The Sun.
London, England, 1846-05-30 00:00:00

PORTUGAL.'

DOWNFAL OF THE COSTA CABRAL

MINISTRY.
GENERAL INSURRECTION.

We have received most important intelligence from
Portugal, announcing the downfal of the Cabral .Dtti-
nistry, and a general insurrection throughout the
country. Public excitement was at its greatest heig-144
and all classes were in consternation and alarm. Count
Villa de Real was sent for by the Queen to form a M 1
nistry, but in which he failed. The Duke de Palmella
was then commissioned to undertake the arduous And
responsible duty, but had not succeeded when these 04.•
counts came away : however, he had not abandoned al°
hope of accomplishing the important object.
LISBON, MAY 19.—Every coming moment is so fraught
with interest, that I think it is as well to begin at once
noting down the occurrences which have taken place hitherto,
in order to have more time for the narration of whatever
may turn up between this and the closing of the mail at
eight, A.lll, to-morrow.
The tenor of my letter of the 10th inst. must in aarl
degree have prepared your readers for the announcement
have now to make, which is nothing less than the dowew„
of the Costa Cabral Ministr7 ! the shadow of this approacl
ing event had been perceptible for some days before ; for 3
al-
though the official journals daily announced the defeat and
disperson of the insurgents, facts had come to light whtt
plainly showed that the insurrection, on the contrary, vino,
have been gaining ground. It was known that young i‘,„d
Real, a son of Count Villa Real, had put himself at them.,f
of a large body of armed peasants, and taken posses..sle7,;
the town of Villa Real, in the province of Tras os Ms... of
whence his father's title is derived ; that another body ,t
malcontents had surprised and disarme a strong detachmeti
of troops at Amarante, and, by making themselves mastc'
'
of the bridge over the Douro, at that town, had opened""
communication with the Minho insurgents • and that the
movement had extended through other parts of Tras
pe
Montez. Besides which, the progress of the insurrection, gw.:
the alarm with which it was viewed by the Government, we'""
indirectly acknowledged in a royal order which er:
peared in the course of the week in the Diarn
stating, that as it was necessary to recruit the
ranks of the army immediately, a bounty of On
moidore (about 235.) would be 'given to every discharged
soldier who volunteered to rejoin his regiment and serve foe
six months longer, and an allowance of one vinten a day"
extra pay, to every soldier who havir.g a right to his dis-
charge should forego it for the same period. Notwithstand-
ing all this, the Lisbon public was completely taken by sur-
prise, when, on Sunday morning the Oporto steamer our
over the bar, having on board, evidently as a runaway, the
Minister of Justice, M. Jose Cabral, the very individual who
. so shortly before has been sent to that city armed with themost ample and unrestricted dictatorial authority. As the
Government has been in sole possession of all the channels,?..
information, and few, if any, private letters containing Ptml
tical intelligence have been allowed to reach their address, 41,
is very difficult to come at the exact truth of what has bee;
going forward in the provinces. As far, however, as I l'urr
been able to learn, it appears that the flame of lO
surrection spread rapidly froM the Minho all over Trill
os Montez, in which latter province alone about eieta
thousand men were in arms, under the direction of a itu!'„,
composed of the most influential of its proprietors, Le
eluding young Villa Real, and that the commander of
military division, Viscount Vinhaes, seeing the forto.-ble
:Aa,-
array, and observing an evident disinclination on the Part a,
his soldiers to act against the people, entered into negc)7,ot
tions with the junta, the result of which was an agreerny,,,o
to a suspension of hostilities for six days, to await the Quee.l6
) answer to the demands of the insurgents, which were--;ii
dismissal of the Costa Cabral Ministry, and the repeal deb...
taxes upon labour. On receipt of this unwelcome inti:ol
gence, and perceiving unequivocal symptoms of a revulsio
_e
popular feeling against him is the city of Oporto, DI. Je,c..
Cabral thought it prudent to make a precipitate retreat
and the "Duque do Porto" having been kept in readinF:
with her steam up, he stole quietly on board during the night'
and when daylight came the redoubtable Dictator we.
non inventus. This step, on his part, it is said, was ac,.er
lerated by the receipt of communications from the Otu
military commanders under his orders, all of valci rrt
curred in showing that the soldiers, sympathising it ittaur..
people in the sufferings which had driven them into irw4ll
7 rection, were not disposed to act against them, espede,":"'dis-
the detachment of troops which had been surprised art'l des-
, armed at different places, had been kindly treated, en"' re-'
missed without personal injury or even the slightest
[ proach. In a few hours after the arrival of J. Cabral
this city, a council of Ministers was held, at which it w"tionS,
resolved that they should tender their resignNke.
not only on account of what I have stated above, but :
wise because intelligence equally alarming had meanwbile
been received from other quarters, the people having I.lser,
e-
at Figueira, Guarda, and other places in Beira, overpow_eA
a gen_ere.:
ing and disarming the troops there stationed, And
, outbreak throughout Alemtejo and Algarve being every
toesteruaY,
, moment expected. On the following day w.where he
Costa Cabral went to the Chamber of Deputies, - their
announced that he and his colleagues had given
portefeuilles, and that Count Villa Real had
binet;
by the Queen with the task of forming a new -I
, having said which he withdrew, without having
' explanation as to the motives of his retirement fro
; office. At the Chamber of Peers a similar anvounceinis
was made by Count Villa Real, who stated that :it was of
bsenuPharged
wish to form a mixed administration composed of men of
