The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-03-06 00:00:00

AUSTRIA.

VIENNA, MARCH 2.
The only news is, that the first General Assembly
of the Credit Bank was held this morning.

SPAIN.

MADRID, FEB. 23

Yesterday was the St. Baidomeros . celebrated in
1856 with many congratulations, but which, in
1857, passed unheeded in Madrid, save by a few
mindful friends who in their hearts uttered a wish
ofhappiness to Marshal Espartero. He, whose star
has set; and Marshal Narvaez, whose star is for the
moment in the ascendant. typify the two great evils
from which Spain has suffered so much—political
incapacity and political corruption. Had Narvatz
-been as honest and patriotic as he for come years
proved himself energetic and powerful, had Espar-
tero'S grasp of mind and moral courage been equal
to his probity and popularity, the position and
prospects of Spain might today be different indeed
from what they are. It is a fact daily more gene-
rally recognised that what • Spain wants to extri
cce her from the slough, is only one man, so he
be at once able, honest, and bold. The old fever
of enthusiasm for liberty and constitutionalism is
much calmed d iwn, and there is a continual increase
in the number of those who would welcome an en,-
lightened despotism as a most excellent exchange
for annual revolutions and still recurring anarchy.
If the French nation—loathing the saturnalia,
bloodshed, and insecurity that followed closely upon
the heels of the inconsiderate overthrow of the most
truly liberal regime France ever witnessed—acted
wisely in confiding its destinies to the will and
talents of one remarkable man, how much more.
ready ought the Spanish people to be to aban-
don, at least for a while, its oft repeated and
abortive attempts at that self government for
which it evidently is not yet ripe. What Spain is
ripe for and now greatly needs, is material im-
provements, not constitutional theories. The po-
litical history of this country, .for years past, has
been a pitiable and disreputable farce. Under the
banner of patriotism different sets of men have
struggled for party predominance and personal ad-
vantages. They have deafened the world with
their shouts of "Patric y Libertad!" while in
reality their aims were purely selfish. Disinterested
though they proclaimed themselves when out of
power, no sooner did they get in than their avidity
was disgustingly manifest. The few honourable
exceptions, who would have stemmed the tide of
greediness and corruption, were deficient in energy,
in capacity, or in weight, and were borne away by
the stream. Their repeated defeats, forcing upon
them the conviction that they are powerless, have
disheartened them; and if some among them still
cherish hope many others candidly admit that they
would rather sacrifice for a while their dreams of
political freedom than see their cauutry continue
an arena for the conflicts of rival factiois, to the
destruction of the material progress and prosperity
she might otherwise attain.
If Spain, thanks to her own folly and internal
dissensions, . has hitherto remained practically
closed to most of those great inventions and im-
provements which, during the last quarter of a
century, have done so much for the well being of
other European countries, she has still been un•
able to prevent their being brought to her doors,
and, as we may say, knocking for admittance. The
railroad shrieks and snorts along her northern
frontier as if impatient of exclusion ; steamers under
every flag touch at her ports ; the freedom of com-
merce she so obstinately rejects, adopted by coun-
tries wiser than herself, has generously bestowed on
her a foretaste of its advantages. The demand for
her produce has increased ; the receipts of her
Custom House, notwithstanding the corruptness
of its officers and the encouragement given to the
smuggler by an injudicious tariff: continually
augment, and show, according to a statement just
published, an improvement of more than £220,000
in 1856 as compared with 1855. If Spain could be
sure, only for 10 years, of a wise and strong Govern-
ment, no matter. in what form—let us put aside, for
the rnornent, all'qhestions of this or that Constitu-
tion, of Cortes upon this or that system, and all
the other theories and fancies for whose sake the
country has gone distracted and torn itself to
pieces— how rapid a change would take place in
her circumstances. With the certainty of tran-
*quillity and security ; with a reformed tariff, which
should divert into the treasury the stream of gold
that now flows into the pockets of smugglers and
foreigners; with the resumption of the sale of
church property, unjustifiably and illegally inter-
rupted ; with the absolute suspension of civil and
military promotions until the half pay and pen-
sion list should be, greatly reduced from its
present enormous and scandalous dimensions,—
with these changes the credit of Spain would
quickly revive, her funds would rise, foreign capital
would flaw in, railways would .be conetructed, the
expenditure would diminish, while the revenue
would rapidly increase, and at the end of the 10
years the nation would be too prosperous and too
busy to think, save with repugnance and alarm, of
a recommencement of political pronunciamentos
and insurrections. But it were vain to hope for
the realisation of this pleasant dream so long as
the fate of the country hangs upon the intrigues
of a corrupt Palace, and upon the squabbles
and rivalries of unprincipled. and - unpatriotic
Statesrnen. The wealth and material prosperity
of Spain will increase—of that there is no doubt ;
but they will do so pUrely as a consequence of
the great internal riches and resources of the land,
which as yet have scarcely been drawn upon. The
improvement will be slow in comparison with that
of other countries, and immeasurably slower than
it would be under that good-government which is
proverbially said to be the only blessing that
Providence has not vouchsafed to this fertile and
beautiful Peninsula.

