The New York herald., 1869-08-03
SPAIN.


Financial Bungling-The Extravugance of
Religious Festivais-The Public Estimates
and the Tariff.
MADRID. July 90, 1862
There are several things requisite before a man
can be called an enlightened statesman. states
man should have knowledge OF statecraft, which
does not consist merely of an acquaintance
with the standing politics of the country, but of
whatever may conduce to good government, inter-
nay and externally, to the safety OF the country and
the prosperity and happiness Of the people. Though
spain can boast or great men in various things
historians, orators poets, nOvelists, one or two
pretty fair generalsshe has not political econo
mist, she has not one nancier she has not one man
fit to take charge OF her revenues All Of them who
have tried their hands at fnanciering have
miserably failed; they have but increased the
burden after an unskiful manipulation OF
the FUNDS; they lacked the courage to check the
audaclous claims made upon the Treasury, and were
too reckless In distributing what had been collected
at 80 much trouble and cost. The chief of these
bungers call Figueroia, the present Minister of
Finance. A mere glance at what he has done with
the vast amount he has had in his hands would ap-
pal the stoutest nnancer IN America He has played
with fate. But not only through the bungling of
Figueroa and the rapaciy of the Minister'S for in
stance Prm absorbing S. 0oo &c. and the avarice
OF the political undergraduates has the financial
state Spain been perpexed but by the normal state
OF Spain OF this truly Catholic country. The blame
does not rest upon Catholicism but upon the prin.
cipal agents OF it; upon the charlatan monks who
impose upon the credulous minds OF the people.
An acquaintance with political arithmetic, which
Is little given to calculation of national circum.
stances respecting the number of the people. their
consumption, &C., the general products OF king
dom its wealth, coin, income. DC, reducing all Cir
cumstances to numbers instead OF treating them bv
way OF verbal dsqusiti0ns, would be OF vast benefit
TO the leading men OF Spain. IL is most useful
science, and would tend to throw more truth into
that OF politics in general than any other stuay
could. BY reducing everything concerning govern
mental or municipal affairs to numbers; by adding
suDtracnng, multiplying and dividing what Is poll
ucally heard, much more solid truths might be dis
covered by Spanish financial officers in one day
than by listening to declamatory harangues in the
stated above that the blame Of the perplexed
state or spanish finance does not rest upou Catho-
agents. Whyf Because they have ii,,ed their ns
endars with dtds de Hestd-reast days. This last
month OF June was replcte with them. We have
mad saiAs days OF san IsdOre, patron Of Madrid:
Corpus Christie, San Padron de Aviela, san Fran,
cisco Caraccioa, Philip de Casarea, Primo Fell
Great, San Marco, the CuckoId's day, st. John, st.
Joan the Baptist, st. Plutarch the Martyr and St.
Peter Peter ana ST. Paul, Apostles, which make thirteen
least oays, ana Tor the month OF July there are
eleven; These feast days call upon the citizens OF
Madrid to smut up their shops the abOrers to cease
spe 5 Pss aFss SsR' IN a1S ms sasrs ssss Z
n great service It tsaclas Gs hat eanitaI Is IN:
productiye for thirteen days in month, that the
loss so @ 10 tne city OF Madrid may be estimated at
which is no insignificant loss to one city What
raief for every city town and petty village
has ,, woIs iis least, Feast days IN like proportion.
mnrfo foffn
be made, out accurately. All this loss to
spain aud her people is caused by the suspension
capital, which is metaphoricai term for the pro-
ductive powers OF Industry be In abeyance for 1850
days In year. It is obvious that distress will be the
result. Weil, then, II the financial heads OF Spain
were but to direct their minds to this one fact to
this primary cause Of the depletion OF the Treasury
one may naturally imagine that tue hiatus might be
remedfed. But Spain has not one man bold enough
TO direct his mind TO this subject The home truths
produced by this political arithmetic would be too
0verpowerln9 for healthy digestion, and the cOnse-
quence s that the country is IN far mere unhealthy
state than Turkey; for this latter empire, under
ting well very fast. she may not be cassed 'sickn
any more-the term is rather, convalescent. John
that "capital temporarily unemployed, as in the
case OF unsod goods does not set in motion any
Industry me smallest American schoolboy
known, nor yet understood, by Spaniards. The de-
scrlptlon OF the city OF London during the Great
Plague might be applicable to the city OF Madrid
The bideous sights seen in the streets OF
the former eity-the suspension Of all business
Is the same This is IN reality the reason that the
Treasury Is unnlled this is the that the State
has such beggarly appearance Hence Ia It that
the city OF Madrid possesses such an abundance OF
small shops with no business. Hence is 1t that no
new railroads can he built, new roads or canals
constructed Hence Is 1t that the fields are not en-
closed, that they are badly cultivated. Hence Is It
that the peasants look miserable that their babi-
tatons are so small that their furniture Is wretched,
that both themselves and their cattle are the picture
IL "A