The Sun.
London, England, 1848-01-17 00:00:00

The Cortes was opened on the 2d by the Quails; in
person. The absence of the English Ambassador
from the ceremony was remarked upon, as was the
fact, that the English squadron omitted paying the
usual compliment of firing a royal salute. These cir-
cumstances were considered as a protest on the part of
the British Government against the bad faith with
which the QUEEN had evaded carrying out the provi-
sions of the protocol, and against the illegality, violence,
and corruptions by which the elections had been
carried. In consequence of the non-arrival of the
steamer from Oporto with the deputies of the
Northern Provinces it has as yet been impossible to
make a House to proceed to business. The news of
the loss of the Avenger (commanded by the step-son
of the Admiral) had caused a profound sensation of
grief in Lisbon. The news was brought by the
Montrose, and at the time of her arrival Sir CHARLEs
NAPIER was at his own house, with several of his
captains and a few other visitors, and had just finished
a rubber at whist, when the officer on duty entered
the room with the dispatches. To the usual careless
inquiry what news the packet had brought, the
officer, unwilling, no doubt, to be the first messenger
of sorrowful tidings, returned no answer. The
questic.n was repeated. "What news from the south ?"
"The Avenger has been lost." "The Avenger lost I"
. . . A long deep pause, telling more than words
could express of the emotion working ‘t ithin. "Crew
saved?" Another pause. " No, sir, all lost but an as-
sistant surgeon, two petty officers, and five seamen."
. . . The Admiral slowly rose, and, taking up the
dispatches, still unopened, retired silently to his
bed•room. The visitors, not one of whom had
uttered a word during this scene, then moved to
withdraw, but Captain DICRES (the flag captain)
recommended them to sit still, which they did. In
abotst a quarter of an hour Sir CHARLES re-entered
the rcom with an open letter in his hand. Address-
ing one of the g€ ntlemen present, he said, there is a
passage in this (it was from the captain of a French
war-steamer), which I do not rightly understand.
The ambiguity of the phrase seemed to hold out a
hope that there had been only eight men drowned, not,
only men saved, but that hope soon disappeared,
for all the French scholars present were compelled,
however reluctantly, to give the seemingly dubious
passage its painfully real interpretation. The
Admiral then retired again in silence, and the guests
withdrew. Ever since then, the answer to all
visitors is that Sir CHARLES NAPIER cannot receive

any one.
The Government has addressed notes to the British,
French, and Spanish Ministers, announcing to them,
for the information of their respective Governments,
that the last of the conditions of the Protocol having
been fulfilled by the assembling of the Cortes, that
Convention has become a dead letter. It is said that
Sir llama:roll SETuous has replied to this commu-
nication by a formal protest to the contrary effect,
reiterating all his preceding remonstrances against
the illegal and fraudulent means employed to secure
the return of a Cortes in the interest of the two
Cabrels.

The Conde DE THOMIIt (COSTA CABRAL) has been
appointed Ambassador to Paris, and the Duke of
TBRCEIRA Ambassador to Vienna.

Exchange on London, 53 to 63} ; Bank Shares,
D 390 to D 395 ; Five per Cent. Inscriptions, 54 per
cent. Discount on Bank of Lisbon notes fluctuating
from 1,900 to 2,000 rein per moidore.

Her Majesty's ships at Lisbon.—The St. Vincent,
Queen, Howe, and Canopus; Amphion, screw
steamer; Dragon, Scourge, and Comet, steamers.
At Oporto—The Jackal steamer.
Vessels Spoken with.—The Peninsular and
Oriental Company's steamer Madrid, in Vigo Bay,
Jan. 11.

Madrid journals of the 9th and 10th have arrived.
The Gatela contradicts the statement published by
the Eco del Comersio, to the effect that SARTORIUS
had waited on General ESPARTSRO by order of NAR.
TABZ. No member of the Cabinet has as yet called
on the Duke of VICTORY.

El Siglo states that ESTANTERO was received by
the Qt.;sax in the kindest and most flattering manner.
Her MAJESTY told him that she had felt great pain
at his long exile ; and EBPIETBRO answered that,
notwithstanding he had undergone all the bitterness
of exile, he had never ceased to offer up fervent wishes
for his QUEEN and country. When he was about
to take leave of her Majesty, she said that she
should be delighted to see him often at the palace.
To this compliment ESPARTERO replied, "Madame, I
will come at any hour your MAJESTY requires me
and sends for me ;" and, in answer to a question of
the QUEEN, he added, that his motive for so acting
was, that he might not incur disagreeable suspicions
or private rivalries. The Clamor Publico states that,
on arriving in the night, the General had to ask his
way of a watchman, and the Siglo records that a
young man having waited on him to congratulate him
on his return, ESPARTERO asked him who he was,
when he received for answer, " lam the son of &IL-
DAN° 1" a reply which, it says, caused such great
emotion to the General that he was deeply affected
(luring the remainder of the day. Since his
return to Madrid the General has received in-
telligence of the desth of his faithful friend,
General LINAGE. This has considerably affected
him, and has contributed perhaps to determine
him to go to Logrono to meet the Duchess
of VICTORY, as soon as he has taken the oath
as Senator. On the Bth crowds continued to sur-
round the house in which he resides, and in con-
sequence the viebities of it were occupied by
strong detachments of troops, a p• tot.ally
unnecessary, as the utmost tranquillity prevailed,
and one, moreover, which was considered by the
Progressista party as most insulting. Among the
visitors to General ESPLETERO on the Bth were the
venerable CAsrAoos, Duke of Baylen, General, Ftsw-