The Sun.
London, England, 1862-04-23 00:00:00

SPAIN.

The Madrid journals of the 18th publish accounts
from Castile, which state that the cold felt there
within the few days before was as severe as during
any part of the winter. Snow had fallen in great
abundance, and a number of aged persons had died
from the effect of the sudden change in the tempe-
rature. A letter from Madrid says :

" The Chamber of Deputies is quietly continuing
its discussions on the best manner of strengthening
parental authorities against inclination of minors
to get married. This question, which the interven-
tion of the civil authority in every marriage ren-
ders so clear and simple in France, is very difficult
to resolve in Spain, where a marriage to be valid
only requires the ecclesiastical sanction. A propo-
sition, tending to bestow on parents the right of
disinheriting those of their children who marry
without the paternal consent, has just been adopted;
but the resolution will not produce any great re-
sult, since it only touches those who contract the
marriage, and leaves unpunished those who aid in
its celebration."

MR. GLADSTONE AT MAIV CHESTER

EXCHANGE.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer arrived in
Manchester yesterday. He is the guest of Sir
James Watts, at Abney-hall, Cheshire, during his
visit to Manchester, and arrived there on Monday.
Yesterday morning he left Abney-hall, accompanied
by Mrs. Gladbtone, Sir James and Lady Watts, and
some other friends, and proceeded to Manchester,
where he visited the extensive works of Mr. Whit-
worth, the inventor of the ordnance and rifles which
have of late attracted so much attention, and the
maker of machines used in the cotton trade. Mr.
Whitworth conducted the party through the esta-
blishment, and Mr. Gladstone was shown the vari-
ous interesting machines at work, including some
of recent introduction, and also the latest improve-
ments in rifled cannon. Mr. Gladstone afterwards
visited the extensive warehouse of Messrs. S. and
J. Watts, in Portland-street. At one o'clock he
inspected the articles on view at the rooms of the
Cotton Supply Association, made from East India
cotton, and about to be sent to the International
Exhibition. He was also shown the cotton gins of
the association. Mr. Gladstone was conducted
through the rooms, and an explanation of the
articles was given him by Mr. Edmund Ashworth.
Among others present were the Mayor of Manches.
ter, Mr. J. A. Turner, M.P., Mr. E. Potter, M.P.,
Mr. Henry Ashworth (President of the Chamber
of Commerce), Sir James Watts, Mr. J. Cheetham
(President of the Cotton Supply Association), Mr.
J. Platt, Mr. M. Ross, Mr. A. Ireland, Mr. H. J.
Leppoc, and Mr. A. Cassells.

Mr. Gladstone was then conducted to the Ex-
change, where he was received with loud and re-
peated cheering. The number of persons in the
room, which was extremely crowded, must have
been considerably more than 3,000. Mr. Gladstone
and his party, entering from the principal door in
St. Anne's-square, traversed the building and
ascended to the gallery at the other end, where the
right hon. gentleman, in obedience to an evident
wish on the part of those assembled that he should
speak, addressed them as follows :

" Gentlemen,—l fear that it is no more in my power
physically to reach the whole of this great assembly than it
is in my power mentally to conceive the words which should
express to you the interest with which I meet you, although
but for a moment, on the present occasion. When I con-
sider the materials of which this great assemblage is made,
the amount of intelligence and the amount of property that
it represents, and the enormous masses of skill and labour
that are dependent upon youz operations, I feel that it may
justly be said that we stand upon one of the most remark-
able points of the whole commercial world. I will do no
more, gentlemen, on this oecasion, than thank you sincerely
for the marks of interest and kindness with which yen have
been pleased to receive me, and assure you that those senti-
ments of interest and of cordial good feeling are warmly
reciprocated on my part, as I sincerely trust that my past
conduct will in some degree have testified, and my future
conduct will, I also hope, continue to testify." (Loud
cheers.)

The right hon. gentleman afterwards visited the
Freetrade-hall, and thence returned to Abney-hall,
Cheadle.