Star.
London, England, 1830-04-30 00:00:00

THE LATE MARQUIS DE CHAVES.

Some curious particulars have been received from Lis-
bon respecting the sudden death of this personage. This
upstart Nobleman possessed immense estates, which he
was desirous of adding to an illustrious inheritance. For
this purpose one of the daughters of the Marquis de Pe-
nalva was proposed to him in marriage, Penalva being
descended from an ancient lineage, but the fortune of the
family had been long ago dissipated. The new-married
Marchioness de Chaves, whose pride and ambition were
only exceeded by the ridiculousness of hor exterior,
gained soon a fatal influence and ascendancy over the
feeble mind of her husband. On returning to his country,
in 1828, the Marquis received an Order as the sole re-
ward for all his exploits. Enraged at so inadequate a
compensation, the Marchioness resolved to obtain full and
unrestricted possession of all his estates, which she only
enjoyed in common with him; and, to gain this end, she
began by procuring a forged order to be written in the
name of Den Miguel, purporting to have been issued
from the Home Office, and been sent to the Marquis by
the Intendant of the Police, ordering him under arrest
in his own mansion until further orders. The credulous
Marquis was struck with astonishment, but, with great
resignation, shut himself up in his apartments, though
not without bitterly deploring, and at the same time re-
specting the order, which he attributed to his Sovereign.l,
Bent down with grief be fell into a delirium. His cun-
ning partner selected this very moment to extort from
him his last will and testament, by which this guilty
woman caused herself to be appointed solo heiress of all
his property, as well as guardian of a natural daughter
of her husband's, whom Don Miguel had legitimatised.
This first step being taken, a subsequent equally false
and collusive order, likewise written in the King's name,
commanded Chaves to retire to his province, and not to
leave it without the King's Royal permission. However
terrible this fresh thunderbolt proved to him he sub-
mitted, and left Lisbon; but, haying set out on the very
day of the old Queen's death, Don Miguel, to whom he
had always free access, finding that he did not attend to
present his dutiful condolence, expressed his astonish-
ment at such singular absence to the Viscountess de Ca-1
nellns, from whom ho learned, not without surprise, the
Igarquis's departure, and the orders that had been forged
in his name.

The Herne Secretary and Cc Intendant cf the Police
were questioned, and messengers were despatshed after
the pour mailiac, to bring him back to Lisbon, as well
as his hypocritical wife. In the mean while Chaves con-
ceived some suspicions, and the day after his arrival he
went out, on preter.ce of taking an airing, when he called
on a friend, and made a fresh will annulling the former,
and leaviog his daughter sole heiress, appointing Vis-
count Candias her guardian and administrator of his
property, bequeathing to his wife the dower she brought
him—that is, nothing. A few days after this the Mar-
quis died in great tribulation.

His widow immediately called her friends and relations
together, to submit to them the deed in her possession,
which she expected would secure her happiness. But
how inexpressible was her confusion when the friend of
the deceased presented himself with a subsequent and
valid will, which ho read, requiring it to be immediately
enforced, according to the provision therein contained.—
The Marchioness retired to hide her disgrace and remorse
in the country•

Owing to the enormous importation of pigs from Ire-
land, the !nice cf pork and bacon in many parts of the
country is scarcely half that of buchers meat.
The fatality of the climate of India, both to Civilians
and Divines, would lead to a supposition that our eastern
possessions are calculated neither for law nor gospel.
It is quite notorious that a set of fellows are allowed to
act as watermen at hackney-coach stands who live by
plundering the unwary. What are become of persons who
are called and paid for as Inspectors ? and what do they
inspect ?