different parties, but that he saw much difficulty in
way of its accomplishment. Thus matters stand at present'
The general opinion is, that Villa Real will not succeed 11-*
his undertaking; or, should t.
he be successful, such a Cabinet
as he will be disposed to form -will not satisfy the demand,
of the people, nor tend in the least to quell insurrection.
The great evil from which the population of Portugal at:
, striving to free themselves, is the burden of taxation whit
, has been imposed upon them for the purpose of paying 7;
interest on the enormous debt contracted in settliog thePat',
sent dynasty on the throne; and as under any Alieusili
termined to keep faith with the public creditors, the vett
for this burden must continue to exist, there will prm' „to
be no peace in the country, now that the people have I)e,phs,
, to know their own strength, until the load is lightened
throwing the foreign portion of the debt overboard.
The posts expected yesterday from Alemtejo and AcEm'ks
did sot come; whence it is to be inferred that outbnell.
have taken place there too. Here everything wears ae .
pearance of agitation. All the guards are strengthened! .s2l.
the soldiers are furnished with 60 rounds of ball cartriasgra
Reports are afloat of pronunciamientos in several phlrius
this province; amongst others at Santarem, and even
Franca, which latter is only twenty miles from this 60'. d
The reigning Duke and Duchess of Saxe Coburg sal"
here on Friday, and were received with all due honours- tbe
MAY 20.—8 y an order from Lord Howard de Walden, .0
packet, which was to have started at eight A.M., has be`
detained till four o'clock this evening.
f A
Count Villa Real having failed in bis attempt to -°-,-, ke
new Administration, the Queen sent yesterday for the IA
of Palmella, who being at his country residence on the sow
of the Tagus, did not arrive in town till late in the afternoon'
He has undertaken the task, but as yet nothing positive le
known as to the result of his endeavours. M. A. de Car'
valho is spoken of as the person most likely to take the
Finance Department, and Fonseca Magalhaes that of Fe:
reign Affairs. The Duke, it is said, wishes to form a coalition
Cabinet of Chartists and Septembrists, and has made ofo'ci
tures to two of the latter party, Viscount Sada Bandeira 0,1
Silva Sanches. This, however, is only one out of a 'unhand,a
of reports afloat ; but I hope before the mail closes to be 010
to ascertain the real fact. One thing which seems very Pro'
bable, however, is that whatever Ministry Palmello ma G
contrive to form will be of very short duration. The Prr-r;,„, t
movement is not the mere striving of one faction age7o;
another : it is a great nation uprising against oppressi.t.
es
anti the multitudes now in arms, will not allow themsewev
to be cajoled into submission by the substitution of oirtloa
of men for another. Depend upon it, a thorough reve'llA by
is at hand, and the charter which Costa Cabral restOrenve
a military coup de main four years ago, will soon ha
to give way once more to the popular constitution of %nal
or to some other constitution yet to be made. The Natry•
Guard will again be set up, and the foreign debt will be No
rid of—not by any formal act of repudiation, but by
quieter and equally effectual plan of non-payment of di
dends.
or
The Oporto post is in, as well as those from other pa.
the country. The whole population of the province of Belt
has risen. A body of insurgents, computed at from 4010
5,000 strong, have entered Coimbra, driving out the ,
there stationed, who at first offered some resistance, but ing
up the contest and retreated towards Oporto, on 0
en,
that the inhabitants of the town were against tit ~e 0
Coimbra is the seat of the University, and is about 7'o ixtuut
south of Oporto, and 130 north of this city. Reports are,,,,io
circulation of fresh outbreaks in all directions, and by
time, no doubt, nearly the whole country is in a state ol7g.
surrection. In this city the ferment is constantly ill:Lo'3l2
Placards exhorting the people not to rest satisfied w:-
:0y
thing short of a complete revolution, are openly stuck uPriis
the corners of the streets, under the very noses of the filer.
and patriots, who dare not attempt to interfere • and Ye itir
day evening, at the Café Grec, on the &Kir° dquave,
in thirty yards of a guard-house, a number of young
ID
were openly displaying pistols, poignards,. an/ Vf A ref
The (meet of these TreL,,'°
different from with which they were prepared te begpLenlytue
intended, should anything but
Ministry be chosen by the Qisuevener.y
whiskered youths, however,
latter are striving to free then'
provincial insurgents; the
the former, merely to have a free,
selves from tyranny— mSgrtehpaantetinuoftte:
and fishes. So strong feeli,,l4;
scramble for the loaves
ibrothers in this city,thatn-
is
the
Owy
against the Calve
Ibe off for England 1 it
is
gel?
to' thought they 0, the packet going
re in great ‘. •
odil fear" is -dent P'
day. That th!yh y
evident
_"ro
the fact of their suing slept ad night and the night De'v
at the barracks of the municipal guard.
I omitted to explain, in its Ti
proper place, that Count lt
Real and his son are of opposite partie the father being
great friend to the Cabrals, and the s'
• 'Vv.—.
P.S. Two P.M.—lt is said that son quite the re ,per
the following are time 010
sons who have been invited by the Duke of Palmella to
office. It is much doubted that they will accept.
Count Lavradio Affairs'
............. reign --
M. A. Carvalho (B Foreign
(Baron Chancelleries) Finance:
Lousa Azevedo (a Miguelite) Justice.
Viscount Sa daß d
Public • an eira (a Septembrist) War. , po,
excitement becomesreater every monleu" erg,
thing but a downrightministry,- titled 02
ultra with no . "pre"
in it, • satisfy the people; and a popular tumult is
hended as soon as the expected transition Cabinet is
nounced.
eCt
LISBON, MAY 20, THREE have just been ivfOrrli
that Count Tojal is to be offered the Finace Depart is,
t
stead of M. A. de Carvalho. Unfortunately there e.
to learn whether he will accept it or not.

