The Sun.
London, England, 1822-12-21 00:00:00

SPAIN.

We hare received Spanish Papers to the oth
lust, They contain an official publication of the
recent financial decree of the Cortes in these

terms :

Trig GOVERNMENT.—YesterLy the King was pleased to
dispatch the following Decree :
" Don Fernando VII. by the Grace of God and the Consti-
tution of the Spanish Monarchy King of the Spains, to all whona
these present may concern, be it known, that the Cortes Extra-
ordinary have decreed thus :
" The Cortes Extraordinary, in the exercise of the authority
given them by the Constitution, have decreed—
" Art. 1. The Government is authorized to effect the sale
and issue of 40,000,000 of reals vellon in rentes, at the rate of
five per cent., to be inscribed on the Great Book.
44 2. The said rentes shall be sold at the highest possible
value, consistent with the time and circumstances.
" 3. The Government shall give circumstantial information
to the Cortes of the produce of this sale. _

" 4. The Goverfiment shall_ apply whatever sun' may be
found I:Terrehretloptut sinking ii.lgAtiutt4Uul these, sales.
CASTRLLO, President.
" MARIA.NO MOItENZO, Deputy Secretary.
" MARTIN SERRANO, Deputy Secretary.
" Madrid, Dec. 4.
4 4 Wherefore, &c.

" In the Palace, Dec. 6.
Signed with the Royal Sign Manual_
" In virtue whereof the Secretary for the dispatch of Finance
wilLreceive proposals for the negotiation by sale or commission

of the 40,000,000 of reals vellons renta ; and the Government
will, in due time, accept the proposal which may be found naosl
advantageous for the public.
" 3ladxid, Dec. 7, 1822."

The Cortes, in their sitting of the 7th, pro-
ceeded to the election of a President and Vice-
President for the ensuing month, when Senor
Oliver was chosen President by 62 votes out of
121; and Senor Santafe Vice-President by 63
votes out of 122. The period of the service of
one of the Secretaries, Don Alariano Moreno,
having also expired, Don Dionisio Valdes was
chosen in his stead by 71 votes out of 133. All
these elections have fallen on Deputies who be-
long to the party which is considered the most
liberal of the Cortes.

In the same sitting, various representations
from Political Chiefs and Provincial Deputations,
suggesting the establishment of provincial corps
of Cazadores, to be employed in guarding their
provinces against factious offenders and other
malefactors, were referred to a committee.
A report of the Committee of Commerce on a
Memorial of the Consulado of Corunna was also
read. The memorial related to the prohibition
of foreign grain, and proposed that it should be
admitted into ports of deposit. The Committee
were of opinion that tl►e memorial should be re-
ferred to the Government, and this recommen-
dation was approved by the Cortes.
In our paper of the 11th, we corrected the
mistake of the French journals, in which it was
stated that the King had refused to sign the de-
cree of the Cortes for the regulation of patriotic
societies. The decree is now published with the
signatures, in the same official form as that which
we have inserted above. We gave an account of
the measure at the time it was before the Cortes,
but as the proceedings of the patriotic societies
are held up by the Ultra French papers as a
cause of war, it may be worth while to repeat in
substance the regulations under which these
meetings are placed. They are as follow :

1. All persons who propose to meet publicly for the purpose
of discussing political subjects, must give twelve hours' previous
notice of the time and place of meeting to the First Constitu-
tional Alcalde, or the Political Chief of the district.

2. If it be intended that the meetings shall be periodical,
those who propose to form the society must draw up a set of
rules, and present the same to the above-mentioned magis-
trates within the fixed period of twelve hours; not however,
for the approbation of the said authorities, but merely to
give an opportunity for ascertaining whether any thing is
proposed to be done which may call for consideration or in-
terposition.

3. In the case of any appearances of sedition, such as acts of
violence or factious acclamations, the Political Chief, the .41-
calde, or the Corregidor, is empowered to dissolve the meeting ;
which is to be done by reading, three times, with a loud voice,
the present law, and desiring all the persons then assembled to
disperse. In the case of their refusing to obey, force may be
used to make them withdraw.

4. The dispersion of a meeting or society shall not prevent its
members from assembling again within three days ; but all the
formalities required by article 1. must be repeated.
5. These meetings may remain open until midnight, or one
in the morning ; but, after the last-mentioned hour, the Ma-
gistrates may dismiss them. If the persons present refuse to
withdraw, they shall be held to be in a state of disobedience, and
the society shall incur the penalty of suspension.
6. These meetings have no legal character ; and petitions
from them cannot be received as from corporate bodies, but
must be held as merely expressing the opinion of the indivi-
duals present.