The Sun.
London, England, 1858-10-25 00:00:00

THII FRENCH CLAIMS ON PORTUGAL.

(From a Correspondent of the Times)
LISBON, OCT. 19.

The letter of your Paris correspondent, inserted
in the Times of the 9th inst., contains a fair resume
of the French and Portuguese versions of the dis-
agreeable question arising out of the capture of the
French barque the Charles-et-Georges, Captain
Rouxel, by the Portuguese schooner of war Zam-
bese, of the port of Conducia, near Mozambique, on
the 29th of Nov., 1857. The Charles-et-Georges
having been taken to the latter place, the judicial
process shows that she was by sentence of the
judge at that port, declared a good prize on the
Bth March last, the captain being condemned to two
years'thard labour and to pay the costs of the pro-
cess, together with a fine of about £llO. This sen-
tence was founded upon the fact that the Charles-
et-Georges had not only been captured at anchor
in a port which foreign vessels are prohibited from
entering, but had also on board 110 negroes, and
was fitted with false decks and other accessories
held by the decree of December 10, 1836, to con-
stitute criminal proof of slave trade.
The sentence is now under review in the Lisbon
Relagam or Court of Appeal, and the Portuguese
Government naturally refer the French claims to
the expected decision of that tribunal. On the
French side it is contended that the Charles-et-
Georges was, under the inspection of one of its
Government agents, Nicolas Correl, engaged in the
conveyance of free labourers to the island of La
Reunion, and that nothing was known at Mozam-
bique of the instructions of the Portuguese Govern-
ment prohibiting the embarkation of negroes from
that province ; while the Portuguese show that two
positive orders had been issued, dated Feb. •27, 1855,
and July 30, 1856, and published at Lisbon in the
official Gazette on Aug. 2, 1856, prohibiting the
embarkation of negroes from Mozambique under
any pretext of free-labour engagements, such being
held to be a virtual continuation of the slave trade,
and consequent evasion of the decrees of Dec. 10,
1836, and Dec. 14, 1854.

Independent of the many suspicious circumstances
which tend fully to justify the Portuguese in this
case, the French Government cannot decently plead
the .excuse of ignorance, which might have better
availed the owners had not that Government coun-
tenanced the proceedings of the Charles-et-Georges
by placing an agent of its own on board.
With a French Minister at Lisboa and Consular
authorities in the Portuguese possessions, the Go-
vernment could not ignore the facts, that the ship-
ment of negroes even for free labour was prohibited
at Mozambique, and that the vessel would be liable
to capture at the interdicted port of Conducia.
Captain Rouxel was brought to Lisbon in the
Charles-et-Georges in consequence of having ap-
pealed to the tribunal of Reintim against the sen-
tence at Mozambique ; and being now at large, as
I understand, under the French Minister's bail,
until the affair is settled, it appears mireasonable
to expect the Portuguese Government to entertain
any claim for the release of the vessel, much less
for indemnification, until reasonable time has been
allowed for that tribunal to pronounce its judg-
ment.

The crew of the vessel and the French Govern-
ment agent were declared to be acquitted by the
judge at Mozambique in consequence of it being
proved that they had no participation in the pur-
chase of the slaves, for which the captain and his
interpreter, Abdallah, were condemned.
It appears that a portion of the 110 negroes had
been engaged at Comor ; and I am assured the tes-
timony of the French Government agent, Nicolas
Correl, contained in the judicial process, declares
that the stipulations of his Government had been
carried out in their engagement, but " that those
stipulations had not been complied with in respect
to the negroes bought by the -Captain on the coast
of Quitangonha, a fact which he would represent
to his Government in the report it was his duty to
make upon his arrival at the island of Reunion.
The port of Conducia, where the Charles-et-
Georges was captured, is upon the coast of Quitan-
gonha, and if the French agent repudiated the pur-
chase of negroes effected by Capt. Rouxel and his
interpreter, there is a still greater reason why the
Portuguese Government should be protected from
coercion by the arbitration of a neutral Power,
which would lead to a full investigation of all the
facts, which are in many points of a conflicting
nature.
In the first instance the Portuguese Government's
proposal of arbitration was rejected by the French
Government, though it was offered the selection of
any neutral Power it might prefer for arbitrator ;
but as I understand the Portuguese Minister at
Paris, Viscount de Paiva, has telegraphed that he
is on his way to Lisbon, and may be expected to
arrive here to-morrow or the next day by the
steamer from Nantes with conciliatory proposals,
it is anticipated some plan of arbitration has at last
been acceded to by the French Government.

- -
THE COPPER MINES OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA.—
Labour is now rapidly returning to its original source of
engagement in South Australia, and there seems every rea-
son to believe that there will henceforth be no lack of able
hands to assist in the full development of the several mines
more or less opened up and worked upon. The principal
copper mine now being worked is that of the Burra Burnt,
which pays at the rate of 400 per cent. per annum to its
original shareholders, the ore yielding on an average 22 to
24 per, cent, of copper. The Kapunda, of which the work-
ing capital is only £6,000, it is said, produces at the rate of
£25,000 per annum, and gives only 15 per cent. of copper
from the ore. At Chamber's Mine, an entirely private en-
terprise, the average yield is equal to that of the Burnt
Burra. The Port Lincoln, already proved to be highly pro-
ductive and rich in yield, now lies inactive from the apathy
of the present private owners of the land. Two moifeeiTrrisl.
of great promise are now being opened up.
tons,Rlai anofaSvoerautgheAyiuesltcfaclifia2,
Igitvoews, aboutopneracpenrotc.luo.7:ooeaptper;
a2nood
the other, the Bon Accord, although notr9e
jt
gives good indications of early yield.—.Jliai;