The Sun.
London, England, 1828-01-14 00:00:00

THE NEW POST-OFFICE.

The principal facade of this building is ex-
tremely elegant ; the outline is noble and simple ;
the proportion and distribution of the parts are
good, and in harmony with each other ; and. the
general composition is chaste and grand. The
portico is beautifill in itself, and has a bold and
noble projection, the effect of which is skilfully
heightened by the recessing of the back wall
within the general line of the building. The
door-way i.~ nia;niliccnt. The order generally,
and its members separately, are classical and ele~
gant, and closely follow the antique in character
us bell as in proportions. The principal defect
in the facade is the puerile employment of co-
lumns at the wings. They are perfectly useless,
but their inutility is not their only fault; they
are in the way, and injure the general effect.
Had the projections been plain, they would
not only have been grander in themselves.
but would have happily enhanced the effect
of the portico' in the centre. The front
of Carlton House, now, alas, no more !
was a striking instance of the good effect of such
a contrast. The termination of the attic over

c wings is extremely faulty, and has a most
snplaacilesllotted
disagreeable effect when viewed in perspective.
The hording almost precludes our judging .of
the steps of the portico, and of the plinth to the
building. With regard to the former, it is to
be regretted that they do not project before the
portico ; and allow the columns to have Posed
,s Hospital, and at the firmly and grandly on.
otlfieslaat:_ttioitrigg,
pearance of pedestals might have been avoided.
granite, at atlPie
The stylobate is in two courses of granite. A
single course would have been much grander ;
it) obtaining materials of
and the large blocks
New Hall of Christ
Lon-
don Bridge, arc sufficie"t proofs that there would
have been noodwiaffirdevsftY
Cheapside is well designed
bolding
requisite dimensios•
free'
dTi
gthirleca
ifirdo.n t t
The introduction of windows in the
frieze is to be , regretted ; but their necessity
enatheir excuse. The fronts in
dusSt. Ann's-lane have no architec-
tlll'?°:ilteprfr-uejlltiL'el:lai.ons. The arrangement and plan of
the are excellent. The grand entrance
portico is magnificent. It consists of a
colonnade on each side, of the same order and
iimensions as the columns of the portico, carried
1p
impracticabilityreasoii
11) the whole height of the building, and running
wilalnpdronvoet :1:i:bot
Erectly through to Foster-lane. At first highs,
I, might seem a subject for regret that a court-
ieoeitli,
apnrodvai=rf the
littleal consideration, indoetr alt.)
to the building,
of such a scheme. vie careful and ingenious
construction cannot be too highly ) commended.
It may be objected,
think, that the general character of the edifice il
too rich and sumptuous for a public building,
especially for °"e so purely official as a post-
office ; „,,d the display of ornament on this oc-
casion is the more surprising, as Mr. Smirke is
sparing, to a fault, of architectural enrichments
in his club-houses and other buildings, in which
their introduction would have been most appro.
priate.---21thencrum.

•

LISBON PAPERS.

=

FOREIGN INTELLIGENCE.

LissoN, JAN. I.—An express, despatched by the
Portuguese Charge d'Affaires at Madrid, arrived
here to-day with the official news of the arrival of
Den Miguel at Paris.
JAN. 2.—To-day, at noon, conformably to the
18th Article of the Charter, the Royal Sitting for
the opening of the General Cortes took place in the
Hall of the Palace of Ajuda.

As soon as the Members of the two Chamber:
had taken their seats, the President appointed a
deputation of twelve Peers and twelve Deputies, to
receive her Royal Highness the Infanta, on her
entrance into the Hall.

`As soon as her Royal Highness was seated she
desired the Peers and Deputies, and Secretaries of
State, to take their seats, and then delivered the
following speech from the throne :
" Worthy Peers of the Kingdom ! Deputies of
the Portuguese Nation !—For the third time you meet
in this place to continue the useful labours which the
Charter of the Portuguese t_.•:ionarchy has confided
to you. Your zeal is alw/:,ys the same. Every day
new lights, the effect of calm experience, assure an
honourable result to exertions in the service of
the country.

" You are D',;t ignorant that much is still wanting
completely to found and consolidate our political
edifice, Ido not doubt that you will now exert the
nir:ec prudent diligence to accelerate the great work.
Ihe time is not long, but prudence and zeal can
effect much, and you have given sufficient proofs
that you possess both.
" The King, my august brother, who was in-
spired by a desire for our happiness to give us, in
the Constitutional Charter, an indisputable proof of
his wisdom and magnanimity, trusts to you to rea-
lize this great enterprize, which was pictured in his
mind, the noble title of his glory, and the invaluable
pledge of the happiness of Portugal; and all the
world now know how you deserve this confidence.

" My beloved brother, the Infant Don Miguel, is
charged by the laws, and the orders of his Majesty,
with the Regency of this kingdom ; and, to take
possession of it, left Vienna on the 6th of last month,
RiTived at Munich on the 9th, at Strasburg on the
16th, and was expected at Paris on the 18th; and
it is to be presumed that he is now in Lngland. His
intentions, conformable to those of the King, our
august brother, have been manifested by him, and
this event, agreeing with the political views of great
nations, added to the measures of the Government,
has disarmed the parties, and-calmed the agitation in
the country, which was a necessary consequence of
extraordinary circumstances. The Government of
a neighbouring nation, convinced of the true bonds
which unite the reciprocal interests of the Peninsula,
sincerely opposes the attempts which madly iunbi-
tious and restless spirits have not ceased to:make.
" -The picture -of our finances is not unfavourable
to the public credit of the State ; yet an unexpected
and unforeseen event. has affected the interests of the
nation, - and especially the inhabitants of this capital.
The GovernMent, however, trust that, by the assist-
ance which it has afforded, and by the measures
which have been and, will ,be adopted, the credit of
the Bank will be shortly restored.
" We enjoy profound peace with Foreign Powers
--a peace founded on alliances, and on the general
interests. The Government will neglect no means
which may continue to insure. the durationof friend-
ship with our Allies, and - the tranquillity of the
whole nation.