TURKEY.

CONSTANTINOPLE, FEB. 23.

There was a great robbery committed a few days
ago, at the Palace of Top Kapu, in the Hall of
Relics, where the Sultan's private treasure is kept.
It now appears as though the government wished
CO throw a veil, so far as it can, over this unplea-
sant affair, and perhaps not without good reason,
for the population of the city last Thursday was in
a very excited state about it. The rumours with
respect to this robbery are so different, that I
think the real facts will never be accurately
known. Some fancy that domestic intrigues of
the palace have had a good deal to do with the
matter. All I can do, however, is to send you that
statement which is most generally recceived here.
The first suspicion of this theft was occasioned by
the exposure for sale in the bazaar of a Koran, which
by its rich binding attracted the notice of all the
people who passed. This circumstance was brought
to the Sultan's ears, whereupon certain persons
were delegated. to proceed to the Top-Kapu Palace,
and there to make a search There treasure kept
there was duly inspected by them in the presence
of the director, Ibrahim Effendi, when many of the
chests were found to be empty. The council Of
ministers in consequence of this intelligence in_
stantly met, whilst in consequence of the disappear.
ance of the sacred relics, which had been kept
in the hall along with other valubles, the populace
was excited almost to insurrection by the preaching
of the enraged imaums, ulemes, and fanatical old
Turks. The ministers ord3red a general search to
be made in every house, and some of the old relics
were fortunately discovered hidden in one of the
public wells. With regard to the treasure we know
nothing positive as yet; but it is asserted that two

Circassians, who did duty as guards in the pal°
•
have disappeared—ergo, they must have conoutt el
the robbery. When the relics were discovered tile
imaums were informed of it, and the popular
tation was appeased. The Sultan has aire%
consoled himself for the loss of his private treastv:,
The investigation is still going on, but no hope'
held out of ever recovering 'the lost property. bo.
Mehemed Bey, the brave. Hungarian officer
"
has thrown up the Sultan's service in order to lab),
.command of the patriotic army of Circassia, 11111 S! 0,
this time have reached the place of his destitian
.%
The Russian ambassador telegraphed infortuat!b'ie
of his departure to St. Petersburg, and it is pose' .11
that orders have also been sent to Odessa to do
1:e,
that could be done to intercept him, but the Po
vailing wind has been a fair one for the Erlq",o
vessel conveying Mehemed Bey and his corePani,,fee
and their expedition has had a start of at least t'ds
(lava. Notes and couriers are passing baclltilt
and forwards between the Russian embassy afiu
residence of the Grand Vizier. .The English 'I
dents here have been delighted to hear 0(v
4
expedition of the Poles and Hungarians to Cif
tie
sia, and hardly anything else was talked of acted
balls lately given by the ambassadors. It is assetrei
absurdly enough, in Russian circles, that 'prat
Redcliffe was a party to the movement, outl:;iiis
that a high personage at London had given "
support. ON
On Thursday last there was a juvenile ball ,30
English Palace, to which the first families 0' ;ell
had been invited. Several Turkish Paehas orrio
with their young daughters, and great WI ty
interest they excited by the originality 0"

splendour of their costume. v soft
The Commissioner Extraordinary for the
hif
hian Principalities, Sir H. L. Bulwer. has po'
farewell visit to the Grand Vizier. The first dra ,
man of the English embassy was sent to the trter
in order that an hour should be fixed for the 7,01
view. Sir Henry desired the dragoman t° '-die
him and retire during the conference, but °lid
latter refused to do so, Sir Henry was comr(!ege
to direct the attention of the Master of the v-tot
monies to this refusal, and the end of it was, " re,
the audience was consummated without the P
sence of the first dragoman.
On Saturday last all the engravers' workellePieo
Constantinople were closed by the police anq
tietba
possession of. This measure is connected w't'er
enquiry that is being carried on, under the 511100
intendence of Tefik Pacha, respecting the, tha
extensive fabrication of forged documents 0'
Order of the Medjidie.