By yesterday's mail from ...
By yesterday's mail from Lisbon, papers and letters to the 18th uit. have been received. Lisbon, and the country generally, continued, in appearance at least, perfectly tran- quil. The Royal decree for declaring Lisbon a free port, it has been determined, shall not be carried into efi'ect imnnediately. It is postponed, in fact, to an indefinite pe- riod. A similar reluctance is manifested in the Convoca- tion of the Cortes-a measure which has becn described as necessary to the salvation of Portugal. It is now deferred till the latter end of the year, and for a cause which is cu- rious, as denoting the influence possessed in Portugal by the party of the QuEEN and Doni MIGUEL. The Mlinisters of the KIrNG are said scriously to entertain apprehensions, that should the nomination of members to the Cortes take place immediately; mcans would be found, tbrough tie in- trigues of that artful woman, to secure a majority in her interests, and those of her profligate son. So powerful is that party thus admitted to be in Portugal, which was be- lieved to be overthrown. WVith such materials for discord at home, the demonstrations at Lisbon of an expeditien against Brazil are justly considered to be wholly nugatory. Indeed, in the opinion of the best informed Portuguese merchants, no such attempt has ever been seriously medi- tated; but the hostile appearances have been assumed, partly for other purposes, but principally to enforce better terms in the negotiations of the mother country with her colonial possessions. A considerable portion of the Portuguese army was absent on furlougal, as is usual at the present season, when their services are required in getting in the harvest and the vintage. Lord BLRESnOss D has arrived in England as a passenger by this packet, as ex- pected;but neither thepapers northelettcrs throw the least lighton the causes of his leavillg Portugal. It may fairly be assumed that they are of no political importance, since his Lordship did not hold any diplomiiatic nor even official cha- racter in Lisbon. lVe recollect that at the time he quitted England, it was un(lerstood that private afikirs alone led him to that city, and that these were stated to be the ad- jutstment of some unliquidated claims on the Portuguese Government, on behalf of himself aind somne English offi- cers who served with him in Portugal. Ministers here are said never to have given their cordial approbation to this visit, as they apprehended it might tend to excite sonie jealousy among the officers of the Portuguese army. The question recently agitated of sending troops to Portugl, fortunately for this country decide(d in the negative, has tendled to give a dlegree of imnportance to Lord BEiREsFORD'- stay in Lisbon, vhich it would never otherwise have pos- sessed. Ve are glad, on the whole, that his Lordship has returned to his own country.