The Sun.
London, England, 1865-01-30 00:00:00

Spain and Santo Domingo,

MADRID, Jan. 23.
The Marquis of Habana spoke yesterday in the
Senate on the question of Santo Domingo, replying
to the Duke de Torre's speech advocating the pre-
servation of the island to Spain. The marquis strongly
urged the expediency of abandoning Santo Domingo.
He said that the possession of the island gave no
moral force to Spain. It did not augment Spanish
prestige, and produced most serious inconveniences
in political order, in finance, and even in military
order. Replying to what had been urged by the
Duke de Torre respecting the importance of the pos-
session of the Bay of Samana, the Marquis of Ha-
bana said—" I shall proceed to examine this ques-
tion from a practical point of view, and will ask if
the Duke de Torre believes that commercial interests
would not have sufficed to attract a numerous po-
pulation to that spot—what has, and what is now
the Peninsula of Samana ? A desert, and, unfor-
tunately for our troops, a vast cemetery. When
the English projected establishing communications
to facilitate their trade with America, they
never thought of establishing themselves there,
but preferred St. Thomas, though this is a
bad and insignificant port. Thus, when Spain ac-
quired the Bay of Samana, it was completely deserted,
which proves that it was not the importance to trade
that has been supposed. In further proof we have
the fact that the customs of Samana have barely
produced the small sum of 100,000 reals. We will
now consider the question from a military point of
view. Would you wish the Bay of Samana to be
converted into a military port—a Cronstadt, as de-
sired by the Duke de Torre, in order that it might
serve us in the event of our American possessions
being endangered, which would be whenever we
might be at war with the United States? Would
it serve to hold our ships of war ? But then for this
we have the ports of Cuba and Porto Rico." The
speaker then proceeded to disprove the belief ex-
pressed by some that, although the Bay of Samana
had no importance in Spanish possession, it would
immediately acquire it under the United States. He
said that even if the latter Power did not obtain
possession of the bay, it would not be Spain, but
France and England, who would be threatened, as
the occupation of the bay by the United States
would seriously interfere with their commercial na-
vigation and the movement of their ships of war.
For this reason the Marquis of Habana thought that
England and France would never permit such oc-
cupation. Regarding the question under a financial
aspect, the marquis showed that the expectations
respecting the natural wealth of the islancdo,mapnldeteallly
that Spain would obtain from it, were
unfounded. The productions of the island had been
so unimportant that since its reincorporation it had
been a burden upon the Spanish treasury, and was
the principal cause of the deficit Spain now
experienced. " The last budget of Santo
Do-
mingo," he continued, " reached the respectable
sum of 74,000,000 reals, and this without in
any way supplying the necessities of that country,
Since, after having spent so much money, not a
single yard of road will have been made on the day
we leave it. If we had waited for the prosperity of
the island and conveyed to it the materials necessary
to develop its riches, it is • indubitable that the budget
of Santo Domingo
would
100,000,000 reals or more. The
Hted
b
further pointed out that th.ere was a special
circum-
stance which rendered the annexationofthe islanaant°
Spain impracticable. This consisted in the mixed
population of the island. The inhabitants, although