The Sun.
London, England, 1841-08-17 00:00:00

SPAIN AND THE POPE.

MANIFESTO OF THE SPANISH REGENCY IN
ANSWER TO THE ALLOCUTION OF THE POPE.

(CONTINUED.)
The prelates hesitated to interfere to check those ex-
cesses, being in doubt as to the wishes and intentions of
the Holy Father, :so that the fault of what occurred
must be justly attributed to the unworthy conduct of the
ecclesiastics, and the silence of their superior pastors.
These considerations, so just and of such serious conse-
quence, which can never be qualified but as irreligious
and revolutionary, never had any influence on the mind
of his Holiness. He produced his complaint, showing
great concern at the prompt and continued executions to
which the ecclesiaStics were condemned, as when taken
with arms in their hands they' merited no other consi-
deration than any other rebels. Time was thus lost in
useless negotiations, without a step being made in advance
in this question. Different churches of the kingdom
being without Bishops, the Government lost not a mo-
ment in providing for their wants, and presented to his
Holiness wise and virtuous ecclesiastics, which it consi-
dered worthy of filling the vacant situations. The cus-
tom in those cases is not to defer the confirmation of
either the nominations or the expedition of the bulls, in
order that the flock of Christ should not remain for to.)
long,a time deprived of their spiritual pastor ; instead of
proceeding thus, the Holy See obstinately refused to
fulfil this imperious duty, sometimes by the aid of theo-
logical subtleties, at others from interested views dis-
guised under the cloak of a benevolent concession. The
first difficulty arose as to the formula of presentation,
without prejudicing.the question of the dynasty, which
had been left to be decided by the fate of arms in the
Peninsula. In vain did the Government, faithful to the
system of condescension which it had adopted, propose
different formula in which, by the omission of the name
of the priest, the difficulties were removed and the tem-
poral interests of the "Holy Father secured. The Court
of Rome rejected all these proposals, first on one pre-
tence and then on another. At length it proposed a
means which appeared to it the best adapted to the cir-
cumstances of the case. It consented to omit in the bulls
all presentation, saying that the Holy Father granted
this as a voluntary act of apostolic faith, finally declaring
that his Holiness would make a separate official declara-
tion on the subject. The trap was skilfully laid, but not
sufficiently so for the Government to fall into it. In vir-
tue of the most respectable titles established by canonical
law—titles recognised in the most solemn manner by the
Sovereign Pontiffs at all periods—her Majesty found her-
self incontestibly invested with the. Church patronage of
her kingdom, and it would be impolitic and dishonourable
for the Government of Isabella to give its consent to the
positive and public violation of this right. Why, there-
fore, propose to guarantee it by a separate declaration,
which would have the air of being a concession ?
It was to avoid difficulties that the Spanish Govern-
ment has, gone to the very limit of forbearance consistent
with its duty ; it can go no further without showing itself
wanting in dignity, respect for the rights of the nation,
and the prerogative of the Crown. It had come to the
resolution to receive no more bulls of confirmation for
any Bishop, unless there was an express mention made
therein recognising the right of patronage of the Crown.
The consequence of a continued interruption of friendly
relations of a Catholic kingdom with the Sovereign
Pontiff might be disastrous ; but the responsibility would
rest on those who had heaped difficulty on difficulty, and
refused even to come to an equitable adjustment of the
subject in dispute. We have claimed at a proper time
the exercise 'of our legitimate rights, and have carried
our deference for religion and the tranquillity of the
State to its utmost extent in observance of the laws of
the Monarchy and the venerable discipline of the
Church. There remained nothing to be done on the
part of the Government of her Majesty, and a frank
answer to this effect was given to the Court of Rome.
The Nuncio received his passports, and all negotiation
was at an end.
As it was the Sovereign Pontiff who refused, as a
Prince, to recognise her Majesty as the legitimate heiress
of the Throne of her ancestors, and also refused, in his
quality of spiritual Eatliet of the gs,ithful, to supply

PRICE 5d

the wants of the Church in Spain, and, not content with
this prolonged resistance, raised his voice in fhe Consisl
tory to attack the supreme authority of the pate, annul
its acts, and assert his superiority over on. eo does not
even acknowledge him as an equal, it is h 441 f who has
set up a wall of separatiiM between the twd'urts, and
closed the door to all fOandly relations and eye,ry species.
of compromise. The—.vielent allocution ofr she Holy
Father can only be legarded as a declaratiln of war
against Queen Isabelka 11., against the stfety of the
State, and against tlio ponstitution. It is tidy a mani-
festo in favour of the conquered and expelled: Pretender;
it is a scandalous excitement to schism, discot dl.disorder,
and revolt. The Government of her Majek.f3- cannot,
without a breach of loyalty and honour, be 4ilent under
this enormous attempt. It cannot refrain &din employ-
ing for its repression all the just means placed in its
hands by reason, propriety, the discipline of the Church,
and the power of a great and noble nation so shamefully
insulted.

