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

PRICE 7D.

PORTUGAL.

EXPRESS FROM FALMOUTH.
(From a Private Correspondent of the Times.

LISBON, Ana. 16.
The opening of the Chambers took place yesterday, and a
most memorable day it will be for this nation. During the
whole of the day, there seemed to be throughout the town
but one feeling of happiness and content at the event; nothing
occurred to disturb it. Long before 1 o'clock, the Hall of the
Deputies (a most magnificent and commodious place) was
crowded by all such as were fortunate enough to obtain a ticket.
I should think that there were near 1,000 persons present.
The British, Spanish, French, Swedish, and Belgian Minis-
ters, with their Secretaries, as well as Admiral Gage, occu-
pied the tribune set apart from them, on the left of the throne.
the corresponding one on the right being intended for the
Queen, the Empress, and the Infanta Donna Isabel Maria,
with their suites. There was a gallery destined for peeresses
and other ladies, which was filled with elegantly dressed fe-
males. At a quarter past 1 o'clock, the orchestra within the
Chamber commenced playing the national hymn, thereby an-
nouncing that the Regent had arrived at the Palace of the
Cortes, and was proceeding to the hall of meeting, which he
reached immediately after, and placing himself under the
throne, after bowing to the Peers and Deputies, he sat on the
Royal chair, and said, "My Peers, pray be seated." " Gen-
tlemen Deputies, you may take your seats." After which, he
proceeded in a very firm and audible voice, as well as with
great emphasis, to read the speech, which was very long, as
you will perceive by the annexed copy ; its tenour was to some
extent anticipated by mine of the 13th instant, and the other
matters which principally require your notice are those wherein
he Teaks of theiettlZinent of the reget&cy question, and g the
Queen's marriage.
The number of Peers present was 10 out of 14, which is the
actual number of those who never acknowledged the Usurper
as king ; of the deputies there were only 50. The reason in
both cases, that all of them did not attend, is simply this—
their robes and court-suits were not yet finished by their re-
spective tailors. Upon their return home Don Pedro and the
Royal family were most enthusiastically received by the popu-
lace. The Chambers were adjourned until next Monday,
when presidents and secretaries will be elected, and the an-
swer to the Royal speech will be framed and discussed.
The Royal family were attended to the tribune by all the
Ladies of Honour, the Regent's Aides-de-Camp and Cham-
berlains, the Count Cape St. Vincent (Napier), the Arch-
bishop of Lacedwmonia„ the Bishop of Coimbra, General
Stubbs, and a great number of other personages. Their re-
ception at the Italian Opera-house in the evening, particularly
that of Don Pedro, was most cheering, and considering that
the 2,000 persons therein assembled were the elite of the po-
pulation of Lisbon, this spontaneous burst of feeling must have
been highly gratifying to him. There was some mistake about
firing the usual salutes; the French ships did so, but ours did
not, which so much surprised Don Pedro, that he desired
Lord Howard de Walden to be informed of it ; the letter was
brought to his Lordship in the hall of the Cortes, a few minutes
before the Regent's arrival, and upon consultation with Ad-
miral Gage, orders were sent to his Britannic Majesty's fleet
in the Tagus to hoist the standard of Portugal in its usual
place which was done by all our ships, but no salute was fired.
The reading of the Ministerial statements will occupy some
time in the Chambers ; the Minister of Finance amongst
other things will be able, it is said, to show that the last loan
of 2,000,0001. sterling, effected in London through their
agent M. Mendizabel, has realized a net average price of 731 t,
the interest on one half of it commencing in December last,
and on the other half in June last. No Government in the
world similarly placed could ever show the same result. You
may well remember that the French loan in 1815 was con-
tracted at a price which, deducting commissions, was hardly
equivalent to 46. A very interesting statement, 1 understand,
will also be presented to the Cortes, detailing the labours of
the Portuguese finance committee established in London at
the commencement of the year 1831, for the purpose of
raising supplies and men, purchasing ships, arms, clothing, &c.
for the expedition. I have just had an opportunity of reading
and give you the following short outlinel'of its contents

