The Sun.
London, England, 1834-08-25 00:00:00

AUG. 17, 3 O'CLOCK P. M.
Since I wrote my letter of this morning, I have ascertained
beyond a doubt that M. Mendizabal, in connexion with a great
capitalist, has made a proposal to the Government respecting
the establishment of four agricultural banks at Lisbon, Oporto,
Coimbra, and Beja, for the purpose of giving every kind of
assistance to the farmers and all persons connected with them,
and lam sure that the thing is nearly arranged. The law of
mortgages is required by the proposing partie's to undergo
some slight alteration, and it is also required that it shall be
ordained that no mortgage shall hold good unless it is regis-
tered in an office to be established for that purpose in the ca-
pital of every province within two days of its being granted.
There can be no doubt that if these banks are properly and
equitably conducted, they will give a most wonderful impulse
to every kind of industry here. A. 0.

" LISBON, AUG. 14.
SPEECH FROM THE THRONE, IN THE ROYAL SESSION OF THE
EXTRAORDINARY CORTES OF THB PORTUGUESE NATION IN 1834.
" Worthy Pears of the kingdom, Gentlemen Deputies
of the Portuguese nation—
" The day which I have so anxiously and ardently desired
has at length arrived—a day of glory and happiness, in which,
after having passed through a vast circle of events nearly mi-
raculous—having extinguished the fury of civil war, over-
come the monster of tyranny, and restored to the throne of the
Queen, my beloved daughter, I see assembled round me the
representatives of the nation—rich in wisdom, in prudence, in
firmness, and patriotism, and nobly eager to promote by the
observance of the charter and the enlightened development
of its principles, the stability and splendour of the throne, the
consolidation of the constitutional system, and the prosperity
and happiness of this honoured and generous nation. On
so happy a day I must not present to your eyes the sad and
gloomy picture of six years of public and private misfortunes ;
but I cannot avoid alluding in general terms to the principal
events of that period, because they belong to history and must
guide your deliberations.
" You know, and all Europe knows, that as soon as I was
called to the throne of Portugal on the lamented death of my
august father, it was my first, I may say my only thought, to
fulfil the important mission which Providence was pleased to
confide to me, by laying down a secure foundation for public
happiness, and endeavouring to restore the ancient glory and
national greatness, by means of institutions suited to the ge-
nius, character, manners, and wants of the people, and con-
formable to the progressive state of European civilization ;
and aiming, at the same time, to conform to the interests of
policy and the relative situation of the several states which
obeyed my Government, I spontaneously abdicated the throne
of Portugal in favour of the Queen, my beloved daughter,
thus giving to Europe a new and secure pledge of the since-
rity of my intentions, and to the Portuguese the fullest proof
of the ardent desire which animated me to promote their fu-
ture prosperity.
" The Constitutional Charter, which I granted on the 29th
of April, 1826, and which entirely fulfilled my inefficient
views, and the measures which accompanied it, were viewed
by the nation not only with applause and gratitude, but with
extraordinary enthusiasm.
" All the orders of the state swore to obey it. All the
Princes who then constituted my Imperial and Royal Family
gave positive and manifest testimonies of their approbation.
All foreign nations recognized the legitimacy of my succession
and abdication, and the measures which I had adopted for the
benefit of the Portuguese. In that all sensible and sincere
persons conceived the flattering and grateful hopes that with
this precious gift there could be obtained, besides its principal
effects, the cessation of discord, and of the divergency of opinion
which had before been excited and artfully promoted.
" Meantime, a rebellious and fanatical faction, directed by
secret and powerful forces, and perhaps relying on some fo-
reign co-operation, deserted the country, declared itself the
enemy of liberal institutions and the happiness of its fellow-
citizens, and undertook the base task of supporting the empire
of abuses and privileges, of destroying the charter, of restoring
the infamous and abominable regimen of absolute power, and
even of calling into question my incontestable and acknow-
ledged right to the Portuguese thrtme.
" This faction was repressed by the noble efforts of the na-
tional army, assisted by the energetic and patriotic union of
the people. But the declared enemies of liberty and public
happiness did not suspend their dark machinations, but, ac-
tuated by mad rage, armed with fanaticism, imposture, atro-
cious calumny and all the base and perfidious means which
desperation a rage suggested to them, they saw in the end
the failure of the system of ferocity which for six whole years
oppressed the Portuguese, and gave to the world examples
such as never were seen in the most calamitous times of this or
other monarchies.
GC

was a prince of my family (I cannot record this circum-
stance.without the most sensible grief, but I am obliged to
say it)—it was a prince of my august family, an ungrateful
and degenerate brother, who encouraged and promoted the
efforts of the rebels, in order to seat himself upon a throne
erected upon treason, disloyalty, and perjury. The intimate
ties by which this prince bound himself to observe the consti-
tutional charter, and to acknowledge and obey the legitimate
sovereign by his oath and promises made and repeated at Vi-
enna, Paris, London, and Lisbon ; by the solemn acceptance
of the hand of the Queen who was destined to be his consort
—by the confidence which I placed in him in appointing him
Regent of the kingdom and my Lieutenant—lastly, by the
very acts of the Government which he exercised under that
honourable title—all this, I say, was despised by him with the
most scandalous immorality, and convoking a vain and illegal
phantom of the very national representation which he wished
t. 9 see annihilated", he caused it to decide a question which in
reality did not exist, to declare him King, when he already
exercised in fact the'authority and power of Royalty, and he
pretended to justify the enormous irregularity of this rash act
by the most notorious falsehoods and gross sophisms.
" In this manner the work of iniquity was completed, and by
these steps the Usurper ascended to the occupation of a throne
which had never been stained by such black and scandalous
perfidy.

