Star.
London, England, 1828-07-21 00:00:00

PORTUGAL.

LISBON, Jin.r 8.
PRIVATE CORRESPONDEACE.
A general meeting of the British merchants apd sub
jects was held this ii,ornin,, nn board the Pyramus fr ;-
gate, corsequence of the following notice, which wa•
prated he 'Change yesterday:
liillaieftl'o sear "ram% River Tagnsauly 7, ISM •
•111 Having received orders and in,trioction from
Majesty's Government to afFord,the fn-aos of rpitting
Ivortutzal vs all British sulijr;cti, with to is: propertv,
who may wish to do so, either by his Majesty's ,hips.
or otherwise, I have, in con equence, this day request...J.
the Consul-Gr•neral to Cali A meting of 'lke i3litishl
merchants, either at his house, or no' board his Majesty's
ship undt'r my croirmand, that I bray kslow in what
,way the same may be done to best suit their cenvenienct
and Advai tsge.
(Signed) w a R. SAIITORTUS, Captain.
" His Majesty's ship Pyramus." '
" The above Meeting to be held on 'board his Alajesty's ship
Pyramus, to-morrow. at ten o'clock, Lac
(Signed) " J. R. 3IATTHEWS.
" Lisbon. July. 7, 1828.
" To the British Merchants, &c. Lisbon."
This morning a number of boats, having the most
respectable merchants and te,idesitt on bard, flocked
,to the Pyramus, where they collected on the deck. At
ball past tell o'clock the meeting was opened, when •
• Captain &rani ,us explained the grounds on which
toe meeting had been a.sembled. Instructions had been
sent to his Majesty's Anibassad,r, immediately before
his Jeparture. to apprise the British subjects in,Li,bon
the! the squadr-n in the Tagus, which was there frr
their protection, was destined to be reinforced by a fri,
gate and a brig, in o, der to afford them the means of
removing their property to Great Britain, either on
board their own vessels, or in his Majesty's ships. He
appiehended no immediate clinger to them horn the
Portugue,e Governmen,, but he acted strictly in co -
tormity with the instructions he had received in giving
them public ur.tice. •

Several of the merchants inquired if this measure on
the part of the British Government originated in the
application for protection which they. had made.to the
British Ambassador, about six weeks since, when their
persons were insulted and their property enJangere I
by a rabble then running through the streets with the
sanction of the police?
Captain Sartorius believed nct. He was not aware
of such Meeting having been held; the instructions
which he had received were addressed to the Ambas-
sador, who had found it his duty to withdraw, and he
being warranted to open them, had done so with the
Consul General. As the removal of the Ambassador
was always considered a matter of great importance,
every facility was to be given to such British subjects
as might choose to return to Great Britain.
It was then inquired if the British Government con-
templated any warlike measures, in thus calling on the
British ,u'ijects to quit Portugal, or whether such c.>uld
be expected from the Government of Portugal?
Captain Sartorius said, that he was ignorant of the
'ulterior measures of his Majesty's Government. His
object was to afford every means of returning to their
country such British subjects as might wish to do so.
He entertained no apprehen,ion from hostile measures
of the Government of Port igal, which might be consi-
dered the meanest and most m,igniflcant in Europe.
The Consul General, on being called on for his opinion,
stated that every British subject ought to be thankful
for the parental rate, for he was sure of receiving the
protection of his native Government ; but it was neces-
sary for the British merchants in Lisbon to consult their
interests in a country of which the Government was
subverted, and in which a civil war was raging.
Some present nest inquired, if in case the British Go-
vernment felt itselt bound to resort to strong measures,
in order to reduce Don Miguel to a serve of his situa-
lion, any further notice would be given to the British
merchants?

Captain Sartorius replied that he was sure the Bri-
tish Government would do its duty towards them ; but
he could not answer fur the lire of conduct which ii
might please to adopt. Such of those persons as were
apprehensive of danger would receive from him a safe
conveyance to EnOand.
One proposed that the Consul should address himself
to the existing Government of Don Miguel, in order t)
obtain protection for the persons and property of such
as might choose to remain. A number cried out against
any appeal to Don Miguel to protect British lives or
property.
It was then stated by some that the apprehensions of
insult or outrage were much allayed in consequence c f
the late occurrences in this kingdom, and, with the
protection of he present British squadren, the merchants
and residents would be perfectly secure.
Captain Sartorius said that a further addition to the
squadron was expected, but it was to aid in the removal
of the British. He was wiling either to send a part
of the present squadron off, or to retain the whole, as
best suited the convenience and interests of the body a:
large. If the general wish was to retain ir,he should do so,
until further instructions from England; but he should
requite some docunielit, or resolution', from the general
body to that effect, in order to warrant him in adopting
that line of conduct.

It w is then proposed that a Committee should be
named to draw up those rewlutions and hand them to
the Ciptitio.
One Gentleman present said that those resolutions
night to be the act of the whole hotly at a general
meeting, in order to prevent auy thing from being con-
sidered a, got up in tecrecy.
Some conversation took place, and the assembly di.
vided itself into groups, sr ith a genetal understanding

