The Sun.
London, England, 1856-09-19 00:00:00

SPAIN.

The Madrid journals of the 14th contain nothing
of political interest. A telegraphic despatch from
Madrid announced the promulgation of the consti-
tution of 1845, accompanied by an " additional
act" making certain modifications in it. A Madrid
letter gives the following account of these modifi-
cations :

"In a reply to the 'Queen, the ministers labour to
show that, by the convocation and election of the Con-
stituent Cortes in 1854, the Senate which then existed
was legally dissolved, and that consequently the revival
of the constitution at that time in force does not revive
the Senate. A new Senate mast therefore be formed,
and they propose that, as the number of the old one,
350, was excessive, the new one shall consist at the begin-
ning of only 140 members, but that the Queen shall
have the power of increasing the number. They propose
that the senators shall, as in the dissolved Senate, be
nominated for life ; also that they shall be chosen from
the high dignitaries of the church, diplomacy, justice,
and administration, from the chiefs of the army, and
from the most remarkable men of the constitutional
parties, and that the- choice shall so be made as not to
exclude moderate rrogressists.* An abusive employment
having been made by previous governments of the privi-
lege of creating senators, the ministers propose that nomi-
nations shall henceforth nolaolnigoeurlybetamkeadpelaboye
during'batc the
'batches,'
and that, moreover, they shall
session of the Cortes, so that they may be controlled by
the opinion of Parliament. The 'additional act' further
proposes that the Cortes shall assemble every year,
and that their session shall last at least four months,'
but that the Crown shall have the power to prorogue
and dissolve them, subject, however, to the condition of
their sitting the four months. With respect to the
organisation of municipalities and provincial council.,
the Ministers represent that the constitution of 1837
gave these bodies too much power, and that they made
an undue use of it, but that the constitution of 1845, on
the other hand, deprived them of almost all their power
and placed them under the domination of the Govern-
ment. The 'additional act,' accordingly, contains' pro-
visions for avoiding these two extremes, and one of the
most important of them is that electors shall freely
choose a list of several persons for mayor, and that the
ofm Governmentayors is shallt steerl eoc
ft onegre ofgreat
ra
gravity
them.ty TheSpain,and i
nomination t
was for having transferred it fromvi the people to the
Government that the revolution of 1840 against Queen
Christina took' place. As regards the press, the addi-
tional act' declares that the principle to be adopted must be
to guarantee to journalists their independence and dig-
nity, but, at the same time, to prevent them from com-
mitting abuses, and especially from attacking the in-
violability of the Crown, and the legitimate exercise of

the authority of the government ; but the act leave
matters of detail to be settled by a Si lecial law."

The Austrian Gazette says :—"We learn from
good authority that the directors o f the Credit In•
stitution have authorised preparatm :v measures for
promptly opening branch establigl iments, par-
ticularly in Hungary ; for making odvances on
merchandise ; for forming an insuranct3 office, and
for taking into consideration all the p. xoposi ti ons
having for object to found industrial Ostablish-
ments, working of mines, and manufao.;ories for
the construction of machines."

A letter from Galatz says :—" The ilushian
government appears to have the intention o f giving
more importance to its consular agency at Braila,
and the vice-consul has accordingly been p rovided
with the assistance of a vice-chancellor. European
governments, generally speaking, are beginning to
recognise the importance of the port of Braila :
those of Belgium and Holland have xecently estab'
lished consulates there."

It appears certain that the Emperor of Austria
(says a Paris letter in the /ndependance 4)f Brus-
sels) will extend his visit in Italy as far as Rome.
The Milan journals themselves have given this
news, and add that the Austrian Ambassador at
Rome is causing his palace to be decorated for his
Majesty's reception. It is to be presum.ed that
the King of Naples will seize the oppomunity of
visiting the Papal States in order to have ;111 inter-
view with the Emperor."

An official bulletin of the 13th states that the
Duchess of Parma is still labouring under an acute
quinsey, but that since the fifth day a perceptible
improvement has taken place.