hours of the arrest of the offender. The minister of the interior also issued a circular to the political chiefs of the provinces, in which he announced, that government meant to abandon thenceforward the indulgent and merciful syswhich had prevailed, and to leave all political offenders to the utmost rigour of the law.

But another ministerial change was at hand; a report of the finance committee, in which, "the presence of M. Pita Pizarro in the cabinet" was denounced "as highly dangerous and detrimental to the commonwealth," and various acts of that minister were strongly censured as unconstitutional, was carried by a majority of 84 against 27 votes in the Cortes, and led to his resignation and to the substitution of M. Jose Maria Perez in his room. At the same time, his colleagues in the several departments of war, justice, and the interior, retired from office. M. Balauzat, M. Castijon, and M. Raphael Perez were, at first, appointed to succeed to their vacant places. But of these, the two former, at once, refused to take office; and it was found impossible to arrange matters to the satisfaction of the new minister of finance, who ultimately made way for M. Seijas, an old clerk in that department, and who had gradually ascended, from the lowest station in the office, to the post of intendant of Madrid. M. Bardaji became president of the council, the war office was confided to General Ramonet, and M. Matavigil took the ministry of justice, while M. Ulloa went to the admiralty. These appointments were not very popular in themselves, and it was suspected, that the new ministers were not intended to be

permanent, but merely to occupy the period which must intervene before the new Cortes would give the Regent an opportunity of once more having recourse to M. Pita Pizarro. Nor were the Cortes pleased with the terms of approbation, in which her majesty spoke of the services of that minister, in the decree which notified his abdication of office.

The elections began in the middle of October. In most of the large cities of the south, the ultra-liberals were, on the whole, unsuccessful. But the polls were thinly attended. At Cordova, a city of 45,000 inhabitants, no more than 282 electors presented themselves, and it was said, that throughout the provinces, hardly a tenth part of the citizens, entitled to the franchise, exercised their right. At Barcelona great excesses were committed, and one elector lost his life at the polling place. Yet the authorities seem to have thought it a favourable opportunity for striking a blow at the national guard of that city; and an ordinance to disarm that formidable body was issued, and strange to say, executed without opposition. On the whole the elections were considered favourable to the moderate party. Ten or twelve bishops were among the senators.

A discussion took place in the Cortes on the 26th of October, the result of which is not likely to promote public credit in Spain. In the year 1834, the house of Rothschild had entered into a contract, for the Almaden quicksilver, with the Spanish government, Toreno then being the finance minister. This contract turned out very profitable to the Rothschilds; and the Cortes, on the pretext of departure from the terms of the bargain by

the contractor, besides the allegation of fraud in the origin of the transaction, thought proper to annul it, nine members only voting in the negative against 104.

Among the senators selected by the Queen from the candidates presented to her, in pursuance of the provisions of the new constitution, were M. M. Calatrava, Ferrer, Arguelles, Bardaji; the dukes of Frias and Hijar; and M. Pita Pizarro. Generals Almadovar, Balauzat, Seoane, Quiroga, Espartero and the archbishops of Valencia, Mexico, and Toledo. M. Mendizabal, a defeated candidate for the representation of Madrid in the second chamber, was passed over by her majesty, but, being almost at the head of the list of substitutes for that house, felt pretty secure of a seat in the new legislature, as several deputies of the capital were raised to the dignity of senators.

On the 1st of November a strange question was mooted in the Cortes; a deputy suggested the propriety of requesting from the Queen Regent some explanation respecting the real or alleged existence of a secret marriage, on the part of her majesty. The assembly, however, refused to entertain the motion. The Cortes were dissolved on the 4th., with no other ceremony, than the reading of a royal decree, to that effect, by the president of the council.

The new Cortes, consisting of two chambers, assembled on the 13th of November. On the 19th the Queen Regent, being accompanied by her daughter, opened the session with a speech of considerable length. Speaking of the quadruple alliance and the foreign relations of the kingdom generally, she said, "These monarchs (of

England, France, and Portugal,) still favour our cause with as much interest as ever. To their generous assistance we owe, in a great degree, the safety of our frontiers, and of the vast extent of our coast, secured by the vigilance of the allied squadrons, exclusive of other efficacious and opportune aid which daily merits my most profound gratitude. Amongst the measures of the greatest advantage to our cause, are those adopted by his majesty, the king of the French, to prevent the exportation of warlike stores and provisions to the rebels, on the extensive line of the Pyrenees, as well as the permission given, in some instances, to some of our troops to pass through the French territory.

