The Sun.
London, England, 1826-03-23 00:00:00

[THE PUBLIC LEDGERI

The affairs of Portugal have superseded those
of Russia in point of interest ; and we may there-
fore expect a rapid succession of rumours and
speculations relative to this important subject.
A report was current yesterday, that a body of
troops, to the amount of two thousand, would
be embarked here for Lisbon, for the pur-
pose of overawing the party opposed to the
Regency. We do not believe that there
is a word of truth in this rumour, and we should
not have thought it worth noticing, if it did
not indicate a certain degree of anxiety in this
country respecting the tranquillity of a Kingdom
which is emphatically called 66 our oldest and
most faithful Ally." Though it cannot be de-
nied that there is still much bud matter in that
country, we see no cause as yet for serious alarm,
as the disaffected are well known, and, we pre.
sume, vigilantly watched. The army was cer-
tainly, at one time, in a state of utter demoraliza-
tion ; but some severe examples, and the remo-
val of those Officers whose loyalty was strongly
suspected, greatly lessened the evil, though we
do not pretend by any means to affirm, Oct
it is wholly eradicated. However, with ordi-
nary vigilance and firmness, the Regency may
lie able to retain it in its present subdued state;
and in this, as in every other legitimate exer-
cise of its authority, that Body is sure to
receive aid and countenance from the British
squadron stationed in the lapis. Besides, the
Portuguese malcontents cannot reckon now upon
foreign interposition in their behalf, as the only
Power that may be inclined to interpose, fortu-
nately, does not possess the means ; and the Spa.
nigh Government is so completely hampered at
home, that its influence abroad amounts
lutely to nothing. France, with her present
temperate Councils, would much sooner lend
the whole weight of her authority, were it requi-
site, to suppress than excite, the efforts of a fac.
lion, which, if they were to succeed, might once
more throw the whole of the Peninsula into a
blaze, and impose upon England the absolute ne-
cessity of taking military possession of Portugal.
Any one of these motives is strong enough to in.
duce the Cabinet of the Tuileries to discourage
to the utmost of its power any attempt to bring
about a political re-action in that country ; and,
• whet, we reflect on the comparative weakness of
the persons who wish to provoke it, we see no rea.
son as yet to apprehend such an event. A 11 the
I other leading' Powers of the Continent would
' witness with the utmost indignation any effort
to disturb the testamentary disposition made by
the late King ; and as to Austria in particular,
she would interfere directly to put it down.
Russia, if she were inclined, which she is not,
to encourage the detestable cabal, who want
to make the same frightful experiments an the

Portuguese nation, that have been made'
upon the unfortunate people of Spain, has
not the means, in her actual perturbed situa-
tion; to extend her arm so far. Therefore the
chances of a counter-revolution if they exist at
all, are very few ; and consequently the neces-
sity of sending British troops to Lisbon is not
very apparent. If the Regency found itself in a
dangerous dilemma, the question would assume a
very different character; but that such is not the
case, we have the concurrent testimony of all the
recent accounts from the Portuguese capital,
which represent that Body as possessing the re-
quisite means to keep down the factious, and pro-
tect the peaceably-disposed.

ST. ITELENA.—S. friend to whom we are in.
debted for a good deal of information, has just
favoured us with the following interesting extract
of a private letter, dated St. Helena, 27th De-
cember, 1825 :—" Our little island has been
gradually improved, since the arrival of General
'Walker, who really studies the comfort and in•
terest of individuals and the public in general.
He has estublished fairs twice in the year, where
every farmer produces the best of his live stock
and vegetables ; and premiums are given for the
best cattle, sheep, pigs, poultry, wheat, barley,
potatoes,cabbage,&c. not even excepting flowers
or rare plants—so that every one has an oppor-
tunity of contributing towards the Grand Show.
This excites emulation, and encourages every
description of persons to cultivate and improve
their possessions. Samples of lace, cloth, wor-
sted stockings, and gloves, manufactured here
from the genuine produce of the island, were
exhibited at the fair in July last, and on the 20th
of this month ; and we may now reasonably
look forward to, our having manufactories of va-
rious kinds established, which would be a great
blessing to the numerous classes of poor—the free
blacks in particular; and as a general emancipa-
tion of the slaves is talked of, it will be abso-
lutely necessary thus to furnish them with the
means of providing themselves with clothing and
food—otherwise it will be turning loose a swarm
of thieves to prey upon the little society here,
as I am sorry to say, that the slaves in general
are very unprincipled ; there are, to be sure, a
fe'w exceptions; but these are very limited.
Slavery here has nothing odious in it but the
name. Many of them dread being thrown upon
their own resources, and would rather remain, as
they are, with their masters and mistresses."—
(Inverness Courier, March 15.)

