The Express.
London, England, 1856-08-18 00:00:00

THE EXPRESS, MONDAY EVENING„ AUGUST 18, 1858.

LATEST INTELLIGENCE.

SPAIN•

(11.011 • 117103•1.

The Aloelde Molina at Barcelona, who was kept
in close coctlnement in the citadel, has been true-
ported to the Canary like.
The junta commiesioned to manage the conscrip-
tion for the army duds it impossible to obtain the
requisite number of recruits; and the contractor has
given notes that he le unable to complete his engage-
ments for that business, and prefers to Ambit the
'menet of his bond, 2,000 dues. A committee of
the ajuntamiento upon this matter has resolved to
apply to the Captain-General for an extension of the
time allowed. In default of other news, a glance at
the subjects treated of by the different Madrid news-
papers may not be without some interest. The
Epoca declares that the law for the election
of the ajnotamientes will positively be put into
execution by the O'Donnell government. The organ
of Navies, II Leon Espanol, advises O'Donnell to
retract the promisee made in the Manzsaares prc•
gramme. The Parlament°, in reply to some remarks
of the Dismiseson, affirms that the Moderados are
agreed about supporting O'Donnell. The Diario
Espanol examines the manifesto of the Marquis de
Mirailores, which is published is the Espana, and
takes some pains to prove that the Bravo Marino
cabinet actually did contemplate a coup deka of its
own. The 4asociatton also animadverts upon the
manifesto of Miraflores. The Criterion acknow-
ledges reluctantly that the reconciliation of
the different sections of the liberal party
must be, if not impossible, a matter of greet
difficulty. The Discussion vindicates the de-
mocratic majority in the Corte@ from the censures
east upon them by the Paris Constitutions's,, The
Cattolico, which belongs to the absolutist party, calls
upon the organ-of the cabinet, the Epoca, to explain
the fact that every government finds it necessary,
for the preservation of social order, to supersede the
pretended constitutional guarantees, and to rule des-
potically; in conciliation, it insists upon returning to
the system of despotism pure et simple. The Rape-
roue inveighs sgaisst the assessed-tax, called the
derraina, u a mischievous economic invention of the
Pregressistu, which ia the cause of disorders through-
, out the Peninsula.

BATOIDLT.

Prince Adalbert of Bavaria is expected at Madrid
this evening. His marriage will probably be so-
lemnised on the 20th.

IN OLD CASTILE.

(001011INICATID.
At the commencement of last lane a rupture be-
tween the Moderadors and Progresistaa is the Ever.
two-O'Donnell cabinet appeared inevitable. Obliged
to give up Roe de Olen% sensible that the publicity
given to the Report of the Commissioa on the goes-
tion of Christina would compel the Cortes to take it
up, O'Donnell began to meek a pretext for a eorp-d'etat.
The disorders in Old Castile furnished him with
what he wasted. The incendiary mob of Palencia,
Valladolid, and Rio Seco struck terror into Spain and
Europe. What esysterioes hand was it that armed
with &threads those Castilians, as a general
rale so tractable and so loyal, whose habits
of order prestnt a contrast so striking to
the restless terbalenoe of Catalonia and Aragon P
The Moderado journala received the word of com-
mand. Day atter day the Poles& press teemed with
invectives against the revolution, loudly demanded
measures of repression spinet the progremsta organs,
whom it accused se the instigators of disorder, and,
by disseminating panic among the middle classes, pre-
pared the way for a Moderado dictatorship.
Esoosure, on his return from a tour of inspestion ia
Castile, brought with him, it is generally reported,
conclusive proofs of the intervention of the absolutist
and priestly party in these frightful disorders.
Certain ultra-Moderados were also gravely eispro-
mired by the report of Recomira. The nmosores
which, with the support of Esparta°, he proposed,
would have struck directly at absolutism and maid a.
O'Donnell opposed this. The pretext for the atop
d'ftsi was found.

