The Sun.
London, England, 1841-03-16 00:00:00

PORTUGAL.

By the Iberia steamer, Captain Cooper, arrived at Fal-
mouth on Friday night, we have dates from Gibraltar of
the 4th instant ; Cadiz of the sth ; Lisbon of the Bth ;
Opprto, of the 9th ' • and Vigo, of the 9th. The British trans-
port, Abercrombie Robertson, sailed from Gibraltar on the 'sth
inst. with the 47th regiment and part of the 33d, for Barba-
does. A melancholy accident happened at Catalan Bay on the
28th of February. A large stone, supposed to have been
loosened by the late rains, fell from the rock above, and in its
fall split into fragments, one of which unfortunately alighted
upon a house below, and injured the tenants—a husband and
his wife. The Iberia has 32 passengers, amongst them his
Excellency Don Pedro de Souza Bo' elho.
LISBON, MARCH 8.

The instalment due on the Ist inst., on account of the claims
of the Duke of Wellington, Lord Beresford, and others, was
paid with great punctuality. The sum was 160 contos, and had
been raised some time ago for the purpose.
The Chamber of Deputies has been, principally occupied
during the week with the debotes upon the treaty of commerce
with the United States, which was finally approved of, without
the least alteration, on the sth inst. The treaty consists of 14
articles, and is to continue in force for six years from the date
of its ultimate ratification, and for one year more after the ex-
piration of that period, should either of the contracting parties
so require it. Its pith and marrow is that vessels of either na-
tion shall be placed on a footing of perfect equality with na-
tional vessels in the ports of the other, as to port, anchorage,
tonnage, and light duet, as likewise with respect to any draw-
backs or other advantages enjoyed by the latter; and that the
goods of each shall pay no higher duties in the ports of the
other than those now paid or hereafter to be paid by the most
favoured fore:gn nation. These are the main features of the
Treaty, but there is another provision, which, from its extraor-
dinary character, I must not omit to notice. This is, that. the
Consuls of each shall, in the ports of the other, be invested with
judicial power to decide disputes between the shipmasters and
mariners, subjects of the'r own Government, quite independ-
ently of the local authorities, who are to be allowed no right of
interference in such matters.

The subject of the alterations to be 'made in the Custom-
house tariff is about to be brought forward before the Cortes,
having been submitted to a Committee of each Chamber for
consideration. The duties on some qualities of cotton goods
will be raised, but on the whole the alterations are said to be
rather favourable to British trade than otherwise.

The question regarding the new militia is yet in abeyance.
Petitions against the permanent restoration of that force, and
for the re-establishment of the National Guard on its former
footing, are flocking in from all parts of the country. That
from the Municipal Chamber of Santarem was couched in
terms so insulting to the Government and its supporters in the
Cortes, that the Deputies have referred it to a Committee spe-
cially appointed to review it, and to repot whether it affords
sufficient grounds for a prosecution against the parties sign-
ing it.
I understand that rapid progress is making here with the
draft of the new commercial treaty with England, and that it
will very shortly be presented to Lord Howard for transmission
home. Very alarming accounts continue to be received from
the southern provinces, where the guerillas are committing
frightful depredations upon those of the inhabitants known to*
be of the Liberal party.
Her Majesty's steam-vessel Pluto put in here for coals oo
the 6th instant, on her way to the Mediterranean.

The Government has raised a loan of 500 cantos from the
bank on the mortgage of some branches of the revenue, from
next April forward, for the express purpose of meeting the
payment of the dividends on the foreign debt in London.
I learn that Lord Palmerston has interposed his good offices
to obtain for Portugal payment of the sums due to her by
Spain, for the services of the Portuguese auxiliary legion.