17th, Cadiz the 18th, Lisbon the 2lst,
Oporto the 221, and Vigo the 23d inst.
Lisuoig, Ju NE 21. —Fears were entertained on the evening
of the 17th instant that a revolutionary attempt, for the pur-
pose of restoring the Charter, would be made by tome of the
troops, through the connivance of Ministers, but the scheme
was abandoned at the eleventh hour ; most probably it was
only postponed to a fitter opportunity, though some people
think that nothing is now intended to be done until the
'auspicious crisis or proclaiming Donna Maria the abso:ute
Queen of Portugal offers itself. Some of the people about the
palace are said to snake no secret .of such bein&the in-
tentions of the Court; in which event we shalrbe war-
ranted in drawing the conclusion that the late ruinous civil
war was undertaken by the leaders of the victorious party,
not far the purpose of securing free institutions for the court-
try, but of inflicting on it the despotism of one individual of
the Royal Family, in lieu of that of another member of it.
And was it for this that 50,000 lives, such vast treasures, and
so many honest men's fortunes have been wasted? Was it fur
this that the houses and estates of so many honest men in the
neighbourhood of Porto and Lisbon sere destroyed during the
struggle, and they as well as their families brought to beg-
gary ? It is a pity that the influential men of all parties in
Portugal do not see the expediency of " letting well alone," of
using their utmost endeavours in order to consolidate the
existing form of Government, whatever its defects may be, in-
stead of every now and then upsetting the whole system.
The Senate having confirmed the previous sanction of the
Deputies to the pecuniary arrangement entered into with the
tobacco contractors for the payment of the fractional dividends
on the foreign debt, it will be in course of payment ondthtoe
Ist of July next. The bondholders ned not look forward
t_ie
receiving future fractional dividends, unless the direction of l
financial affairs of this country fall into able hands—into
those of a man who will persevere in a system
ref thorough
retrenchment retrenchment in every department, the
Royal Personages and
the
household included, as well as one who will,u
Such of the bond-
least dilapidation of the public revenue.
no want of means,
toonlddesrsacast resist
wiselythe ro;poleste dthem i, conversionoltl o
uoitr;seaxnedh apnifret
Portugal
theirwill
pay them the full dividend, because there is
if they be properly and carefully administered..
vathaseirmorsettugrrnaoihooomslye
from
Madrid
lodna n
theha and
iashui
inst.,
arrived
aivileddhen
received by their Majesties.
v eyCommanderinxtw oc a s
eNs Na-
pier, p i
eirl,eir)3s
s Majesty'siled
of Admiralty orders re-
charts for the squadron, in consequence,
fosrixthteeeEna-gstillnndhiari
the 18th. The
thing less than four days from Faisg
mta
otci
uo
a tn Pelican,ph,
ie
ao
io nn
per the Charlotte, Forrester, bound
re-
ceived per the Montrose steam-racket, which arrived in sonic-
f the charts, about 23 miles
marked in any o
level of the sea, not m.
ta arrived here a few days since
sifromneveeonni'speoaqns consequence teeor of touching Sydney,
oi which
afoundered
rock,on the
l2lfBe tel feet underof
from the island of Boairs.,,,
g proceeded in their boats to Sao
hands were saved,
A highly respected here.
wine-merchant of this city,
could not meet two of his accept-
the 19th, that be
Fiago, from whence they
'finding, on iPeaiiriliti-i4eu Portuguese e
limes falling due that very day, addressed a letter, calling

THE ICINGS SPEECH AT THE CLOSING OF THE

DIET ON THE 16th INST.

" GENTLpiEN—Upon the opening of the Diet on the 25th
of January.,lB4o, I acquainted you that we,were then in a con-
dition to diminish the taxes, but principally those which bad fur
so long a time pressed heavily upon agriculture.
" The attempt has fully answered my expectations ; for the
reduction has exceeded the amount which I had thought proba-
b:e to be effected. We have maintained a larger production,
and cleated an extended commercial activity; and r e shall fur-
nish to the next Diet the means of pursuing the same system,
and of thus effecting a still further reduction.
" During your preient sittings three treaties of commerce
and navigation have been cuocluded, upon a perfectly reci—
procal basis, with the reptatilie of 'Venezuela, and with the
free cities of Ilamb,trgh ann3remen. The public shall Le
informed of the ratifications of these treaties so soon as they
respectively take place. Other negotiations were forthwith
cornoenced, in order to the regulation of the commercial in-
terests o: these two kingdoms; and with the most lively
pleasure I am enabled to inform you that, the most im-
portant of these regillations,.that of the Sound duties, is
upon the point of being' terminated in the most satisfactory
manner.

