The Sun.
London, England, 1868-10-31 00:00:00

THE NORTH POLE.

The Germans have resolved to send another expedition
to the North Pole next spring. A meeting has been held
at Bremen in honour of Dr. Petermann, and it has been
determined to solicit subscriptions from the whole of Ger-
many. Dr. Petermann said the Germans had established
an important fact—that a road through the barrier of ice
to the open sea beyond really existed, and could in future
be relied on.

SPAIN.

Don Carlos has addressed a communication to the
various Powers of Europe announcing the abdication
of his father, and his candidature for the Spanish
throne. He says : "If God and circumstances should
place me on the Spanish throne, I shall strive to loyally
reconcile the useful institutions of our epoch with the
indispensable ones -of the past, leaving to the general
Cortes, freely named, the great and difficult task of endow-
ing my dear country with a Constitution which will be, I
hope, at the same time Spanish and definitive."
The correspondent of the Post thinks the Duke of
Montpensier lust the throne only by his excess of caution.
Beyond doubt he was fixed upon by Serrano and the more
conservative directors of the insurrection before it took
place. He assumed in some measure the functions of a
sovereign, making journeys in disguise, caressing news-
paper writers, entertaining malcontent Ministers, and the
like. But when the hour for action came he too cautiously
waited until the bisiness of revolt was over, and thus dis-
gusted his supporters.
With respect to the Iberian Union, the Nord says that
the Portuguese were never so greatly opposed to it as at
present. A short time before the insurrection Gonzales
Bravo had conceived the idea of invading Spain and esta-
blishing the Iberian Union as a diversion against discon-
tent at home. This project reached Lisbon; consequently,
when Queen Isabella crossed the frontier, the Spanish
Ambassador in Portugal fled precipitately, without taking
leave of the sovereign to whose Court he was accredited.

The Provisional Government continues to issue edicts
and regulations demolishing the old state of things and
building up a new social and political edifice. The course
of public education is to be revolutionised; Latin is to be
tabooed, or at least not encouraged ; and geography,
history, mathematics, and science are to take its place.
Young Spain has been prescribed a dose of nine hours of
lectures daily. Probably the Minister of Education bas
profited by the example of certain astute physicians, who
order more medicine than will be taken in order to make
sure of some. The intentions of the Government respect-
ing religious toleration are still the subject of dispute.
But the manifesto just published must fairly be regarded
as decisive on this point. Those who find fault
with certain ambiguous passages should remember that
Olozaga, one of the most influential members of the Govern-
ment, has for years past vehemently opposed even the
slightest religious toleration. The tone of the last mani-
festo, though a little cautious, is at least utterly opposed
to Olozaga's former policy.
A good sign of the results of the revolution is instanced
by the Post correspondent. The working classes were
formerly rather disposed to favour the escape of criminals.
They are now indefatigable in capturing them. Their
eagerness in. handing over malefactors to justice spews
how rapidly they are learning the art of self-government.