RELIEF TO THE MANUFACTURING 'INTEREST.—
The following very simple mode of relief has been
adopted in Caper, Fife. It enables the banker to
make much larger advances than he otherwise
could have done, and is accompanied with very
little risk to the subscribers In consequence
of a resolution passed by the manufacturers at a
meeting last week, a letter was addressed to the
Provost of the Burgh, requesting that something
might be done for procuring employment to the
operative weavers of this town and parish. The
Provost called a meeting of the principal inhabit-
ants on Friday last, when. It was agreed to raise
a sum of money to be advanced to the manufac-
turers, upon a deposit of goods with a Committee
of the meeting. This was considered the best
plan of obtaining employment for the operatives,
saving the capital of the manufacturers, and also
enabling them to carry on their business—a gene-
neral opinion being entertained by the meeting
that the description of goods made in this neigh-
bourhood would in the course of a few months be
in more demand, and consequently realize better'
prices. We may mention shortly that the plan
adopted by the meeting was, that the money
should be raised on a deposit of the goods, that
our bankers should advance the sums for which
the goods were to be pledged, and that indivi-
dual subscription to a limited amount should be
entered into to meet any loss that might arises if
it should be necessary to sell them, it being un-
derstood that the sum advanced by the bankers
should be at the rate of 101, for every 11. so sub-
scribed, and that the owners of the goods should
have liberty to effect sales themselves for four
months, before the goods could be disposed of
for the repayment of the money advanced on
them."—( Fife Hereld.)

WEXFORD CATHOLIC MEETING.—An aggre-
gate meeting of the Catholics of this county and
town, took place in the magnificent chapel of
Wexford on Friday. There were several ladies
of distinction and fashion in the galleries ; the
body of the chapel was crowded, and several
Protestants of rank were present. Sir Thomas
Esmonde was called to the chair, and briefly
addressed the meeting, stating that the purpose
for which it had been convened were, the ad-
vancement of Catholic interests, and the promo-
tion of fair and impartial' education among the
Catholic children, by the introduction of such a
system as would be agreeable to their reli-
gious tenets, and approved by the Catholic
Hierarchy. ft was, he said, the duty of Catho-
lics to pray Government to extend some portion
of the funds which are now given to other socie-
ties, to the education of the Catholics. Thanks
were voted to the Catholic Prelates, and it was
proposed to take a census of the diocese, to show
the falsity of the late returns. Mr. Arthur Chi-
chester, who had been called upon to stand for
the representation of the county, afterwards ad-
dressed the meeting, and made an avowal of his
principles and determination to stand the expect-
ed contest, if such was the wish of his friends,
Thanks were then voted to Mr. Sheil and Mr.
O'Connell, but the former gentleman was abrupt-
ly called away its the middle of his address,‘by
a woman who rushed through the crowd towards
him to defend her husband, then on trial for his
life in the Court House.

Party feeling is carried to such a height at
--7--
this moment, in the parish of St. Luke's, Old.
street, in consequence of Mr. FLORANcE having
been nominated by the majority of tho Vestrymen
to serve as Vestry Clerk for the ensuing year,
in lieu of Mr. John Wilks, that fracas are daily
taking place between the friends of each gentle-
man; and, in one instance, blows have been re-
sorted to by a respectable builder and an
oilman.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.