The Express.
London, England, 1868-10-02 00:00:00

Eke erprefso.

DRURY-LANE.
EVPNINti, BOr.hoW AD PLUXIM—KINO 0* SCOTS.
ThelrK, Messrs. Addison. Irving, Rouse, ac Nieulimes
Beath, Stuart, frauk Matthews, Ite.—And A BRAND BALLET
DIVEBTISSIALLN r.

PRINCZBB'B.
Tits Irsinso, A CEARIKINU PAIR.—AFTER DARK: •
TALEOF LONDON LLFS. Yr. Vining, Deans. Waiter Loeb
Dominick Donn), linrcourt, Shore, tr. ; Mimeo Minton and
Led And
DASTER JONES'S BIRTHDAY.

QUEEN'S THEATRE, LONG-ACHE.
Mtaaagex, Mx. W. H. Liston.
Two Eraxmo. at 7, TOWLINES TROUBLES. Me. T.
roug ; Mita Idontague.—And THE LANCASHIRE LAN.
It
Irving. L. brunet, fitephena W yndham, Clayton, and
B. EltnexTt Messdarne. Hodson, Montague, find Nelly Moore.

STRAND.
CarsTIIIINCI, SISTERLY SERVICIL—THE YIELD 07 THH
OF GOLD. —And MARRIAGE AT ANY PRICE.

Barrio/4u.
Tun Itrirme, ADMIRAL TOM, KING OF THE TIFCCA-
VEERS. Weer.. Reynolds, Pitt, Charlton, te.; Mesdames
Covenee, Booth, te.-11.r. Dourehty's Pertormins,
THE RETVEN Ok THE WANDERER. Miss Henderson.

MOH WATER AT LONDON =DOE
To-U•r —Mnrhing, 2h. 21m .Afternoon, 211. Ms.
To-M• 'sow —Naming, 2b. kaa Atte:mom 3h. lOst.

NOTICE.
Varese of Therms, Ifaeeieosa, and Muria, ere received
until U o'clock for inaertaon same eyeing. Rice 2e. dd.

A SECOND EDITION of th• EXPRESS,

CONTAINING
The Latest Foreign Telegram,; the Latest City:;
Railway, Mining, and other Shares ; Sporting,
and General Intelligence,

IS PUBLISHICD

EVERY EVENING.

LONDON, FRIDAY, OCT. 2.

PORTUGAL AND SPAIN.

Mkrcturt constitutions are not born for adver-
sity. They may work fairly and look well while
the sun shines, but as soon as there comes any
stress of weather they commonly founder, without
even a note of warning. When the Revolution
broke out in Spain all the machinery of a Parlia-
mentary representation was lying ready to hand.
There was a Senate and a Chamber of Deputies,
and the constitution actually contained a provision
that an extraordinary Cortee was to assemble im-
mediately on the Sovereign becoming incapacitated
to govern. And yet from the first moment
of the insurrection down to the present
the Cortee has never been so much as heard of.
By common consent it has been put aside as so
much useless lumber. It is not a quarter of a
century old, but it is already regarded as worn
out : the one desire of the Spanish people is to
forget it and to make a fresh start. We do not
question their wisdom in thus treating their re-
presentatives. A Parliament which has suffered
things to come to the pass they have long since
reached is clearly incompetent to exercise any
political function. But the fact suggests only too
many doubts as to the future of the Spanish nation.
It is true that in the way of political privileges,
but little has been given to them, but they have
put even this little to such poor ie.° that it is
difficult to be sanguine as to their employment of
greater opportunities.

In one corner of the Peninsula a smaller country
has for some time exhibited the spectacle of a Go-
vernment in harmony with its subjects and con-
tent to rule within the limits of the Constitution.
It is natural that the contemplation of this con-
trast should be suggestive to many Spaniards of
a way of escape from the confusion which promises
to be their portion for some time to come. A
union with Portugal would certainly have much to
res.:minuend it. It would dispose at once of all
dispute about the succession, since it could only
be effected on the condition that the King of
PORI UGAL should be accepted as the sovereign of
the two kingdoms. It would give the Revolution
the credit of giving unity to the Peninsula, and it
would introduce into the chaotic polities of Spain
the element of stability derivable from a settled
government and a popular dynasty. Nor would
it be without great apparent advantages to
Portugal itself. From a little country of I
rather more than 3,500,000 people she
would at once become a great monarchy
with a population of 20,000,000. She would enter
upon the path which has of late years been so po-
pular with energetic and rising governments. She
would be following the example of Piedmont and
Prussia, and supplying another instance of that
tendency towards the consolidation of states which
is so prevalent at the present time. We are quite
clear that if it should please the two nations to
coalesce in this fashion it will be nobody's business
to prevent them. We do not mean that there are no
eiretunstanoes which can justify a third power in
interfering to prevent the union of two others.
" Live and let live," is a maxim which in politics
has two sides to it, and if one European State
insists upon living under conditions incompatible
with the life of another, the latter is no longer
bound to let the process go on undisturbed. But
a successful union between Spain and Portugal
would threaten neither the safety nor the indepen-
dence of any other nation. On the contrary, it
would give another member to the family of great
powers, and thus supply additional means of com-
bination against the dangerous ambition of any one
Of them. Even Prance, which has been so much