New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1853-02-23

capIrHldllCn OF MAlOtO, inc Idrllst COllniou-
err. Espartero, Duke of Victory was Prime
Minister. and tie Prpgresis,as completely In
power
We cannot take room to trace the events
which led TO the overthrow aud exile Of Espsr-
tero in l543-the downfall of the ProgresistIs-
the declaration Of the Queens majority when
not quite thirteen years Of age-the accession
to power Of Nsrvaez and the Moderados or
Conservative Constitutionalists, who, in l5i5,
so changed the Constitution that it has since
been practically whatever the ruling powers
for the time being choose 10 make it. The
Senate is directly appointed by the Crown;
the Deputies must own real estate worth $3.50
a year or pay $50 annual taxes; the voters
must be at least twenty years old and pay
go in taxes annually, unless they are profess
siohal men, who need pay but half that amount.
Of course, in country so poor and so over
governed as Spain, the voters hardly equal In
number the office-holders, and a Ministry
backed by the Sovereign and the Priesthood
can rule with an audacity and disregard Of
public sentiment which Robert Wslpole, in the
palmiest days Of British corruption, would have
envied.
Still, the vestiges Of Freedom which still re-
main TO the Spaniards are Of inescimable value.
The effigy Of popular elections and of popular
representation keep alive the general interest
in and attention TO public affairs; the Pro
gresistas, though largely outnumbered, have
always an able and morally if not numerically
strong party in the Chamber Of Deputies while
the great preponderance Of the MOderadOs,
combined with the general greed for Office and
plumber keeps alive spirit Of cabal and in
trigue in their ranks TO put cut the existing
Ministry or force upon them some new col
Premier Of the day is always an important
element in political calculations. Every i'm
pOrtant measure is canvassed with entire free
dom in the debates Of the Chamber, whence
information is freely radiated over the coun-
try by somewhat fettered but fearless and
plain-speaking Press. There were but tco
newspapers of the sorriest class issued from
Madrid in l326, and probably no more down to
the death of Ferdinand; in February, 1850,
there we're thirteen daiIes, with an aggregate
circulation Of IS, 1000 copies which, considering
that Madrid has no commerce, no msnufac-
lures, and is surrounded by one Of the most bar
rem and thinly peopled sections Of the coun-
try, is certainly not bad. They are generally
conducted with ability and dignity, the ClanOr
PubiieO and NaeiOR, Progresista organs, having
Il larger tether than the Ministerial journals,
probably taking the lead in spirit and Elf
cheney A new Moderado administration,
headed by Marines de la Rosa, an
apostate Liberal, and of course a
bigoted Reactionist, has recently attempted a
very serious change Of the Constitution, car
rying it still further towards the dark Ages,
but was signally beaten in MOdsradO Cham
Der, and oblige TO dissolve the Cortes. The
new Deputies have recently been chosen, but
do not assemble ill next month, and their
tendencies cannot be distinctly ascertained
till then. Meantime de la Rosa has imposed
new shackles on the Press, and promulgated
an edict that "No foreigner will hereafter be
permitted to profess, in SPAIN any religion
= but the Roman Catholic Apostolic This
is plain bid for priestly and kindred support
in the impending struggle, but we hope that
il will fail of its object Spain is intensely
Catholic, but We trust not disposed TO perse-
cute those Of adverse convictions. The To-
QUESTION had practically died out before Ma
poeon took the credit Of abolishing it-no
person having suffered death from it for more
than twenty years. In the Cortes Of lSl2, its
formal abolition and suppression was urged by
none more hesrtDy than by some enlightened
Prelates, and il was carried overwhelmingly.
Education is yieing with the Press in dfiusing
light through the country-there being in
1850 about 100000 persons able TO
read out Of total population Of l2,l35,000.
and about 100000 children in the Public
Schools, on which about $4,000 per
anuum Of Public Money is expended. In 1893,
with a population of l0,250,O00, there we're
but 10000 persons receiving an education
in all the schools of the kingdom. or JUS:
enc pupil where there are now twenty
in proportion TO the total population. Manu-
lectures, too, Of Wool, SILK and Iron, have al
fourished and been diAused through the last
ten or twelve years, and the growth of these
always conduces TO the maintenance Of Free
dom The country is relatively prosperous
and thriving beyond any past experience, and
the People know that for this too they are
mainly indebted to the installment of Liberty
they have for some years enjoyed. While,
therefore, ii is quite possible that the despotic
projects Of the renegade Premier (prebsbly
tomented BY the selfish, intriguing and detest.