" Pursue, then, the glorious career upon which
YOU have entered. Portugal looks upon you as the
instruments which a great. King employs to make it
happy and flourishing. The King takes pleasure in
the punctuality with, which von answer his wise
thoughts. Be assured that 'his Majesty will be
more and more confirmed 9,044944).f.y0r zeal
and prudence ; and that the-Whole xiation will always
look upon you :as true friends of 4e country. I
know well that you ask no other reward for the.in-
conveniences to which-you subjeceyourselves, And
the exertions which you make to serve it.. I ac-
knowledge it, and do riot hesitate to declare it; but
it is certain that
.forsuch generous minds, for true
Portuguese, the highest rpwari.is fhe entire appro-
bation, of -the ,A.l,onareb„antt the .grateful praise of
their fellow-citizens. 7

At the close ofthis speech the Secretary of State
for the,--Affah of_the jilingdopo said, in a loud voice,
to both the Chambers :

Her Serene Highness the Infanta Regent, in
the name of-tits igjng,;rorders me. to declare that
the Session of. the Chambers :for the present year,
1828, is opened."
Upon this her Royal Highness retired,_ accom.
panied by the same deputation, and,: at. the same
time the Chambers withdrew, and the persons of
both sexes, who had been permitted to be present
on this solemn occasion.

Salutes were fired in the morning, at noon, and
at sunset, by all the fortresses, and by the ships of
war in the Tagus.

SITTINGS OF THE CH_CNIBER OF PEERS.

JANUARY 3 AND 1.

JAN. 3.—At this sitting 36 Peers were present
and-II absent ;:seyen had sent notice of the ob-
stacles that priVented-them appearing. Some rou-
tine business wits done ; the' Marquis de TanCOS and
the Conde de Mesquitella were appointed Secre-
taries; Conde da Figuera and Conde dos Galveas,
Vice Secretaries..
The President declared that the Chamber of
Peers was duly installed for the Session 1828; and
a deputation was nominated to wait upon the Prin-
cess Regent, to inform her of it.

CHAMBER OF DEPUTIES J. 3.

The Deputies having met a little before ten
o'clock, the President invited the two youngest
Members to act as Secretaries ; and as it appeared,
on their calling over the names; that 95 Members
were present, the President said—" This number
exceeding the half of the total number composing
the Chamber, the Chamber is opened."
The first step was the nomination of Secretaries
and Vice-Secretaries. Senhors Antonio Vicente de
Carvalho Souza, and Jose Caetano de Paiva Pe-
reira, were chosen Secretaries ; and Senhors Jose
Antonio Pereira Brak-Lamy, and Bonto-Fereira Ca-
bral, Vice-Secretaries. _ .

The remainder of this sitting was occupied in de-
bates respecting the appointment of Committees;
and it was resolved to nominate new Committees of
Finance atLAdministration, also that the special
Committeeshould be
appointed in the Chamber;
's
and that the Committee of Infractions (whose bu-
siness is to inquire whether the Constitution has in
any respect been violated) should consist of seven
Members. This last Committee was immediately
appointed, and the nomination of the others deferred
till the following day.
4.—The Bishop of cult° Verde said, that
being appointed a Member of the Committee of
infractions, he thought it his duty to observe, that
the-principal business of that Committee was to in-
quire into crimes and to pass sentence on them ;
that some were of such a nature as to require capital
punishment; Slid that Ecclesiastics in general, and
especially those who exercised the Episcopal func-
tions, were prohibited from participating in such
sentences, their duty in the primitive awes of the
Church, being to supplicate and to pray. This was
the true spirit of the Church, and he prayed to God
to excuse him front staining his hand with blood,
however criminal it might be. In support of this
petition lie said, that in the Chamber of Peers, when
they were to pass sentence on a Deputy, the Rev.
Bishops, who were Members, begged, for this reason;
to be excused from attending that sitting, which was
granted them. lie did not make this request with
4 view to excuse himself from any labour, but be-
cause he was convinced that he could not belong to
a Committee of this nature.
Senhor L. T. Cabral, in reply, said, that the
Bishop had given many proofs 4, a dizps,itico per..
fectly corresponding with the Apostolicat.,charte:,
with which he was invested, and therefore those ws,
no reason to be surprised at the requeSt he had just
made. There were, however, other consider:ail's fo

be attended to. Christian charity does not in any man-
ner oppose the fulfilment of civil duties. There
have been Bulls, allowing ecclesiastics in all civil
causes. I cannot speak of the date of these Bulls,
because I did not come prepared for this purpose;
but many members of this Chamber are aware of their
existence.

(The President interrupted the Speaker, by say-
ing that it was not necessary to treat the matter in
this light, as the Committee had not to be Judges.)
The President having put the question, whether
the Bishop should be excused from being a member
of the CoMmittee in question, it was unanimously
decided in the negative.
The Chamber, therefore, proceeded to the choice
of the other Committees.