The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1805-07-17 00:00:00

INTERNAL sirtrAnoN OF SPAIN!
Scarcely any .European state is involved in suet
as,:•nrily as Spain. The knowledge of the public is
tolfile to 'he external exertions of the nations
power of Spain, as, for example, the magnitude of
preparations in the present war; but they seek i.
fir information relative to the internal state o.
icingihn, and to the progress nr retrogradatio
'r3' its inhattitahts ht science and civilkation. And
v-t Otis point of view is assuredly the most intet est-
ingtand the most important to the friend, of philo
saltlike! disquisition. To such the subjoined letter
' will not fail to be acceptable. ivriter is a naiivr
et Spain, resident in the capital, anJ witli an enlight-
eiteti Mini. combioei the happiest talent of survey-
-40; the situation of his country.

. MADRID, APRIL 17.
A
Torn whole cennlry not :t year ha, been so orator-
- bride to Spain as the last the energies of the na
tional eharaller have, however, been fortified, and
• have manifested to' the eye, of Europe tile whole-
tome
" miment In remote ages, the year Mt will be
dlala misled only by its disasters. Pressing want
of the priacipnl necessaries of lite, a dreadful morta-
lity, and all the terrific concomitants of those scour-
!'!Ores, ASSigli the last year a place among those cruel
• *paths, the melancholy recollection of Which mill
fills the world with horror : but wise expedients,
and .tn :tftive and enligntersed.foresight, averted, as
much as pos,iile, the unexpeZted evils which threat-
tad the whole human race, and prevented the total
bursting of the clouds pregnant with misfortune,
wha impended over our heads.
An unusually inclement season, which appeared
Iv 4 *
to 13r a digression from the course as,igned Lyn:-.•
lure t i our climate, destroy...! tae nascent hope cf
the husbandman, and famine stalked over our hltst-
-1 . .
ed earn-ii.dds ; dreadful earthquakes laid waste oar
fitkili i Government immediately provided alum-
l. •.-. ightnce. chisel antioits care from the coun.ry, and til-
fined free% four:lee 'aro the re .rifted inhabitants A
malignant contagious i'-ver, partly produced by the
It Mire ;,:e of the asmoaphere. extended its ravazes on
k * leery sidss; Government checked its career, and set
r • . boria.ls to its insatiable rapaciey. Tie yellont fever
appeared fresh et Nilalaga, communicated its orsti-
le.,tial influerice with the rapidity of thought, to
0 nave !fill to 1-,.y owns and villages of And.,lt2:, a,
sr.e4 •hr•• treat::: tote whole pen nstil t with its iiiecar-
ik ' We fury ; the (-, verritneot .r.l.4in subdued the
scooters. '1'.1.! Gene-alt.s:mo, the Prin. ipa do la
fr.-4, cmr 4e ,u,:y .0...ic:;,,1 this deitruliv..t hyd. a,
!
a. tr tw was .3 in: to con utine the kingdom ; 114 van-
t•Oedit by the secrets of chemistry, and prevented
0" • t -.in %lair. ,i.sirig its bea,l. Ile was nc.t c intent
..,,, ,00.14...hi.4 via ire ; deeply se n• 410 oi the neccss4y of
. !- of health, be inspired the Liter.tti with the
• ii. al which anintred himself, en,:n !•ag..d th i.-ii t
ca -este this task, and a few montha w:re sLisii..,ent
to 'ovate this fruit of experience, com'ei.,cd with
ettely. talents, and profound investigation.
" Government now took advan: •ge of circume
et tom, to operate on the pitshllc opinion. Church-
- yards were forme!, and a s.sarsition was erelited be-
tween the living and the deaf. Ihe multitudes of
beggars whir:. a inn, dated the highways were confin-
ed, Ani this ciao, of de ones was compeled to be ser-
viceable to society, %voile, at the same time, relief
and conssrlatioa were granted to the truly necessitous.
Neither the .ignal for new conflicts, nor the obstacles
inseparable from a state of warfare. are capable of
Or citing the benevolent career of Government ; its
activity makes a provision for every contingency,
and creates new resources It is engaged in enlarging
and improving the prison., where hitherto innocence
and guilt have indiscriminately inhaled disease an
devh, in gloomy dungeons totally inacessible to the
air of heaven. .
~ New and powerful encouragement is given to
education. the chief srouad-work of the felicity of a
state. The old system is abandoned, and supersed-
ed by a more rational method of instruction. A
considerable province was hitherto consigned to total
ignorance. l'he Government ha, given it a college
sod schools to enlighten its inh.. tsitaats.
ss lininstry with rapid strides approaches to per-
fection; Government is daily enriching the manu-
factures with new machines, which on the one hand
improve their produce, and on the other diminish
the number of workmen nece.sary to be employed
Ttniu,es in other countries it may be doobtful whe-
ther such Jiminutio is arc advantageous, yet their
beneficial consrqiienem cannot be denied in Sp fin,
whose population is so disproportionate to its extent,
and which has recertly sustained such heavy losses
from the plague of the Western world. The cloth
mattista!tteres of Guaclalaxarn, of Ercaray de Sr
Feinando, and other places, have, is the course of
the past year. implored to such a degree, that they
now prepare cloths, c isimit, and new kinds of
woollen stuff,, w!.ich rival those of foreign produc-
tion. The cotton manii:....gures of Avile and Porte
Is Vega are daily attaining to higher perferaion.
~a the articles made in ti ...rn ate models of taste
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