The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1846-12-22 00:00:00

PORTUGAL

Advices have been received from Lisbon to the 10th instant.
The oldest inhabitants of Vigo never remember such falls of
snow and hail; the hills from Cape Finisterre as far south as
the Minho being covered. The Queen's troops were within
half a league of Oporto, and a battle was hourly expected.
Gen. Casal, who had previously defeated Sada ilandeira, was
in command of the Queen's troops before Oporto, who, flushed
with success, expected an easy victory. The Queen's troops
have taken, it appears, the foitress of Valenca, on the Minho,
and opposite the Spanish town of Tuy. The place, however,
Was, according to the letter of our corresponded, in a defence-
leits condition, having only half a company of regular soldiers
and a small force of armed civilians.

A REPORT ON 'CHANGE.—We'have a distrust of these
reports, of which, in nine times out of ten, the paternity
in difficult to discover. There was one circulated yester-
daY, to the effect that Louis Philippe, King of the French,
had caused an order to be sent to New York, to buy up
half a million barrels of flour for French consumption ;
and it was agreed that the arrival of such an order would
materially enhance prices against the British buyer. Where
the news came from, however, as it did not come by the
Acadia, and as the King of the French is not the " pri-
vate correspondent " of ally of the speculative gentlemen,
we know not. Perhaps the father of the rumour was the
wish that it was true. " The wish is often father to the
thought."

EXTRAORDINARILY QUICK COMMUNICATION.—By
the arrival of the auxiliary steamer Antelope, yesterday.
frOm Pernarnhuco, with a passage of thirty•one days,
answers have been received by Liverpool merchants to
their letters per Swordfish of 20th October. which latter
vessel arrived out in twenty•eight days. Her Majesty's
packet, from Falmouth, had also arrived there in thirty-
live days.

Sr. JOAN'S MARKET, &C.—This, our largest and
central market, was, on Saturday, and for some days pre-
ciously, well supplied with all sorts of butcher meat, pool.
try, game, vegetables, Ric. The shew of beef and mutton
Was peculiarly fine, the latter not including the carcases
of those coarse monster beasts which so generally obtain
prizes at agricultural meetings ; but fine ox and heifer,
English and also small Scotch, of prime quality, and more
popular amongst the lovers of good fare. There was a
brisk demand, and beef sold at from 6J to 8d per pound ;
mutton about the same. Some fine lambs (uncommon at
this time of the year,) brought in some instances a guinea
a quarter. Poultry, especially geese and chickens, were
cheap,—a good goose, of 81b weight, bringing 3s. The
show of Saturday morning was not, however, the grand
one of this festive season,—Thursday next, (the day be-
fore Christmas day,) being the appointed day. when
fresh supplies will, be brought up, and the market deco-
rated with evergreens, flowers, &e. St. John's, on
such an occasion; is always worthy of a visit. The outer
markets have also been well supplied during the past few
days, and will make a grand show on Christmas Eve.