The New York herald., 1877-11-04

better employed paying their salaries, enabling tuem
10 feed their iamiles And the uniortunaie taxpayer,
borne with war imposts, ieeis GER.
tain indignation that the public money should
be spent IN this SILLY display. which only serves
In the end 10 show how httle real sympathy is iet
toward the royal family even In Office holding MADRID
Within the past week there have several official
illumnations in honor OF the royal family
bat not single instance has come under my notice
where any private house went 10 the expense exhib
ting candle. II this be the state OF ieelin9
the mediate vicnly OF The Court what must be the
condition OF the public mna IN centres ike Barcelona,
Cadiz. Malaga aud Valencia, which know the eovern-
ment OF King Alfonso only as tax grinding machine
ever exacling new contributions ana hamperng tho
Industry OF the country with vcxatious laws and rcgu
iaons In It's effort 10 raise funds 10 meet the nccsss
ties OF cumbrous and expensive governmental ma
chinery.
The heart OF tho country not with either Alfonso
or the present Ministry, whicn Is vsioy under the m
huence OF the French conservatives anu by that tact
alone Id separated IRON all sympathy with The various
liberal rartics which represent the ASPIRATIONS OF the
vast majority OF the Spanish people. Like the French
conservatives, the at present in power moth
ing good In liberal ideas. and could they do u with
safety would dispense with the AID OF the Lortes IN
governing the country. II Is even charged against
them that they are preparing TO adopt such measures
VIII make the present parliamentary representation
mere sham. Rumors are current tnat on the meet
ing OF the Cortes the parliamentary parties, under
certain conditions wiz withdraw IN a body Should
the people IN power be unwise to push their
dictionary IDEAS 10 extreme lengths there be little
doubt that within very short time Spain Will again
indulge in the national pastne OF cvi. war. The
suit of the conflict might be very Damaging TO tie
throne OF Alfonso NIL, ior, although he controls the
control II the event OF new pronuncia anento; for
Spain has always supply OF Prims, Serranos and
Pavias hand Tho dlscontentcd state OF the public
mind Is recognized by the min,steriaiis,s ana the
organs OF the government show themselves very
anxious that measures Of repression should be
adopted as they declare tnat u republican movement
is beng actively prepared throughout the country.
stupid incident winch occurred here recently. and
when, through tho ovcr-zealousness OF halpay
olcer had fatal termination, gave the organs oil The
Ministry peg upon which TO hang their arguments
IN iavor OF repression. Though IN most civilized
countries the incident would have been looked upon
as warning TO government officers not to USE
hostilely ana without necessity deadly weapons In
OF the poorer the police noticed one night
| that rockets were being nred from an upper
/ OF the agents remembering tnat similar IN
cdent had occurred the night Of tho last republican
insurrection herew an immediate alarm in the gov
ernment camp. AT this moment hali-pay otccr,
passing by inquired the cause OF the unusual stir,
ana learning that some parties were firing rock cts
from window he borrowed revolver from one OF
the guards and without any authority led party to
the assault OF the top oor whence the hostile rockets
tue room u was found open, and voice having de-
manded the business Of the new comers the captain
Immediately discharged his revolver IN the direction
OF the door, lodging wo balls In the breast and head OF
young lawye and wound NJ another man IA the arm
In searching the rooms some guns aud revolvers
discovered and some haii-dozen men and women.
These people, without any further proof OF guilt than
that iurnisned by tho firing OF skyrocXets and
tho possession OF arms, were At once conveyed TO
prison, except the young lawyer, who died within
few moments from the result OF his wounds Strange
to say the captain instcud OF being and tried
Tor murder, was next day received by the Minister.
and the following day had tho honor to be presented
to the King. lhs incident will probably restore HIM
| to full pay aud obtain him promotion and cross or
two. In most tree countries hs reward would be a
more or less prolonged acquaintance with the inside Of
prison. TINS event is known hero as the "Incident
1 OF the Gale Frcsca;" calls 1t u an
assassination or violation OF The domico; IL is
/ only All incden-one ol those cOsas a. EspdAd which
/ the foreigner nnds 1t difficult - understand.