" The first duty of a Government is to watch over the soli-
dity of the foundations of the national existence. Ile vho
permits them to be undermined is preparing the fall of that
existence. Laws, which have. stood the test of experience for
many years, ouglst'nevertheless to be amended when found.
necessary ; and with the more reason, those laws vthich have
produced injury to 'any class of society ; but, if the mainte-
nance of reason and of order be not the result, the State'rnust
thereby be endangered.
" I can only foresee a Lappy future for this Northern Penin-
sula, if but peace be preserved; but to be indifferent to the
chances of war, and negligent in preparation for it, would
be to destroy our nationality, and slowly to dig our country's

' grave.
" Nations, if not powerful, are at least esteemed according
to their tranquillity and their good faith.
There are periods wheu a nation must submit to sacri-
fices, however great they may be, which honour will dictate
. both to the Sovereign and his Government. If the chief of
a State, by the nature of his authority, ought personally to
make sacrifices, he must not hesitate to do so, especially »hen
demanded of him by honour and national interests.
" In the year 1809, the kingdom, after having lost a third
portion of its territories, was in fact at war with all the allies
of a mighty empire. Tormented by internal divisions, and
without exterior assistance, it was soon compelled to yield to
a commercial system whica made the State the enemy of
England.
" Under these circumstances, King Charles the Thirteenth
not only gave tip his then present, but his future revenues.
" Our army, proceeding towards Germany, was already
looked upon by some persons as about to experience the same
fate as those who had perished four years before ; our troops,
however, came back triumphant, and the country had net to
lament their want of success.

" The State!-General, who, in 1829, were aware of the pro—
jects formed abroad against their acts of 1809, acknowledged
the services which the Government had rendered to the nation
in preserving it from the calamities which had befallen so
many other states.

"If men, like kingdoms, ought to avoid being unneces-
sarily hurried forwardlthrough a knowledge of their own ca-
pabilities, both are Compelled to adopt measures which shall
evince to their avowed enemies the determination of a Govern-
ment believing itself to be wronged in its rights and national
dignity. Such has been your position since the year 1811. It
is to that attitude that Sweden is indebted for the estimation
in which she is held, and for the great advantages which by
her hare been consequently enjoyed.
" The Almighty ha' specially protected her, and has deigned
to guide this tiovernment to a point where she has been ena-
bled to display results so magnificent. Gentlemen, compare
your possessions at this moment with the picture which was
presented before the eyes of the Members of the Diet after the
revolution of 1809, and you will then be able fully.to appreciate
the manifest prott ction of the Most High.
" During twenty-five years I have cherished the hope of
giving to the Supreme Tribunal of the kingdom the indepen-
dence and the guarantees which are enjoyed by the other Tri-
bunals in Sweden, as well as all other European states. By a
message in 1823 I expressed my determination, antiexplained
my reasons. I have respected the negative reply of the States
neral, without, however, participating in the reasons upon
which that reply was founded.
" Your deliberations, during the present Diet, upon the
nature of our political institutions induce me to believe that the
idea of so desirable a change will not escape your attention.
In order to avoid the prolongation of your sitting, espe-
cially after one so long and laborous, I intend to communicate
my opinions upon this subject to the law committee, and to in-
form the States General of the result at the next sitting of the •
Diet, if it he the will of God to.spare me; but if not, I will pray,
is a better world, that the, Almighty may enlighten the nation,
by inspiring it with the love of justice, and blessing it with the
Hill and the courage to be.just.
" You have been witnesses of the religious ceremony by
which my grandson has yielded himself up to the bonds which
bind the Christian to his Creator. You heard the oath which
he took to me and the laws. May the recollection of that mo-
ment be engraven on his heart and on yours, while every one
acknowledges that God will bless both people and princ.es
•who are guided by truth and religion.
" According to seettori-109 of the Constitution,- I announce
to you, Gentlemen, that your sittir,gs are elosed ; and, while
assuring you of my royal good will, I pray .God that he :nay
ppur nut his heavenly blessings upon this nation."