"The cabinets with whom we are not upon the same terms of amity, do not show themselves positively hostile to Spain, and it is to be hoped that, better informed by recent events so favourable to our arms, and the unanimous determination of all Spaniards to support to the utmost the throne of their queen, they will change their policy, especially when they shall have learned the atrocious conduct of the Pretender during his invasion of the centre of the monarchy." She then adverted to the recent steps taken to acknowledge the independence of the South American states, and to the treaties which had been the consequence. She noticed the existing misunderstanding between Spain and Sardinia, and expressed her desire to restore matters in that quarter to their former amicable footing. Speaking of the navy she must have rather surprised her hearers by a reference "to its proverbial zeal and constancy at all times." It was then protecting

"in the most satisfactory manner, the north coasts of the Peninsula and Catalonia," as well as the islands of Cuba and Porto Rico, and the Gulph of Mexico. She then called the attention of the Cortes to the projects of law reform in contemplation by the government. With respect to the conduct of the war, she said, "the rebels vanquished in the country which was the cradle, and is still the principal theatre of the war and insurrection, sought, in the provinces, the fortune that had abandoned them, but, pursued continually, and beaten in Catalonia and Valencia, they came, at last, and received, under the walls of the capital, the heaviest blow and the bitterest disappointment. Many of you witnessed the imposing spectacle which Madrid displayed when the enemy dared to present himself in sight thereof. İ, also, witnessed that imposing spectacle. Never will the lively acclamations of patriotic enthusiasm be effaced from my memory, with which loyalty manifested itself, when, with my august daughter, I traversed the ranks of the gallant men who were so anxious to engage." After honourable mention of the services of the British squadron, and a remark on the military massacres of the year, she came to the subject of finance, which did not present so flattering a prospect as could be desired, but which should be one of the principal cares of her government.

This speech was received in silence, and it was clear that it made but an unfavourable impression. The queen was suspected of insincerity, and of a design to restore the estatuto real. Nor was she more favourably received by the assemblage in the

streets, through which she passed to and from the Cortes, than within the walls of that assembly, and her appearance no where elicited a single cheer. She appointed M. Moscoso D'Altamira, president of the senate. The choice of the chamber of deputies fell upon the Marquis de Someruelos. The latter chamber, after a warm discussion, in which M. Lujan inveighed against the French government for allowing munitions of war to be supplied to the rebels, and M. M. Fontan and Olozaga attacked the ministers for their conduct in influencing the elections, voted an address to the Queen, which was a mere echo of the speech. This was considered to be an indication of the strength of the estatutista party in that assembly, and of a reaction in the public mind. The address itself was the composition of M. Martinez de la Rosa, whose speech in support of it was very favourably received.

On the 30th of November the ministers, as had been anticipated, resigned. A new cabinet was announced on the 16th December, of which the Count Ofalia (who had been a member of the Zea Bermudez administration) was the chief, with the foreign department. Espartero again accepted the war office, the functions of which were committed to General Espinosa in his absence. M. Mon became minister of finance, the Marquis de Someruelos went to the homeoffice, M. de Castro y Orosco was appointed minister of justice, and M. Canus of marine.

In the course of the autumn, the Moors, taking advantage of the distracted condition of Spain, invested Ceuta. And, although they failed to make any impression upon

the place, they distressed the garrison exceedingly by a land blockade. The English sent howitzers, rockets, and ammunition into the fortress from Gibraltar. But the Spanish government, notwithstanding the pressing demands of the garrison, which was hardly adequate to the defence of the works, and unable to act on the offensive against the blockading

troops, afforded little, if any, assistance, till the Moors of their own accord raised the siege.

We may here mention that, by way of reprisal, for a similar act on the part of the Sardinian government, the ports of Spain were, by a royal order dated the 25th of July, closed against the Sardinian flag, and all diplomatic relations with that country suspended.