- IC Thousands of illustrious victims were then sacrificed to
tyranny, either on the scaffold, or in the horrors of prison, or
in exile to remote climates, without any crime but their loyalty,
without any trial but the will of the Government and of the in-
famous satellites of its barbarity.
" Consternation and dread, sometimes more cruel than death
itself, continually haunted those who still appeared to enjoy
some degree of individual liberty.
" Meritorious and respectable persons were everywhere per-
secuted with the injuries and insults, reproaches and sarcasms,
of a mad populace, who, animated by example, and certain of
impunity, perhaps of reward, committed all kinds of violence.
The asylum of the house of the citizen was every moment vio-
lated. Robberies and murders were continually committed
with impunity, not only with the acquiescence, but with the
approbation of the Government.
"In the pulpits (I shudder to say it)—but you know, and
everybody knows, that I say the truth,—in the pulpits, in face
of the holy altars, in the midst of sacred and august mysteries,
the ministers of the God of Peace and Charity preached assassi-
nation as a service due to religion, and announced to the asto-
nished people a new gospel of persecution, blood, and death.
" In short, there was no crime that was not committed, no
error that was not defended, no virtue that was not insulted.
There was no security or protection, except for the wicked,
who distinguished themselves by their ferocity and sanguinary
zea-

I refrain from continuing this horrible picture. The facts
are notorious, and were reVeated in all parts of these king-
doms. There are few honourable citizens who have not. ex-
ioeu
perienced them, or witnessed and lamented them in their
neighbours,
relatives,spdleerapanlbd frnnddsed and afflicted by the con-
si n
iltliy ohe o heart
r hed
deeply
we
situation of my country and fellow-
citizens and subjects, whose felicity has been, and ever will be,
the constant object of my most anxious care ; and though I
assisted as far as was possible those whom honour and loyalty
had driven far from their country, and scattered in different
points of Europe and America, all this was not sufficient' for
my personal sentiments, nor for the honour of my exalted
dignity, nor for the rights and honour of the Queen, my be-
loved daughter.
" Events certainly inspired, bUt arising from the inflexible

more than the total of their demands, provided however that
here is good faith on the part of these Ministers or such as
may succeed them.
A law is to be submitted to the Cortes respecting the in-
demnities promised to all such patriots as were injured in their
properties by the Usurper ; and although it is connected with
the church and other property of the state, I am told that
things are so well arranged and provided for, that it will rather
benefit than injure the public interest.
Another law, to be submitted for the sanction of the Cortes,
will be to the effect of providing for the higher clergy out of
the funds of the State, and directing that the parish priests
shall be supported by their respective parishoners, the Govern-
went, however, fixing a maximum, as well as a minimum.
M. Mendizabal has concluded his arrangement with Go.
vernment for the construction of roads and canals, &c.,
cording to the plan, the particulars of which I sent you in one
of my former letters.
The Gaceta do Governo, No. 39, contains an account of
the public debt, which has been bought up and cancelled by
this Government, amounting to 2,058,542,000 reis, of the in-
terior debt of the country, equal to more than 400,0001. sten,
ling, and I am told that there is a plan in contemplation to be
submitted to the Cortes for the entire liquidation of the whble
of this debt, which amounts to a nominal sum of about
6,000,0001. sterling, but could all be bought in upon an
average for one half.
I regret that I have to call your attention to a subject which
interests us all more than anything that may be done for or be-
come of Portugal. I mean the dreadful state of want and
misery in which our poor countrymen are allowed to remain by
this Government, at least as far as 200 and upwards of such of
them as are anxious to return home,are concerned. I have in
my letters of the 9th and 13th instant spoken of them.
The Government, in consequence of my strong appeal in their
behalf, sent me a communication to the effect that they would
all be paid and sent home in the course of three or four days ;
the time expired yesterday, and upon inquiry I find that no-
thing has been done yet ; they are still in a state of nudity
for the most part, and in almost actual starvation, and al-
though M. Mendizabal has assured me that they will be sent
home next week, as I am well assured that although he has
the sincere wish of doing so, and is exerting himself with
Government to that effect, he may not have the power of com-
pelling M. Freire, the Minister of War, to act in this just and
honourable manner, I have deemed it right once more to call
your attention and that of the British public to this business,
and I trust that until all our countrymen are paid and have
justice done to them in every respect, every kind of discourage-
4/tent will be thrown in England on the financial operations of
these people : there never was so rfitich ingratitude exhibited
by any nation of the world towards men who have not only
fought and bled like these gallant fellows, but actually led the
way to victory wherever it has been obtained. A. 0.