The Sun.
London, England, 1841-05-03 00:00:00

PORTUGAL.

FALaioutn, MAY I.—The Royal Tar steamer arrived here
this morning from the Peninsula, and, after landing her mails,
proceeded to Southampton. She left at Gibrattar, on the_
ltd ult., the British men of war Scorpion and Lizard and
transport. Sailed from Cadiz the 23d, Lisbon, the'
26th, Oporto, the 27th, and Vigo the 28th: • There were lying_
at Lisbon the Trinculo and the French corvette Coquette;
and in Posse des Arcos Bay the EsPoir:--Passengers :
Messrs. White, Muir, Wnrhead, Foster, 'Ghissop, Shee, El--
vington, Keates, J. Ellis, A. Anair, Ga=kett, Janson, F.
Baywootl, R. Cozen, A. Winton, N. Seal, Fleming, and
Major Neltz. The steamer Oriental, has arrived from Liver-
pool for to-morrow's mail for India, and is now receiving on
board her supply of coals. Admiral Sir William Parker has
arrived to take his passage in her, and also amongst the pas-
sengers by this splendid steam-ship are three panees (mer-
chants and snip-builder:) returning to Bombay ; we under-
stand that they have been in England for the list three years;
their principal residence has been at Chatham. Wind easterly
for the last three days.
The Royal Tar brings Lisbon Papers of the 28th ult. The
conditions ~f the commercial trca!y negotiated with England
had not transpired, but it was current that they had been trans-
mitted home ty Lord Howard de Walden for the consideration
of his Government. -The Septembrista Papers, as usual, con-
tinued their vo;:iferations against the treaty. of which they ad.
mit they know nothing. It would seem as if the object of the
Serembi Lta press-was to prove themselves nm; e Spanish than
the Spaniards theatselyc;, and to excite the 111 feeling of their
neighbours against the treaty, at whatever risk of sacrificing
the interests of Portugal to their foolish hatred of England.
The large smuggling trade that goes on between the land
frontiers of Portugal and Spain, cotton goods and silt
being imported from Portugal into Spain in spite
of all prohibition, and Spanish corn to an immense
extent, passing regularly into Portugal from Castile, is to be
put en end to by a change of system, and the legalising a traffic
which cannot he prevented, and not by anti-commercial leagues.
The average revenue derived from the articles of food, &e.,
consumed in Lisbon, amounts to about 800contos, or 200,000/,
and it augmented by the new imposts proposed by Senhor Flo-
rido, is computed at 1,000 contos. Baron Tejal had succeeded
in finding money to pay off a portion of the arrears due to the
officers of the army, and had transmitted considerable sums to
pay the troops in the Algerves and elsewhere. The Bark had
made a further advance of 150 contos. The contrac• s for the
new Treasury Bills were to be open till the end of the iftrnth.
The guerillas in the Algarves had again become troublesome,
and continued their career of robbery in increased numbers.

The Coun:ess of Durham and family came from Gibraltar to
Cadiz in the Royal Tar, and were expected at Lisbon.
There were tumours at Lisbon that the Ministry would be
completed by Senhor Florido's coming in as Home Minister,
and Senhor Franzint as Minister of Marine and Colduiec.

THE WEATHER.—NOON, MAY 3.
ROYAL GALLERY OF SCIENCE, ADELAIDE-STREET.
Barometer
Thermometer 43.5 I Highest 75 I Lowest ... 44
Wind N. E. —Freezing Point 32 Deg. •

HOW. TO GOVERN THE MASSES.
(From the Nonconformist.)
A short way and a vigorous one, of dealing with
famished miPions, is that in fashion at Sr. Stephen's.
Drive them trona every common in the kingdom by En-
closure Acts—have they not the roads ? Worry them
with dame-lasts—are the sports of gentlemen to he
abandoned? Wring from them half their scanty wages
by taxes upon their articles of food and clothing—hem
them about on all sit'.e; by restrictions, that they may
carry their Lbour and their skill to the lowest markets
—prevent them frern buying bread et any but the
1 dearest. When, by such means, they arc deprived of
all power to stave off want, break up their homes—
shut them up in workhouses—separate husband and
1 wife, children and parents—set over them low-bred,
1 domineering masters—pay chapla;ns to pleads Christian
patience to them—and, if nature rebels, off with them
Ito blackholee, fled starve them into submission. This is
the approved method of governing " the masses !"
I if there be justice in Heaven, as assuredly there is—
although heattiess rulers mcy forget it ; if there be a
God above us, whose prerogative it is to right the op-
pressed, and judge those who " grind the face of the
poor," these things cannot last. The abetters of this
fearful tyranny—Whig, Tory, or Radical—aristocrat,
mercantile, or trading—may hope in van to escape re-
m tribution. Tae storm is brewing. Thickening lurid
clouds skirt the horizon. Commerce declines. Trade
l cannot regain its wonted elasticity. Sources of pros-
perity are, one after another, drying np to appear is
other lands. All things betoken the slow, but. certain
approach of a universal smash.
I But this New Poor-law—have not all parties
spoken well of it ? Do not all agree—all, who bare
not sinister designs to answer—that it works well?
I Yes! ail but " the masses'—considerably above one.
half of the nation. Were the lion the painter, a
Istrangely different picture would be drawn. What
I •
thee I Are the poor "to eat up," in the language of
i Lord Brougham, .‘ their Lordships' estates?" Little
need, we think, to ask that question, would their
Lordships forbear to prey upon the estates of the poor.
Must not idleness be discouraged, must not real pro-
. verty be discriminated by a searching test ? What
else is.proposed—what other object is answered by this
all-applauded Bill? We answer with another query.
Is it not a right principle that all men should provide
honestly for their own? Wall in, now, some dozen
men, and coop them up within a paddock, a few yards
square. Tell them to get their living by their labour—
preach to them tbat our mother earth is bountiful, at
the same moment that you take from them their best
tools. Bid theta give you half their produce, and does
not the principle, which is intrinsically good, become
totully it applicable ? a practical tyrannizing falsehood?
It mskes all the difference, whether contentment he
urged as a duty before or after dinner.
There is another mode of governing " masses," not
so much in vogue 'tis.true, but one which the sooner
our Legislators adopt, the better for all parties. The
soul of it is, tI at wen have rights, as well as property.
Landowners and tundholders little dream of this. Tie
heavy burdens, their own despotic tendeecies created,
they have mainly cast upon the back of poverty. To
swell their own enormous incomes, labour is forbiddun
to sell its fruits at this market, hunger to satiaff itself
at that. Give hack the poor their rights, rights rudely
snatched frcm them at the point of the bayonet, lay
upon them only their equitable proportion of tsxstion ;
give their industr: " a fair stage and no favour ;" suffer
them to buy and sel las they list without State-inter-
meddling, an I when this is done, praise the new Poor-law,
if you will, ns a marvellous statesman-like measure.
The poor will object to it no longer.