Star.
London, England, 1820-10-09 00:00:00

SPANISH AND FLANDERS MALLS:
Spanish and Planders Mails. reachej us yesterday
evening. The full ming are extracts i

. MADRID, SEPTEMBER ES.
SITTIHES 61, THE CORTES.—Evening Sitting, 21st.
—ln this sitting began the discussion of the Report
of the Special Committee appointed to examine the
proposals of the Deputy, Don Vincent SAnchn, On
the Reform- of the Monasteries. The first Article is
as follows:

st.. All the Monasteries of the Monkish Orders shall be sup-
pressed, including those of the Benedictine Cloister of Arragon -
and Catalonia, as also the Convents and Colleges of the four •
Military Orders. •

Signor CASTRILLO (Suffragan Bishop) slid it was ,
paintul to approve of the opinion of the Committee,
but he could not avoid doing so, because he knew
the advantages which would result from it. to the
Spanish nation ; and I will skew, he said, the reasons
which induced the Committee to propose this Article: •
lsr. The enormous debt of fourteen thousand millions
with which the nation is burthened.-2d. That the
Monks increase the number of consumers, and dimi-
nish that of the productive population, to the great
injury of agriculture and industry, and consequently
of the nation.-3d. That the Monks, presuming on
their privileges, reckon themselves free and inde-
pendent of the Civil Government, introducing discord
among them, of which even St. Barnard complained.
He observed, that in 1769 there were in Spaiii 61,327
Monks, 2051 Convents or Monasteries. There is not •
the least doubt, .he said, thar the Monasteries much
contributed to the decline of the nation, by the great
property which they had acquired and placed out of
circulation ; and the nation is at liberty to determine
whether those institutions should exist or not, in
which case that property returns to it, which property
should be employed for the benefit of the poor, after ,
providing for the support of the Monks, in case some
Monasteries should remain, which he thought would
he useful.

After some further debate, the Sitting broke up at
eleven o'clock, and the debate being continued the
next day, was approved by 107 votes to 32.
The following Articles up to the 19th inclusive,
were approved in the succeeding Sittings of the
Cones up to the 24th instant. The 4th Article says,
every Monk ordained in sacrio, who is not tually
above fifty years of age, shall receive annu:il.y 300
ducats ; those from fifty to sixty, 400 duc4ls ; and
those above sixty years of age, 600 ducats. Article
sth--The other Monks shall receive 100 if below 50
years of age, and all above that age 200 ducats.—
Article -10.11—No new Convent shall be founded, nor
any novice proposed, nor any one admitted from this
time to take the Monkish habit. Art. I I th—There
shall not be more than one Convent of the same Or-
der in each town (pueblo) and its district. Articles
8, 9.10, 11, extend to the Convents and Communities
of Nuns, and each of them who shall become secula-
rized shall receive an annual pension of 100 ducats.
the same as Monks in the same-circumstances.

His Majesty, considering the many impottant sub-
jects still pending before the Cortes, making use pf
the faculty given him by Article 107 of the Consti-
tution, proposes that the Cortes shall prolong their
sitting for one month.—Referred to the Committee
lof Legislature.
The Miscellanea of the 23d contains the account
of the Revolution at Lisbon on the 16th.