The Sun.
London, England, 1842-01-04 00:00:00

PORTUGAL.

FALmotrnt, JAN. I.—By the Tagus steamer, arrived
last evening, we received the accompanying despatches.
Her dates of leaving are from Gibraltar 23d, Cadiz 24th,
Lisbon 27th, Oporto 28th, and Vigo 29th ult.
Also arrived this morning two of the Royal Mail
Steam-packet Company's vessels, viz., the Thames, from
London, and Tay, from Southampton. The former pro-
ceeds on Monday, the 3d instant, with mails for Berbice,
Demerara, Tobago, and Havannah ; and the latter will
also leave the same day with mails for Barbadoes and
the other West India islands.

The light winds, with thick and hazy weather, the
past week, have prevented the arrival of several vessels
expected:from the westward.
LISEON, DEC. 27.—The grand event of the week
which has just terminated is the result of the municipal
elections, which is most decidedly, and contrary to
general expectation, favourable to the present Ministers.
Those elections commenced on Sanday, the 19th instant,
and great were the preparations which had been made
on both sides for the contest. The mode of taking the
suffrages being by secret ballot, nothinc, like accurate
knowledge could be, obtained until the scrutiny and
formal declaration both were over. The real state of
things was speedily made manifest in the declaration of
the return, by a most triumphant majority of the friends
of tranquillity, order, and good government. It is im-
possible to overrate the importance of this event, in
strengthening the hands of a soundly-reforming and
wisely economic Ministry, in blasting the hopes of Re-
volutionary and Republican conspirators, in checking
the hostile advances of Spain, and the insidious ma-
noeuvres of France, in withering the growing might of
the Septembrista party, in facilitating the means of keep-
ing faith with the public creditor, in smoothing the way
for the completion of unpopular, but indispensable, finan-
cial reforms, and in fortifying a weak and decayed
dynasty against the masked batteries and mines of every
description of secret confederation, club, and cabal.
On the 24th instant the French frigate La Belle Poule,
commanded by Prince de Joinville, arrived in the Tagus,
from New York in 24 days, accompanied by the brig
Cassard. After landing at the Arsenal his Royal High-
ness proceeded immediately to the Palace, and it is said
he will make a stay here of some days. He is escorted,
about by 014 King, and his appearance is anything but
prepossessing. As a stranger, common courtesy, to say
nothing of his high rank as a Prince, should compel him
to repay with urbanity the civilities and greetings which
everywhere await him; but his Royal Highness appears
wholly indifferent to the attentions bestowed upon him
by this polite people—a circumstance which is rendered
more remarkable from his being a native of the country
proverbial for its etiquette and bonhommie.
The ships of war in the Tagus are the Indus and Re-
venge (British line), La Belle Poule, mentioned above,
brig Cassard, steamer Lavoisier (French).
Yesterday Prince de Joinville dined with their Majes-
ties at the Palace of the Necessidades, and was knighted
by the Queen with the Grand Cross of the Order of the
Tower and Sword.

The Baron Renduffe goes passenger in the Tagus
steamer, which takes the mail of to-day. He is appointed
Minister Plenipotentiary at the Court of Berlin.

FROM THE FRENCH PAPERS.
The Mayor of Pouille, near Nantes, who was sus-
pended from his functions for publishing the banns of
marriage between his daughter and a person who had
been a priest, has been definitively dismissed from his
post by Royal ordonnance.

The Cour Royale of Limoges has just condemned two
Journals, the Gazette du Centre and the Progressif, for
libel upon M. Bourdeau, Peer of France. The Gazette
du Centre is sentenced to pay 6,000 fr. damages and
costs, and the Progressif 1,500 fr. damages and costs.
The prosecution was in the first instance brought before
the Tribunal Civil of Limoges, which declared itself in-
competent. On the appeal of M. Bourdeau to the Cour
Royale, that Court declared itself competent, and gave
the above decision.

A widow, at Cambrai, named Thezin, had agreed to
accept for a second husband Dujardin, a gendarme. The
contract was signed, the banns published, and the day
fixed ; but as this happened to be the first anniversary
of the death of the first husband, his relations remon-
strated so severely with the widow on the indecency of
this proceeding, that she not only consented to post-
pone the ceremony, but broke off the match. A few
days since Dujardin went to visit the widow, and, after
a long interview, during which, no doubt he had vainly
endeavoured to bring her back to his wishes, two re-
ports of fire-arms were heard, and the neighbours,
rushing into the house, found the widow dead on the
floor, with a wound in her side from a pistol. A brace
of pistols were lying on the floor, with the second of