Has a polittoal party really been at the bottom of
these disorders in Castile P We will submit to our
feeders pertain hots which may enable them to
answer this question for themselves. Palencia is the
principal seat of the nicsoriere, or grain manufactur-
ing industry of Spain. The abundant growth of
cereals in Castile gave rise to this branch of industry
at the oornmeneensent of the present century. Mon-
son, who was the first to establish mills on the Cas-
tile canal, two leagues from Palencia, was smug-
sated in 1808, as a traitor to hie country, for having
supplied Roar for the French armies. In 1818 Oxero
set up at Barron a mill worked by water power. The
small proprietors, who up to that time had ground
their grain at home by the simplest and most unim-
proved processes, found it better worth their while to
sell it to the millers. It bad been found merely pos-
sible to supply the demands of Cubs, as loot as lour
was admitted there duty free. But a duty of 5 per
oeut. Davin* been imposed on its introduction by
Count Villa' Nueva, when governor of Cabal, the
industry of Palencia was for a time mei-
onaly affected, and its inhabitants began to seek
in improved and cheaper methods of production for
the means of struggling against the difficulty. Large
establishments were soon founded, furnished with all
the improvements introdeoed into Swope, and more
than forty mills, all of considerable magnitude,'
absorbed the grain predates of the province, and the
neighboarieg districts. Machinery was everywhere
substituted for manual labour. The landholders
finding ready buyers, the pries of oorn rose is the
market, and although the extent of acreage under
grain cultivation was perpetually on the increase, the
activity of the demand kept prices at a high average,
if mewed with those that prevailed twenty years
bask. This progress had net been sooonsphahed
without oppositios. At any period of real or sup-
posed dearth, popular movements were got up wi.h a
view of stopping the export of flour. These dine-
dere never went to the length of assassination, se in
1808, nor of Ineendiariem, as in 1858; but their
periodical recurrence indicated the state of opinion,
and the eoonontioal prejudices of a popalase kept la a
state of grass Ignorance by the clergy. Valladolid
may be considered as the glossal depat for grain and
lour is the province. There, as at Palencia, all
commercial intersoarse had occasionally been inter-
rupted by mobs, isstigated to violence by a dread of

Seib data befog the bum ••4 preiispeddia it
dapple, almik ha us see what tisk ides Is Ike
maks of hay ova hoe bra The army owed la
Me Maeda of Palencia no lees then 40.000 espeete
yespordee, the aggregate rental of whisk if e
at easy 3 per cent. on the purchase mosey,
sweat to about 2,000.000 reel; sod, in past elk*
wee very awl &ebb that saw. Is the &bid if
Valladolid the property of the clergy rejeambi •
mud of nearly 6,000,000 of reels. The law ef
arsiesertimeies opened spin the wounds that brae
bees Needier ever skim 1836. The dash et i►
dairy is Tama, the aisreheate et WY"
the nebrity of whoa belt:spa to the sseiseds
, nein in this new law • mime
it misty tor Spain, and a gds
Ise her ouseral advisee is wealth isi remiles
pot theassives forward se its mid supplasse.
Bat Ike slow, who were to • greet retest
=l:at Daa Oaks, Hailed I. the pope.
taw of religious Spatial's' aphid the
terebtles, aid all them"liserkasas" sad
' sashes" by whoa it yea eepperted.
Tsai It wee that dim sighs have bees observed
le the diarist ass usurious se the
trbistent lisp solo.A eindiendie exportation of
pie 'Ma pleas. Prim roe. &deter imam
leas Se speed sang the pereatry. The mote.
dear lied belt :sable: be stoning the
is the sweets of
net= sitlimptleg to !Mosinee his

authority, was Insulted by the crowd end docked in
the sea. The mob passed in front of the Cabildo,
the ohapterhosse of the canons. Several of the
priests watched their proceedings from the
windows; far from interfering to check the
outbreak, their attitude was rather that of en-
couragement to the rioters. The houses burned
belonged to thee* who had shown themselves most
hostile to the paris probe. The Chapter has since
intervened to solicit pardon for those riogleaders
who have been condemned by the Commission. At
Valladolid and Rio Seco the victims of the riot, as
at Palencia, were the enemies of absolutism and of
the prima.
In Old Cull!., more perhaps then anT other pro-
vines of Spain, the secret propagandist society founded
by the Jesuits, and whose principal seat is in Paris,
reckons numerous fanatical adherents, disposed to
obedience by long habits of implicit submission to the
dictation of the clergy. This society, which in Primes
takes the name of Sr. Vincent de Paul, and spreads
like a vast network over the whole empire, has for its
ostensible object the encouragement of district visit-
ing societies, for the purposes of charity and religion.
In every country of Europe this society changes
its mode of operation in conformity to circumstances.
In Spain it organises the artisans and agriculture'
labourers into mutual benefit and friendly societies,
in which it inculcates hatred of the middle classes (sa
liberal, sectarian, and atheistical), and preaches the
doctijnes of communism. The troubles in Barcelona
' in 1854 brought to light the organisation of one of
those societies, which, under the patronage of the
Bishop, and the name of eseuela de la virtud (school
of virtue), inculcated into the working classes hatred
against their employers. In another paper we pro-
pose to give some particulars of these secret societies
under the management of tbe clergy.
From what has been already stated, it will appear
that the disturbances in Castile have had their source
in the ignorance and prejudices of the population.
If any political party can be accused of having ex-
cited them, no person of ordinary candour can pos-
sibly impute the blame to the Progresistas.

