The Sun.
London, England, 1846-06-26 00:00:00

PORTUGAL.

Our Lisbon intelligence up to the 20th inst. gives a very
unfavourable view of the state of things in Portugal. It
would appear that the Palmella Ministry was tottering—the
Cabralist party in complete possession of the Court—and the
King's German Councillor standing between the nation and
the fulfilment of the royal promises lately held out to the
people. It is difficult, however, to conceive why the Go-
vernment in the critical circumstances in which it was placed,
between two anarchies, a military and a popular state of
turbulence and exasperation, should not have showed more
energy, and by its boldness, as well as discretion, have saved
the Court from its own folly and fatuity.
The Prince who bears the title of King should have been
reminded by the Ministers of the Sovereign that any inter-
ference of his in the affairs of government, and still more on
the part of any foreign servant of his in Portugal, was not
only indecorous, but prejudicial to the Queen's interests.
The people—exasperated by the apparently protected con-
spiracies of the dismissed Cabralist officers and civil servants
of the same party still retained in all the influential places
under Government, and by the conduct of the persons im-
mediately about the King, by continual military mantes in
favour of the ex-Ministers, and attempts at counter-revolu-
tion in the provinces on the part of the military—were again,
it was feared, on the eve of another and more formidable out-
break than the former.
The Financial Committee had not terminated its labours,
but the principal objects said to have been had in view by
by it were reductions to the extent of upwards of 2,000
contos in the public expenditure, reduction in the interest of
the debt, foreign and domestic, either to the extent of a
third of the interest or of making the Five per Cents. Four
and the Four per Cents. Three. One member only was said
to be opposed to this reduction in lobo. Reductions were also
balked of in the war expenditure and the courts civil.
The Bank had a meeting of its shareholders. The pros.
pests of public credit were not encouraging.
Senor Gonzales Bravo had been setting diplomatists an ex-
ampleof bringing editors of papers hostile to
in the way
them to their bearings, by calling on them tu fetrzet, or fight
I by proxy.—Chronicle.

THE LATE AFFAIR IN NEW ZEALAND.---DiSpßielleil
were received yesterday by Government from Captain Graham, of the
Castor, 39, at New Zealand, confirming the accounts of the late
action with the hostile natives, in which seven of our seamen and
marines were killed and eighteen wounded, among the latter, Mr.
Murray, of the North Star, 24, severely. The affair is spoken of
as one of great gallantry and perseverance. Three hundred seamen
awl marines co-operated with the force of Infantry, and under al-
most insurmountable difficulties of locality dragged the guns four-
teen miles from the ships Into position. Commander Hay, of the
Racehorse, 18, dashingly led the storming party. In all probability
the patticuiars of the action will appear in the Gazette this evening.
A FIELD ort FIRE.—A circumstance which rarely
happens in this country, although of frequent occurrence in the
prairies of America, took place in the neighboUritood of Chesterfield,
on Wednesday' last. A field of wheat, near the Needle Works,
Brampton Moor, belonging to Mr. EIinSCM, Angel Inn, Chesterfield,
was discovered to be on tire. How the fire originated cannot be
known, although it is probable that the excessive heat of the sun
Ignited the sell which borders the wheat field. On turning up the
soil with a spade, Jets of Nine burst from the ground to the height
of five fbet. A supply of water was obtained, and, after much
difficulty, the fife was extinguished, without much damage being
sustained. —berbs) Hercal.
SKrE.—PRESENTATION.---Captftin Macdonald, late of
the 42d Royal Highlanders, has been for many years back tacksman
of Ostaig, in the parish Of Sick, Isle of Skye, where he has been de-
servedly beloved and esteethekl, hot only by the parishioners of Meat,
but by a wide circle of friends and actlttaintances. He has been
lately appointed Barrackmaster of Paisley and Thimbarton, and no-
Oft could extetct the heartfelt sorrow of the Sleet people fOr being
deprived of a gerfiletririii chatacterised by every principle which
tended to endear him to the natives of the place. The blank caused
in Sleet by the departure of this worthy- gentielanA and his very
amiable and interesting lady, will be sorely felt while the erfeeent ge-
neratiort WMI. Not to speak of their genuine Highland has.
pitality, tier tif their, friendly reception to all who came
their way, their united etturts to attend to the interests of the
peor, and to afford comfort and tenet' to the dietreseed around
them, will be gratefully remembered in Sleet fir ages to come. No-
thing could Mold dearly illustrate the high estimittloo fn winch they
were held than the extreme prices obtained for their steel( et the
late public sale at Ostaig, where all the gentlemen of Skye, and
many from the adjacent isles, were present. The people of Sleat,
with a view to give a tangible shape to their feelings of gratitude,
presented Captain Macdonald with a very valuable and massive
silver jug, hearing a suitable inscription. On the day Of this inte-
resting family's departure, they were escorted to the shore by ri vast
concourse of the parishioners. They went on board the Toward
Castle steamer off Armadale, while the sorrowful crowd stood on.the
beach. Willi tears in their eyes, they cast a wistful look at the re-
ceding vessel, and no doubt breathed a fervent prayer for the wel-
fare and happiness of that faintly, so long distinguished in Heat fen*
their pure philanthropy and unostentatious benevolence."—/nrerness
Courier.
ROBBERY or 1601. BY A SHoPMAN.—lnformation has
been forwarded to the Metropolitan and City Police, that a man in
the employment of Messrs. Adder and Gay, Great Queen-street,
Westminster, had absconded, stealing and taking with him the stun
of 1601., the moneys of his employers, and other articles. •
Sunen,:--By a return .yesterday printed, it appears
that the quantity of sugar imported in the year ending the sth of
April last was 6,025,771 cwt,, of which 5,052,506 was entered for
home consumption, and the net receipt of duty on tinter unrefined in
the year was 3,480,1581. The duty on sugar unrefined of British
possessions, &c., at 14s. the cwt., yielded 3,460,6071., within the
limits of the East India Company's Charter, into which the importa-
tion of foreign sugar is prohibited. The difference in the amount of
duty is made up of the rates chargeable on sugar of British posses-
sions into which the importation of foreign sugar is not prohibited,
and of duty on foreign sugar, some of which was at the rate of
31. 3s. The lowest duty in the return is 145., and the highest 31. 3s
IMPORTATION of LESIONS.—It is noticed that among
the numerous articles of food and general; merchandise brought to
this country from'Belgium, considerable quantities of lemons have
been introduced from that part of the Continent, and that their supply
is not entirely confined to the south of Europe. The steam-ship_
Triton, from Ostend, has brought, in addition to 32 packagen,T
poultry, numerous packages of butter, eggs, latid ether articles. 125
boxes of this esteeautl description of fruit!