yea
WINDSOR, FRlDAY.—lnstructions have been reg.,/ 1
at the Castle, from Buckingham Palace, for the '-c,Oll
ri, leo r
Stand at Ascot to be prepared for the reception of the
Consort, it being his Royal Highness's intention to hArtiou
the ensuing races, accompanied by several royal and `-s
0
guMr.ished
O's viConnellitors, wit pre
h and Mr. William Smith •-• he
his sence. nTrieuf
having received an assurance from Sir Robert Peel &it t
second reading of the Irish Coercion Bill would not he Pdr,
ou
posed before Monday evening, the Bth of June, left of the
yesterday morning to attend the weekly meeting e'i ish
iiipeal Association on Monday, and stimulate the r _e.
please'
..
people to renewed exertions against the above -or
Some public : demonstration of approval of the coursej.
sued by Mr. W. S. O'Brien in connexion with his recen,tTe
prisonment, is contemplated by the Irish repealers,
sped 00
committee of the Repeal Association have deteradnera to
reimbursing the lion. Gentleman the amount of fees Pa
the Sergeant-at-Arms. nn‘'
young man, named William Teli'rey, employed on th
r_ Tied
i,AIL NV A Y c'..CCIDENT.—Ti,ok:;day unort:iing :„..,),.
to
duonnaearntdb
eE
wheelspsom linoef, had dowas ta cock,
i ballast of
‘hy ai sg
g legson.
Guy's Hospital without delay, and attended r. ~' kiiee
who found it necessa7 to amputate the limbabove tue •
1"11 atox tho patient 4 444:1 ton.
~
cHomepletely Veil.