CONDITION OF SPAIN : ITS POLITICAL
ORGANISATION.

BY AN =OLDIE TRAVY.LLZB.
The characterisation of the social upect of the
different provinces of Spain which my former com-
munications have attempted directly points to the
polity of the state ma an ulterior question in the
present inquiry. And inasmuch u axial relations
must more or leis immediately govern the program of
political organisation, it may not be inappropriate to
consider at once the merits of existing principles and
the conditions of a wiser administration.

The Constitution of 1837, with all the violence to
which it has been subjected, is the leading political
iostitution with which the reign of Isabella is asso-
ciated. This Constitution has much in its attributes
to remind us of our Reform Act. It has, indeed, this
material distinction, that it was not a constructive
development, but en original organisation. It wee,
however, the subject of a struggle between the
Moderados and Progresistas similar to that el
1832 between tortes and liberals in this country ; sad,
like our parliamentary reform, it was so far confirmed
by the deliberate judgment of later years as to be
afterwards wicooditiosally accepted by the party
originally opposed to its introduction. It is only
due to the Progresista ministers of 1837 to add, that
it appears impossible to discover how any prac-
ticable scheme of government could then have been
devised without a total revocation of the then existing
form of legislature.
The legislative reform or revolution—for the din
tioction between these terms is rather conventional
than abstract—which was established in 1837 was of
two kinds. It respected, first, the central or parlia-
mentary; secondly, the local or municipal govern-
ment. But, while it provided this general end special
organisation, it totally ignored the provincial distino-
tions which have been already described. A repre-
sentation of these distinctions could alone pourtray
the national character, and ensure the harmony
between the government and the governed, which is
of course necessary to the vigorous action of any
scheme of political organisation. The Progresistas,
in short, erected a new parliament on Progresistan
principles; and they applied our municipal system
as it islets. to the principal towns io this country,
with a considerable difference indeed in detail, to
nearly all the larger villages of Spain. Bat they
created no intervening popular j
urisdictions oorre-
spooding to the chief national and social divisions of
the people.
Of this scheme of organisation, viewed as a whole,
it may be fairly said that no national constitution
was ever framed so directly is the interest of its com-
peer"; and that no constitution, thus exclusively
designed for party purposes, ever exhibited so consi-
derable a cheroot prstrinal utility. In truth, when
we consider the evidence which it presents of partisan
motives, and remember the territorial strength of the
Moderadci, it seems incomprehensible that such a
measure could have been proclaimed without instantly
rousing a tumult evilest its originators.
The liberal tendencies of this municipal and par.
liamentary constitution were multiform. In the first
plate, the Progreaistas, by bestowing a corporate
existence upon all the small towns, ensured the
cohesion of bodies uaturelly and originally disposed
to a support of liberal principles. In the second,
they took care to render this municipal organisation
so liberal in its franchise as to ensure themselves
(wherever Moderade opinions might prevail emcee
the higher classes) a preponderating democratic in-
fluence in each local government. Thirdly, when
this extensive local polity bad been designed for the
liberal part of the mummify, no provincial jure-
diction were crested with a view of counterpoising
the liberal by the territorial interests of the pro-
vino's. Finally, the political franchise was sur-
rendered pretty much to the municipal authorities;
and although by much more restricted than the mu-
nicipal franchise, the holders of the latter, as a result
of their own organisation upon the spot, necessarily
exerted a strong and nearly overwhelming Influence
over the possessors of political rights. This was, is
fact, the most specious and plausible incident in
the whole scheme. The breadth of the distinction
between the two franchises seemed, at Int sight, only
to throw into stronger contrast the conservatism of
the parliamentary element. Bat when the polities!
franchise had been mos made os-extensive with
municipal jurisdictions, which smelly brought phy-
sical as well as moral influence to bear upon elections.
political power fell into the hands of the misses, aid
so long as no other influences were employed,
that power would have remained with them.
How, then, it will be asked, was the Pseigemble
government overthrown within six ysem of tie
creation of this constitution; mid were sesesinim
Moderado edam ereletabeed
double that ttil the ieeeneedee d 74114