MuzzLISG THE PRESS
The war against the press rs carried on with an ac-
tvity ana vsor IN strange contradiction with the tra-
dtional solhiulncss OF Spanish Administrations.
/ could the authorities only bring the de-
Cslon and vgor TO bear in the paclncaton
OF Cuba the war IN that favored island
would soon be brought to an end The shower OF de-
nunciatlons which tall liberal and Carllst press
something extraordinary. Ouy favored papers
which are mouthp OF The people power dare 10
and activity OF The officials IN TINS branch OF Tue
public service that scarcely day passes without some
unfortunate Journal coming TO grci II is no ioke 10
get the censor down on you In this favored country,
one OF the satircal papers has Just learned to It's
cost For making somo caustic remarks about the
government III Dnende has been sentenced 10 forty
weeks suspension THIS. Of course practically extin-
gushes the paper, for IN forty weeks The puoc VIII
have probably forgotten that II ever existed In
that SPAN mignt the departure OF fonso
/ XII. and the advent OF Don Carlos, or Cas
might return with brand new republic In ano her
case, au editor IN the northern provinces unwisey
expressed his opiuions too freely about manGuvres vi
a certain railway company. when crack came ,hs
aud tie poor cditor hnds himself sentenced Ia
ten years exile. How delightfully."- like story OF ths
Middle Ages this reads What blessing laws OF this
| nature. Lninistered by sucn admirable censors
would prove TO the Credlt Mobilier people With
such tgide rogucry would soon achieve respecta
oihty as well as wealth, and all inconvenent CON
ment would be at AN end. Verify, our roeues have
something TO learn from Spain old And feeble and de-
cayed AS sne appears TO be-
FaIhSDsnp TOWARD AMERICA.
While the Internal condition oi the country Is
settled anu unsatisfactory the governments Is most
with time 70 soldiiy the existing Institutions and
bring spain out oil the troubled waters IN which the
ship OF state is just now saing In one OF my former
letters pointed out the really serious Efforts which
were ocing made to put an end to The CUBAN war
efforts that are daily continued-ior every steamer
leaving Tor Cuban port carries out some new rein
forccment Tor the Spanish army. The Ministry also
SHOWS itself very well disposed toward the United
safes and seems sincerely anxious 10 establish
friendly relations with the Washington government
Ia proof OF tins friendly disposition u Is only
necessary TO point TO the action 0 the Spanish
government In paying the Cuban claims awarded
1 by tho International Commission ut present in SEES
sion. According 10 tho terms OF the agreement be-
tween the governments those claims need not have
been PAD uni the commission had conclndeJ It's la
bors; but on tho representation oi our Minister Mr..
4 Lowell that the clGIants had been kept many years
out OF their properly, tho Spanish Minister OF state
promised To pay mediately tho awards aready made
aud tnat the spanish government would continue TO pay
the awards accordingly they were made, instead o
waiting as they would DO entitled TO do, until the
commission had completed It's labors Ia view OF the
empty state OF the Treasury THIS action on thc part oil
the government strong proof OF friendly feeling
Tor the money with which these claims are paid has &c
be borrowed al a runous iuterost-tweuty per cent
least being the figure paid Tor the half million which
went to satisfy the last paid instalment OF Cuban
claims Tuls couduot is the orc re- ma kabe
the spanish governments has right TO ieel annoyed
anu offended at The mass Of absurd claims which are
constantly being made by citizens Of the United Stae
against Spaln-clanis oi nature SO absurd that NJ
government with the least serespcct would entertain
them Tor moment; yet they are seriously torwardc,
by the State Department, with orders TO the MINISTER
to present them, thereby placing the unhappy repre-
sentative IN a false and ridiculous position. IL Is TIM
that some reform should be introduced INTO the man
ncr OF presenting claims against foreign government
by the state Department tor the credit OF the Amer
lean people II not from sense OF justice.
TIE DEAD BANKER.