The Express. — 1852-11-29 (London, England)

THE PENINSULAR MAILS. The following is the letter of our correspondent, received by the Tagus: LISBON, Nov. 19. An advertisement. has appeared in the Rao lucao, forming the company, for thu section from hence to Santaremt the capital of which is stated to be 3,600,000,000 reds, or 800,00 W., in shares of 90,000 reis, or 20l.; 10,000 shares, the fourth part, being offered to the Portuguese public, agreeably to the 42nd article of the programme. The feature most remarkable in the announeemeut is, that the capital " has the interest of S per oat. guaranteed by the impost established for the amortisation of notes, the estimated amount of which is 600,000,000 reis, and by a fund created in. inscriptions equivalent to the amount of one year's interest;" and " the interest, at the rate of 8 per cent., will be paid upon all the instalments during the program of the works."  The government is using every endeavour to obtain a majority at the elections. The Reform Act of the Charter says that of employer onl7 the immovable are eligible as electors; but the minister has published a purtaria saying it is indifferent for this purpose whether employee have terminable or life interests, and they aro directed to claim the franchise. A great reform has been decreed in the Post-office, the principal benefit of which appears confined to the kingdom and islands, the system of stamps being introduced. The postage overland from beyond the Pyrenees, however, is still excessive. It is—for every letter of a quarter of an ounce, 240 reis ; from a quarter to half au ounce, 480 reis ; from half to threequarters, 720 reis; advancing 240 reis for every quarter of an ounce. .The postage by the packet to be as heretofore, one item of which m—to half an ounce, 170 reis. The fact, however, is that no regular system her been adopted, for I have recently paid 293 reis for a letter weighing considerably less than that weight. The government have ordered the necessary surveys for a railroad to Oporto, branching from the Santarem line, the direction to be from the mouth of the River Zczere above high water-mark of the Tagus, to Coimbra, and thence aooording to eirouni• stances and the nature of the face of the ground. I In consequence of the accounts that were sent home respecting Vie state of the Australian steam vessel, Melbourne, which put in here to repair damages sustained at era, the company to which she belongs sent out an agent to supersede the captain and appoint her chief officer to the charge of her. (In his arrival ho found she had gone into dock, as recommended by the survey held on her arrival, by which means alone the actual amount of damage she had sustained could be discovered. Upon examination, no further injury was shown than the leak, which had been previously ascertained to be above water. In other respects, the vessel appears to be strong built, but with too narrow a scantling for her length, in consequence of which she strains hard at sea. This circumstance has alarmed the pamengere,  sad loosed from 80 to ill) of them to abandon her, i sod go house by this packet. Sanitary surveys have also been held, fA order to ascertain the extent and healthy nature of her accommodation ; and to expedite her sailing, the Inflexible supplied some carpenters andriggers,and she is expected to sail to-morrow, the 20th, at the farthest. I lament to add to this unpleasant affair, one yet more serious, namely, a mutiny, evidently arising out of the various proceedings affecting the captain, and another rceeeding from that mutiny, which involves chargea of murder; two persons, separately accused of these offences, go home by this packet. Exchange, bl. Discount of Bank of Lisbon sows, 21 per cent.