period, en,. ._
This very opposite result to what might fairly have
ben predicted with the utmost confidence was
brought about by the action of three concurrent
arose. In t►e first place, the dinegsnisation of the
Pregnant's, es a political party in the state, had
become complete its 1843 with the fall of &par-
tore, whose government had, to the first inatemes.
alneatrd a largo notion of his legitimate sappseten.
When the Frogmen's@ were thee len wlth either
*leader or a system is the Chen% the Made redo
ministers, ones tenthly isetalled is pewee, main-
tained themselves-4o_ king as s4ll,llns.ifr7

vernment of say sort wig comiatible with .their
Mena slake by bribery and corruptioe—without a
parallel, is respect tither of its extant or of the on-
%whist audacity with which it was sommitted. It
was the sommes complaint, indeed, that a great part
of the mime ed the state were eguasmord in this
tenser, The municipolities wan bribtd in the
einem of repeuesabidves, end where this initiatory
=preyed isefilelest, the repenentatire him-
a bribe awaiting bis matey into Madrid.
The army, althea* twessisnally mimed under the
exhaustive Meese of this esengtion ma the Ti...
=iitaglesd orillearily bar bight in numbers then
the revery if /bparterm The bayonet and
lb thus jelady austdend the triumph of •
bidsraio ormrossat is its saargralso with a Pro
mid& anditatios.
nee ssastitatisa is to es extressly mina if saly
N numb
tb,
digassemktroft tializsaisarwashomn
siliet gmlimpewelmilles7
or kw. puma op. .
hummed to combine ia does sspressatatioes tits
prissigho don borsagb asti asainisid gyp, sad

not simply to have brought the latter into general
operation in borough elections, but to have extended
the intellectual or educational qualiffcatioa heat
Thus both doctors and licentiates in the three fatteltise
of law, physic, and divinity, were entitled to vote at
such for any borough in which they might have
resided for a certain term, indepenikntly of auy
municipal qualification. Thos all mcmbere of
the Academies of the Fine Arts and of
History were similarly included in the fran-1
chin, if they were of the standing of Acidemi•
clans. Tile municipal franchise extended to mere
apothecaries, comprehending all protessioos and
nearly all degrees in each. Beyond this fixed differ-
ence to the two suffrages there was this ancillary but
important distinction, that while the political electors
were required to have paid up all the taxes and rates
for the current year, the municipal electors were not.
It is thus obvious that it was the direct character of
the Progressista constitution to reserve the political
franchise for the better classes, and to render the
municipal nearly universal and unlimited. But so
violent were the attempts of those endowed with mu-
nicipal rights to force their sentiments on the political,
electors, that it may appear astonishing that the
republican party did not triumph at once over Pro-
gresistas, Aloderados, and Oahe'.

The constitution by which Spain can be alone ren-
dered at once vigorous in its reforms and stable in its
government is something different both from what
the Progresistaa made it, and from what the Modera-
dos would wish to make it. lam no enemy to that
which is properly understood by a Moderado element
in the state, when theoretical principles are disso-
ciated from their individual representatives. By an
exaltation of Moderado principle. In the abstract, I
allude to the greater prominence of the territorial
element in the state. Spain has a far greater propor-
tion of landed to borough interests than our own
country, while the theory of the constitution has
assigned to the former nocommensuraterepreeentation.
The result is that the landowners govern by corruption,
instead of governing openly and justly in conjunction
with the holders of the borough franchise; and the
resulting evil is just the inversion of that which ex-
isted in this country before the Reform Act. Mode-
redo bondholders and a Moderado government com-
bined to buy democratic boroughs, much as Birming-
ham and Manchester might have bought Gatton or
Old Sarum. There can be no doubt that it both the
municipal and territorial interests were fairly repre-
sented, the existing elements of cool:het would be in
a great degree harmonised, and that if they were thus
fairly represented in Provincial Estates, in due subor-
dination to a central parliament, the crying evil of
absent landlords would be effectually remedied, be-
cause those landholders would be immediately inter-
' ested in guiding the character of provincial legisla-
tion. This appears tome to be the principal want of
Spain, so far as legislative organisation is concerned.
In another communication I shall advert to the
anomalous elements of power which are inconsistent
with the freedom and stability of Spain.