The said Committee employed since Ist of September. 183,
..o-Jutie, 1833, the sum of 500,000/. thus :—Three frigates,
one corvette, and one schooner, were bought and equipped,
carrying together 175 guns. 7,084 tons of transport ships
were paid for a period of from four to eight months. 6,306
men, infantry and cavalry, engaged, organized, and equipped.
Seventeen steam-vessels were hired, two of them were con-
stantly kept employed. Transport ships of 10,566 tons were
employed and paid for the purpose of conveying to Belle Isle,
Azores, and Oporto, provisions and military stores, gunpow-
der, muskets, uniforms, guns, horses, &c., and the purchase-
money of the same. The high premiums of insurance which
were paid on account of the extraordinary risks on all the pro-
perty shipped, and the first few months even on the ships of
war. Independent of money paid in Paris, and credits opened
to the Government at Terceira, and subsequently at Oporto.
The committee only received towards the whole 396,404/. 1 Os.
(the accounts are given), so that the house of Carbonell, who
had the charge of all the pecuniary transactions, shipments,
&c., became at last under a liability of about 195,000/. for
the Government, which was afterwards cancelled by this Go-
vernment on very favourable terms to this country.
I should mention to you that the army and navy estimates
will not be reduced quite so much as was intended, owing to
the present state of affairs in Spain, and the, however distant,
possibility that this Government may be called upon by that
of the Queen Regent to send some forces to his assistance ;
yet we may hope that the necessity for these precautions will
not last many months.
Count Farrobo (Baron Quintella), Bacon Sobral, Messrs.
Barrados and Trigoso, Councillors of State, and M. Rodrigo
Ribeiro, a Perfect, are, it is reported, about to be raised to the
Peerage. Admiral Napier is said to be very angry with these
Ministers because they refuse to make him a Peer, but if the
report be correct, I should conceive that he ought rather to be
glad that they did not think of him for the Peerage, because,
in the first place, unless he made his speeches in English, he
could never state his opinions in the house ; and in the next,
he would soon become connected, or supposed to be connected,
with one of the two parties, and consequently would have many
and great enemies, whilst now, as the hero to whom the country
is very essentially indebted for the triumph of the good cause,
he is generally and deservedly esteemed and respected by the
whole nation..
The Bank of Lisbon has, to a certain extent, followed the
example set by Government offering to receive on or before
the'3lst inst. in currency the amount of such bills as it holds
falling due after that day. as well as the amount of all loans
which it has made to individuals on certain securities, but as
it declines to allow on the anticipated payments, general dis-
pleasure has been expressed by all the parties interested, and
it will be a wonder, in my opinion, if the bank has not very
shortly solid reasons for regretting this proceeding, because
the public may take it into their heads to prefer cash to bank-
notes ; it is the more foolish on the part of the Bank, as it is
supposed the amount of interest which it would have to give
up would not exceed 1,0001. sterling—a trifling sum for such
an establishment. Great and almost universal discontent is
manifested by all persons connected with trade because the
Government has, after all, declined to direct some general
rule respecting this measure, and I myself conceive that the
Government is wrong. Some of the merchants and traders
are agreeing amongst themselves to make an abatement of 10
per cent. upon all their outstanding transactions falling due
within three months, but unless the Government so order it,
the measure will never be general, and not binding for those
who do not subscribe to this sort of friendly understanding.
The tobacco contractors, who have the contract for eleven
years, and to whom the difference between paying the Go-
vernment in currency as heretofore, or all in cash as by the
new order of things, amounts in that period to upwards of
1,300 contos, or about 300,000/., threaten to throw it up ; but
I should question their doing so, because there are already
some parties who have signified to the Minister that in such an
event they are willing not only to take it on the same terms,
paying cash for the whole, but to give 4 per cent. more into
the bargain, which shows that the business is a good one.
The new British Consul called a meeting of the British
merchants on the 13th instant, for the purpose of' considering
whether it was advisable to agree to the wishes of the Custom-
house Directors, viz., that hereafter, within eight days after
the arrival of any kind of merchandise, a declaration of its
value should be sent into the Custom-house, on which the duty
should be payable whenever the effects were taken out of the
Custom-house, unless the Government thought them under-
valued, and preferred taking them at the increase of 10 per
cent. on the value : it was attended by 17 or 18 merchants,
tn
whoio atg the
generally expressed
arrangement,exopressedonvari and nothing definitive hasusgroundstheirdissatisfac-
been agreed upon.
Captain Mins of this navy, who wrote a book last year, in
which Admiral Sartorius was not spared in any manner what-
ever—l believe his real name is Bingham, and that he is a son
of Admiral Bingham, and a Commander in our own service—
was arrested upon the evening of the 13th, by Admiral Na-
pier's orders, and conveyed to the Don Pedro hulk, where he
is closely watched. He is accused of being a deserter, but as
it is generally believed that Captain Mins is in possession of a
certificate from M. Silva Carvalhd, the Minister, to the effect
that he was present when the Marquis Louie, the then Mini-
ster of Marine, granted the Captain the necessary leave to go
to England, some people consider that the gallant Admiral
has been precipitate and extremely harsh on this occasion, and
that a fellow-feeling for a British officer should have induced
him to treat the Captain more leniently, and not suffer him to
be on board that hulk with a parcel of thieves and murderers.
I have no time to add another line.

LISBON, AUG. 17.
His Majesty's steamer Confiance having been detained until
this morning by Lord Howard de Walden, I take the oppor-
tunity of stating to you that the following are some of the cur-
rent reports of the day :--
That before the 31st instant church and other public property
will be advertised for public sale in September and October
next, to the amount of 1,800,0001. sterling ' • and in the follow-
ing months the Government is supposed to be prepared to ad-
vertise much more ; so that the public creditors of Portugal
have nothing to fear on account of any want of assets to meet