PORTUGAL.
The Tagus (steamer) arrived at Falmouth-on Friday
afterndon. Her dates are : from Gibraltar the sth inst. ;
Cadiz, 6th ; Lisbon, 9th..kQt•pqrt 10th ; Vigo, 12th.
Her Majesty's ship Dido,,- AryiA:ott Gibral-
tar on the 3d from Smyrna, Suda, an T • for Eng-
land ; her Majesty's brig Savage sailed from Gibraltar
in company. The light at Europa Point was exhibited
agreeably to public notice on the Ist instant. ' The no-
velty of the circumstance drew crowds of persons.
LISBON, Atm. 9.—After four days' debate the
" Capitalisation " proposed by the finance commission
was negatived on Thursday last, at the Chamber' of
Deputies, by 65 votes to 16. An amendment to it moved
by M. Gomes de Castro, was next discussed,, and ulti-
mately referred to the Select Committee of Finance for
consideration. This amendment is virtually to the same
effect as the original plan, since its object is to authorise
the Government to pay off the arrears to the public
.employes by ati.issueotbar-or notes,--:bearhvg-interst
at the rate of 5 per cent. per annum until redeemdd, the
notes not to be legal tenders, and their payment to be
guaranteed by the 3,000 contos worth of national do-
mains, which, as M. Gomesde Castro states, are yet un-
sold. As all the objections made to the capitalisation
scheme apply with equal force to the proposed substitu-
tion, it seems to follow of course that the latter will in
like manner be thrown out. The rejection of the former
by the Government is stated to be grounded, not only on
a sense of justice towards the parties whose interests
would be affeeted by the measure, but likewise on a feel-
ing of confidence that, by means of the other plans, both
as regards the reduction of expenses and the augmenta-
tion of the resources, proposed by the extra-Parliamen-
tary commission, the required equilibrium between the
revenue and the expenditure will at no distant period be
obtained. •

The Marquis of Saldanha is to be sent as Envoy to
Vienna, and has already received a sum of six contos for
his outfit.

The Spanish Government, it appears, feels very uneasy
at the evidently retrograde tendency of that of Portugal,
and particularly at the recent reconciliation of the latter
with the Court of Rome. The fear entertained is, that the
Portuguese Government, flattered by the recognition of
the Pope, and the Great Powers, will lend itself to be an
instrument in their hands for the subversion of liberal
institutions in Spain, by means of intrigues carried on
from the Portuguese territory. The circumstances that
Count Flahaut, the new French Ambassador at Madrid, is
half-brother to Count Villa Real, the Portuguese Minis-
ter of War, seems to afford just grounds for these fears.
Explanations on these subjects have already been de-
manded by the Spanish Government, and, as I learn, the
most positive assurances have been given that no design
hostile to the present order of things in Spain is or has
been entertained here.

The Algarve guerillas, though reduced in numbers,
have lately begun to be very troublesome, and have
committed great depredations in different parts of that
province. On two or three occasions they have been
fallen in with by detachments of the regular troops, and
of course have been worsted ; but in general, owing to
the suppression of the National Guards, as well as of
the Militia battalions by which the last Ministry at-
tempted to substitute that force, and to the removal of
the greater part of the regular troops from the province,
they have been enabled to carry on their marauding ex-
cursions with scarcely any opposition. The Minister of
the Interior, in announcing the fact to the Cortes some
days ago, took occasion to hint at the expediency of re-
storing the recently disbanded militia corps ; a measure
which it is thence inferred the Government have in con-
templation, as soon as a fitting opportunity arrives for
making the experiment of proposing it.
The Marchioness of Fayal (the Duke of Palmella's
daughter-in-law) was delivered of a daughter on the 3d
instant. The Marchioness is probably the youngest mo-
ther in Lisbon, having only just completed her 14th year.
This event puts an extinguisher at once upon the last re-
maining hopes of her uncles, the Sampaios, the contest
between whom and the Palmella-family for the t ustudy
of the rich young heiress made such a noise in Lisbon a
couple of years ago. ,
The British schooner Euphemia, of Youghal, with coals
from Newcastle to Lisbon, was wrecked ou the 31st ult.,
near Peniche ; crew and cargo saved.