The Sun.
London, England, 1833-03-22 00:00:00

trije
init.

LONDON,
FRIDAY EVENING, MARCH 22, NM

In the House of Lords, last night, Lord
PLUNKET brought in, ut,der a new form, a
Bill which was last session presented to the
Upper House, for the better empannelling of
Juries in Ireland. In the Commons, Sir W.
INGILBY introduced a motion for the repeal of
the duties on malt and hops, which was nega-
tived without a division. Mr. ATTWOOD then
moved an amendment on the motion that the
order of the day be read, to the effect
that " A Select Committee be appointed
to inquire into the causes of the general distress
existing among the industrious classes of the
Uni ed Kingdom, and into the most effectual
means of its relief." The Hon. Member entered
at length into his reasons for proposing this
amendment, and dwelt with considerable anima-
tion on the ill consequences that had attended
the late alterations in the currency. An animated
discussion followed, in which Mr. BARING,
and several other Members, took a share. The
amendment was resisted by the CHANCELLOR
of the EXCHEQUER, and a division took place,
which terminated in a majority for Ministers
of 34.

From a private but authentic source, we are
enabled to state that the accounts which were
yesterday current, respecting certain advantages
gained by the Constitutional troops at Oporto,
are to be relied upon.
During the whole of the night of the 3d inst.
all the Miguelite batteries kept up a tremen-
dous fire upon the city of Oporto and its high
spirited inhabitants, as a prelude to the attack
which took place on the morning of the 4th. At
day-break on that day the Miguelite forces ad-
vanced on the Lordello-road, opposite to which
they had established new and heavy batteries.
Whilst the grand attack was preparing, a feint was
made more on the left of Don MIGUEL'S forces
at Agoa-Ardente. The military eye of Marshal
SOLIGNAC, however, soon perceived that this was
merely a ruse, and that the Lordello batteries
were the real point of attack. The details of the
action have not arrived ; but we understand that
the besieged were fu►ly victorious, having com-
pletely repulsed the assailants, whose loss in
killed alone was estimated at 600, whilst that of
the besieged was not considered to exceed one
hundred in killed and wounded. There may
be, however, some exaggeration in this account,
as there was not time to obtain any official infor-
mation of the real extent of loss on either side.
Of the complete repulse of the Miguelites,
however, there is no doubt, and this is a
most important circumstance, considering that

the object of the attack was to obtain possession,
not only of the batteries established by General
SA LDANHA, at Lordello, hut also of the space
between Lordello and the sea, which comprises
the light-house and the entrance of the river at
San Joao da Foz. It is necessary to point out
to our readers the immense importance of this
small portion of territory. It connects the city
with the river and the sea, and its possession ena-
bles the Constitutionalists to receive all their
supplies from the outside of the bar, as will
clearly be seen on reference to the map. Had
the Miguelites succeeded in this well-devised
operation, nothing could have saved the city of
Oporto ; and it was probably in anticipation of
their success in the attack that their Tory friends
in this country announced the sur ender of
Oporto and the embarkation of Don PEDRO.
We have to congratulate our Scotch friends
on the brilliant conduct of the troops under
Colonel SHAwE. This battalion was most
active and efficient during the whole of the
affair, and suffered a corresponding loss. One
officer was killed and most of the others wounded.
Colonel SHAWE, however, we are happy to say,
on this occasion, the only one since he has
been out in which he was not wounded, escaped
unhurt.

So decisive was the repulse of the Miguelites,
that nothing prevented Marshal SOLIGNAC from
following up his success but the want of suffi-
cient .provisions for an open campaign. Had the
weather moderated in time to have enabled the
vessels, which were waiting at Vigo and off the
coast, with provisions and military stores, to land
their cargoes, the Marshal would have pursued
the Miguelites, and by this time probably the
contest between the contending parties would
have assumed a character to remove all doubts
from the minds of those who desired the success
of the Constitutional cause.

With respect to the sickness at Oporto, we
understand that the last accounts are decidedly
more favourable than those by which they were
preceded. Of the devotion of the inhabitants,
under all their privations and difficulties, it is
impossible to speak too highly.

The Times of this morning states that it was
misled in the statement which it made as to the
situation of things at Oporto, by an assurance
that an official agent at Oporto had written a
letter to a person high in office here, stating that
it had been determined, at a Council of Don
PEDRO'S Ministers, to capitulate. We have
reason to believe that the Times was entirely
misinformed on this point ; for immediately
after the disastrous announcement of the
Times, we had an opportunity of ascertain-
ing the contents of the despatches of the " of
agents to our Government, and we can
assert most positively, that nothing of the kind
was stated in them. It is not probable that any
official agent could communicate to a person
" high in office," a fact of such import..
ance, and yet omit it in his regular report
to the Government. The official state-
ment of the agents was, that the Pedroites
were suffering intensely from want of provisions
and that they had been compelled to destroy their
horses for food (this appears to have been a mis-
take ; some horses had died of hunger, and
were eaten by the lower orders), that they had
imprudently suffered the Miguelite army to
draw a line of circumvallation, which would
render it difficult for them to cover the landing
of the reinforcements and provisions, which were
on board the vessels waiting for fine weather to
dischart4e their cargoes, and that it was question-
able whether, in their reduced state, they were a
match for the numbers with whom they had to
contend. This was the "official" information from
Oporto, and it was quite unfavourable enough,
without adding to it what had never been stated.
In making the,e observations, we fully acquit the
Times of any intention to mislead, and have no
doubt that it received the information, on which
it acted, from a source which took away all
suspicion of deceit.

We are not surprised to learn that a French
officer in the service of Don PEDRO, who has
just returned to Oporto from a mission to Paris,
has been charged by the French Government to
inform the Ex-Emperor that his dismissal of the
Marquis of PALMELLA, after the many and
important sacrifices which that nobleman had
made for him, has given such offence to LOUIS
PHILIP and his Cabinet, as to have made theni
resolve not to interfere on behalf of Don PEDRO,
even by negotiation, unless he should at once
change his policy, and, by dismissing from his
councils the persons under whose influence he
had dismissed the Marquis of PALMELLA,
evince his desire to merit the good opinion,
and receive the support, of the French Go-
vernment.

The report that Mr. STANLEY is to resign
the Secretaryship of Ireland for a higher post,
and to be succeeded in Ireland by Sir JOHN
HOBHOUSE gains ground.

We request our readers to peruse, with the
attention it deserves, the communication of our
Kilkenny correspondent.

The presentiment, if we may so call it, we
from the first expressed, that something would
turn up to delay the Irish Church Reform Bill,
has been fulfilled. The Coercive Bill has cer-
tainly been largely modified, but it proceeds
steadily in its course, whilst that measure which
was to carry healing on its wings falls to the
ground at its starting. The Select Committee,
which was appointed to examine precedents, and
report whether, by the rules and orders of the
Hous‘:., the Bill ought to have originated in a
Committee of the whole House, have re-
ported that they can find no precedent for
such a Bill, but " are of opinion that the
general spirit of the standing orders and
resolutions of the House requires that
every proposition to impose a burden or
charge on any class or portion of the people,
should receive its first discussion in a Committee
of the whole House." All that has been done
with respect to the Bill, then, must be done

over again. This is an ominous starting ;
it will require all the firmness of the Govern-
ment to bear down the opposition which, no
doubt, will be raised to replacing the Bill in its
present situation, and still more to getting it
over the second reading, and through the Com-
mittee.