0 lassie, Jet*. A.
" Stn—We, the undersigned British merchants and
übj-cts in Lisbon, ass mbled in the house of his Ma=
jr sty's Consol.General, having runt nib morning on
'Kiard his M jesty's ship Pyramus, in consequ •rice cf
his Majesty's Consul-General havrig c -11-cl A meeting
h-re of tri.• Br tish merchant: and others, an being
of +tried, ky your w• melt communicaoon to us ot yes-
terday's date,t 14t Vnu •iad received orders and ,nstruc-
tions from his slajesty's Government to afford the
means of quitting Wrtukittiy all .the .b
Objects.
with the r iiropeFik who oso", either"by
his U*6o saw Pt ithe; itOilihot too fetile.4o:
firOUS t know in *hat way the saess might-kW-Joie*
best suit /heir coeverriencc, hegsew erilirest ikur
•II '• •• •
menus on OntO is ikint V •
u We fila(44.ligiatetist to his make Os &mew.
; nem for the V. ahchfal esee arid prom ptimeabdrei adopted
.to render to, of m.perpoo snai property toe most secure
protect ist at aril period iftbsoger. •
K. AppearMwe, iodises di now to hope th t we .shalt
Mit' be driven to Vie last eltltllleyr that of quittirg the
conntry along with such part tf our property as can be
removed, and leaving that which cannot tot e dispo. sat
of chance and accident.
" But bis Maje ty's Gollernment must be well aware
that we cannot so remain in the attempt to c ntinue
such a branch cf Binish commerce as this country has
afforded if left altogether uoprovid.d, as we shnuld find
ourselves, d d the squadron under your command take
irs. departure,
.and ste.a.e.tully sertsiol • that y ur con-
tinuance with us, r‘ f a i-ne at kart, is highly necessary.
" Did we quit the court; y at this m nient,the saciifices
consequent to which we exposed ourselves and ...sr con-
stituents would be ilia' mou .nd such As we ioglit not
to incur, save in the last extremity Sevei al honsands of
tons of British shipping, beyond what are now in the
Tagus, would be necessary for actu /I..ennoval ; hut we
need not canine/ate• the difficult es we wo sld he under
in certain e'nerget cues, nor the 1114 .y dangerous casual-
.is sto which we are ii ; tor they arise unasked for
in the mind of every ore, and m iy expre•s the condo-.
siiin.onl% to which we.are led, that we depend entirely
on the protection "(his M rjesty's Government, as it has
been afforded to us I y the squidson tinder your corn.
mand, of which we .tiust his Majeay's aivernment will
no' deprive us.

" We therefore earnestly solicit you to remain in the
Tagus tor oats pr •teeti cohsistei tly with the it'a
Atuctint-s from his Majesty's Government yoti can do
so, and until his Majesty's Government shall issue fur-
ther orders, in con.equence cl the represereatt n which,
no doubt, you will mike on the subject.-- We h -ve the
hon..ur to be, Sir, your greatly nblt;ed and obedient
servants,
" J. R. AIATTHRWS, Chairman,"
And by 67 of the Merchants and
Dealerif iu Lisbon.
" To George Rose Sartodus, Esq.
Captain of his Majesty's ship •
Pyramus, and Senior Officer
commanding his Majesty's aqua- •
dron in the Tagus.'
Tee mettieg separated socin after nine o'clock, and so
great was the effeci produced by it, that before eleven
o'clock, Don Miguel eas apprised of . the results. Its
effects, too, made it in some measure useful, for Mr.
Goodwin, a Gentleman lately appointed Consul at
the Cape de Verd Hands, haseng been delayed for
a month, in coder-to receive his exequatur, ihis
afternoon received a passport to take his depar-
ture in the Medina corve•tr, which was wa ting
here for him. Whether it was that the Minist-r far
Foreign Affairs bad received new instructrotis, or that
e thought fit to lessen the difficretres, just be-
fore Mr. Goodwin sailed from the T gus, the exequatur
was sent in due form to the Consul General's ffice. and
purporting to have been made mat on tev 9th of June,
"by the Infant Regent in the name of them King." This
subt rfige deserves no credit, for Don Miguel, on the
preceding day, swore he was King, and a passport in
the morning in one nairre, and in the evening an ante-
ch.ted exequatur, show great folly or great alarm
WEDNESDAY—Tens morning, at ten o'clock, the Con-
sul General and Captain &nevus went together to the
Fdresn Office, and there in conformity with the in-
stiuctions from Engisee, they made a formal demand
of Sir John M. Doyle, as a British subject; and in order
to prevent all hesitation. or doubt as to the time of the
answer, Captain Seaming said he should cause the
steam boat to wait in the Tagus until Friday, and at 10
o'clock in the morning he should requiie ,he decision.
FRIDAY —Sir J. M. Doyle's liberty was dentaided
tee, ty -tour hours ago, in the name r f the British Go-
vernment. They have refused to give him op.
Sit John M. Doyle has been in:moved from the Se-
giedo to a larger apartment, whete there are about
twenty others confined for Constitutional principles--
at least, they supposed so, for they have in vain
as.ke I what offence they have committed?—and it
is to be feared that Vie King of elem and ins mother,
under whose thumb he is, will turn their attention
to a gaol delivery, by executing every one who is sus-
pected i f tree masonry or liberalism; sn, it the Free
M4sons are the t. ue descendants of the K ights of St.
John, here would be ground for a
.I.ci Kl cru-ade; and
it may be said, in fine, however we may feel f r those
few liberal and generous spirits who have hazarded
ever, thing for Portugal, aid must, for a time at least,
iem4in in exile, it cannot be overlooked that the great
mase of those who w ished for a free Gore' nment did
n.•tleng towards effecting it; that, had the people cf
Oporto fought it out manfully, t e world would have
pitied them, and regretted that brave men were unsuc-
cessful; but they gave it up almost without striking a
blow; and, it men will not fight %hen their lives and
.properties ate in danger, they are little worthy of liberty.

(Signed)

The Ve.,tal French frigate arrived at Brest oo the 151
July, from Liam', with the Ambassadors of ham,
Prussia, and the Netherlands.