BRITISH RELATIONS WITH PORTUGAL—RECEPTION OF THE YOUNG PRINCESS AT WINDSOR.
TIMES—The young Queen of Portugal was received by his Majesty with all the honours becoming her rank,—with all the regard and friendship due to centuries of political alliance, and with all the sympathy and kindness inspired by her youth and situation. To render the ceremony more imposing, his Ma- jesty was surrounded with his Ministers, with the Grand Officers of his Household, and with the Princes of the blood. The efforts which his Ma- jesty made to please his fair and youthful visitor, were such as became rather his gallantry and kindness of disposition towards her, than his regard to his own very delicate health. He lead her from the entrance-stairs, and exerted himself to walk with her round the apartments. He assured her that the de- lay in receiving her was not his fault, but that of his health ; he conversed with her affably, even using some words of eortuguese; • he drank to her, at the collation which was given, as his young ally, and exhibited every symp- tom of an interest in her fortunes. In drinking his Majesty's health in re- turn, the young Queen said, with amiable gratitude, that in giving that toast she only gave one which she drank every day at her own table. Thus, what- ever may be the future fortunes of this interesting Princess, the King and his Ministers have shown their respect to the rights of legitimacy:in her person by acknowledging her title, and honouring her station—thus replying nobly to the base insinuations of a portion of the English press, that they were about to abandon her interests, and to acknowledge as King of Portugal the usurper of her Throne.
MORNING JOURNAL—The little Princess and her cortege approached the finest palace in Europe by the long walk—attended by a squadron of the life guards, but, instead of being admitted by the new entrance leading di- rectly to the castle, they passed through the town of Windsor, and approached the palace by the old and posterior entrance. The Princess was in her own carriage, drawn only by four horses—rather a plain way for a " crowned head" to visit the King of England. On being conducted to his Majesty's apartment she was received with all that grace, cordiality, and condescension, for which his Majesty is remarkable, and which were rendered more interest- ing and endearing by being directed towards a child, somewhat embarrassed by her situation, and not familiarly conversant with the language (the French) in which she was addressed. His Majesty received her with the most marked kindness, with an expression on his countenance of the most winning affection, as if her helpless years, and her unhappy situation, rendered so by the political adventurers by whom she is surrounded, had increased his re- gard for her, and inspired him with the feelings of paternal affection. • He expressed much pleasure at seeing her " royal highness," and conducted her to a chair beside himself, then led her into some of the splendid saloons of his palace, and, after introducing her to several of the royal members of his family who were present, conducted her to one of the grand apartments, where a splendid dejeune was prepared fora the Princess and her suite. All the boasted predictions of the evening ministerial journalist, therefore, fall to the (ground. His Majesty never allowed a word to escape him which could be construed into a recognition of her assumed title. His courteous attention was generous and marked, but it amounted to nothing which could sanction the belief that he received her in any other capacity than that of the daughter of the Emperor of Brazil. We have been more than usually precise in stating these facts. We knew the handle that was made of the premature and incautious announcement on the part of the Marquis Pahnella ; but we are quite convinced that the noble marquis will be less sanguine for the future, and, of course, less imprudent. He was received in a manner which we dare say he did not anticipate, but which we hope will teach him wisdom, and induce him to employ the ministerial press with more caution. He never before experienced such a reception at court, and we rather think that he will not try the experiment again.
Gtoex—Sortie of our contemporaries, Tories and Ministerialists, seem anxious to throw doubts on the character in which the young Queen was received. But in what character can she have been received ? Why, if there be any doubt as to her title, has the British Ambassador left Lisbon ? If Donna Maria is not Queen of Portugal, Miguel is certainly King, in right as well as in fact, and it must have been quite unnecessary to involve our di- plomatic intercourse with that country in any difficulty. If our contemporaries are only anxious on this subject because they are unwilling to involve this country in wars for or against the Governments of other countries, we com- mend their motive, though the display of their feeling is unnecessary. We certainly desire not to see a war undertaken by England to dethrone or en- throne a Sovereign in ,Portugal ; but this nation has not become so low and weak that the King is obliged on the instant to turn his back on a Queen of an allied country like- Portugal, whose right he has recognised, and by all friendly means promoted, because an usurper has by fraud and violence con- trived (we hope for a short time only) to displace her. If the person ac- tually at the head of the Government in Portugal chose to ask an explanation of the reason why the young Queen was received as Queen, he might be re- ferred to his own recent promises and oaths to support the Constitution under which she was recognised in the same capacity. As to the mere matter of fact, the Court Newsman, whose authority is and ought to be paramount in ail such matters, sets the point at rest. It is, we admit, a point of no great consequence as regards the political relations of the country, but it is of some consequence to the dignity and character of the King and his Court.
STANDARD—We have authority for stating, that nothing whatever occurred on the occasion of the reception of Donna Maria that in the slightest degree compromises our present neutrality in the affairs of Portugal.
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