The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1869-04-01
roax1aN ArrA1Rs.


After the debate on Mr.. Gladstone's Irish
Church bill, the Tories seem to have lost
heart, and even the desire, to make more than
formal opposition to the. contamination of
measure which they regard as the precursor
of the downfall of the Church establishment
throughout the British empire. Nevertheless,
they continued the fight on all points on
which the question came to vote. On Tues
day night, the Esd instant Mr.. Gladstone's
bill was put on its second reading in the
House of Commons, and passed by vote Of
1853 to $50. The Liberal majority on this
measure is thus shown to be 118, or exactly
the estimated Liberal majority in full House.
The victory is signal, and may be considered
decisive not only of the triumph of the par
ticular measure at issue, but of the success of
Mr.. Gladstone's government To that emil
nent statesman is due much of the credit Of
this grand result, because, although the pub
lie mind was evidently bent upon accomplish
ing it. much sagacity and tact were required
to prepare bill which should reconcile the
various views of the Liberals, and combine in
its support an imposing and effective ma
jority.
The future government Of Spain, accord
ing to the decision of the Cortes, is to
be monarchical in form-a result which
was to be anticipated as monarchism and
"loyalty" are interviewer with all the habits
of Spanish thought. 1t is loyalty not SO much
to the person of the sovereign, as loyalty to
the idea of government represented by some
sacramental person toward whom this SUPER
stitious feeling can turn. Whilst such sem
timent controls the Spanish mind q republic
is impracticable and any attempt to estab-
lish republican institutions would meet with
disastrous failure. The new Constitution pro-
vides for senate and congress; the sena-
tors, four from each province, are to be
elected by provisional councils, and are to
hold Office for thirteen years. Parliaments
are to be triennial, and suffrage is to be what
is called universal. The king is to reign for
eighteen years. The majority of the commit
tee who reported the Constitution favored the
separation of church and state, but minority
desired to retain the Catholic as the state reli-
gion, with federation for other creeds. This
is certainly great advance but it is not GER
tain that the masses of the Spanish people
are by any means prepared for it. When the
Cristino Constitution was adopted there
seemed to be quite as conspicuous revolt
against church authority, and the Cortes even
confscated the church property !; but in
very few years this whole course of policy
was reversed, and it seemed that the nation
could be satisfied only by full reparation to
the church flor what appeared even more an
act of sacrilege than of spoliation. The con-
passed by the Cortes has excited |
much discomfort and has provoked armed
in many places. In Madrid two
hundred women invaded the halls of the Cor
es and presented petition against the law.
The Spanish law makers did not forget
spanish courtesy, and received this deputa-
ion of the Madrilenian Sorosis with becom-
ng respect.
Accounts from Paraguay say that Lopez
las gathered a few thousand men in the |
mountains and proclaims war to the death
gainst the invaders. The towns captured
" the allies are deserted even by the women
nd children.