PORTUGAL. 



619 



The two largest cities in Portugal nro Lis- 

 bon, with 224,063, and Oporto, with 89,194 in- 

 habitants. The largest cities in the colonies 

 are: Funchal, 18,161; Ponta Delgada, 15,885 ; 

 Angra, 11,839 ; and Ilorta, 8,549 inhabitants. 

 The revenue in the budget for 1869-'70 was 

 estimated at 15,616,096 milreis (one milreis= 

 $1.12), and the expenditures at 21,109,960 mil- 

 reis. Public debt, in June, 1868, 251,690,466 

 milreis. The colonial budget for 1867-'68 es- 

 timated the revenue and expenditures as fol- 

 lows : 



According to a decree of October 4, 18G9, 

 the army was to be composed of: 



The army in the colonies had a numerical 

 strength of 21,411 men. 

 The length of telegraph-lines in operation in 



1860 amounted to 1,941 miles; length of wire, 

 8,070 miles; number of offices, 119; number 

 of dispatches in 1868, 175,506. A concession 

 for the construction of telegraphic lines be- 

 tween England, Portugal, and Gibraltar, was, 

 on April 4, 1870, definitely given to M. Jules 

 I )< .*<i>feher, the representative of the Falmouth, 

 Gibraltar, and Malta Telegraph Company. 



A revolutionary movement too\ place in the 

 province of JBeira, in May, 1870. In Castro- 

 dairo the troops had to be called out to sup- 

 press the insurrection by force of arms. Dur- 

 ing the same month a political covp d'etat was 

 inaugurated by Marshal Saldanha against tho 

 Prime Minister, the Duke do Louie, in conse- 

 quence of the letter's refusal to sign the decree 

 appointing Marshal Saldanha President of the 

 Council of Ministers and Minister of "War. Tho 

 movement was confined to tho army, and its 

 object was simply to compel a change in tho 

 ministry. The Duke de Saldanha, having great 

 influence over the troops, secured the support 

 of the garrison of Lisbon, and, after storming 

 the castle of St. George, marched to the royal 

 palace. The governor of the palace had taken 

 measures of defence, and the duke found 

 troops posted and artillery in position to op- 

 pose him. An attack was ordered, and some 

 shots were fired, but the soldiers on both sides 

 were evidently ill disposed to fight against 

 each other, and, after desultory firing, they 

 broke ranks and fraternized. The palace was 

 left unguarded, and soldiers, volunteers, and 

 some peasants who accompanied them, entered, 

 displaying the popular flag, and shouting 

 " Long live the King ! " "Long live the army 

 and Saldanha ! " " Down with the ministry 1 " 

 Though greatly excited, they committed no 

 violence, and contented themselves with march- 

 ing through the corridors and grounds, singing 

 the national songs and uttering patriotic cries. 

 The Prime Minister, the Duke de Louie, against 

 whom the movement was directed, seeing the 

 day was lost, tendered his resignation, which 

 was accepted by the King. The victorious 

 Saldanha was admitted to on audience, and 

 was requested by the King to form a new Cabi- 

 net, which task he consented to undertake. 



The sessions of the Cortes were closed by 

 order of Marshal Saldanha. One of the last 

 acts of the session was the taking of an oath 

 by all the deputies to defend the independence 

 of Portugal. This action was taken because 

 of the report in the public journals that Mar- 

 shal Saldanha was in favor of a union with 

 Spain. The Prime Minister at length officially 

 stated that he would use all efforts to maintain 

 Portuguese independence. 



In June, the Government decreed an amnesty 

 for all political crimes and offences committed 

 since the 1st of March, 1870 ; it also issued a 

 decree abolishing the death-penalty, granted 

 tho right of holding political meetings, and tho 

 right of petition. 



A new session of the Cortes was opened by 

 the King on October 15th, with a speech from 



