In the course of the discussion which subsequently took place on the separate paragraphs, Senor Martinez de la Rosa entered into the history of the negotiations with the Holy See. He declared the conduct of the Government to have been consistent and honourable. The Government was incapable of employing means unworthy of the Spanish nation in the course of those negotiations. From the commencement it had entirely availed itself of the services of its own agents, without having recourse to foreign mediation. The same course was followed at the present as on former occasions. A better line of conduct could not be pursued, and it was such as had been desired by several Members of the Chamber. The official communications received from the Papal Government spoke of the Queen as "the Queen of Spain. The presentations of the American bishops, which were effected in the customary manner, had been approved of. He asked, could the negotiations be in a better condition? He then alluded to the restitution of the unsold national property, and maintained that the conduct followed by the Cabinet in that respect was prudent and just. The Government was determined to support intact the interests newly created, and would never attempt to disturb what the laws had already sanctioned. He referred to the rescripts; and concluded by saying, that at the termination of the negotiations the Government would lay before the House documents which would form a complete justification of its conduct.

During the debate on that paragraph which related to finance, Senor Salamanca rose and entered into some explanations respecting

his personal position. He had, he said, joined the Opposition from mere political motives. The Minister of the Interior had asserted that he had made his fortune during the civil war. This was not the case. He had acquired the greatest part of it in England, by his industry and the reputation of morality which he had secured to himself. He had likewise had dealings with the Spanish Government which had been equally advantageous to the Treasury and to himself, and he had powerfully contributed to raise the national credit. He had lately engaged in a financial struggle with the Bank of San Fernando, because his interests were at variance with those of that establishment; but the latter being a commercial firm like any other, he did not consider that he was waging war against the Government or the credit of the State. State. As respected the tributary system, M. Salamanca pronounced it to be defective in theory and practice. After a desultory discussion between him and the Minister of the Interior, M. Mon, the Minister of Finance, rose and declared that no allusion had been made to M. Salamanca in any of the speeches delivered, since the opening of the session, by him or any of his colleagues. He had said on the previous day, and he repeated, that he never inquired who was playing for a rise or fall. Everybody had a right to dispose of his capital as he thought proper; what he wished was, that those operations should be perfectly moral, and it was far from being so to circulate reports, knowing them to be unfounded, to cause a rise or a depression in the funds. Such expedients were injurious to transactions; for they deterred the capitalists and citizens

from vesting their money in the stocks, and shook the public credit. M. Mon then justified his recent contract with the Bank of San Fernando, and asked if it could be assimilated, as asserted by M. Salamanca, to former contracts, when, to cite the last that had been concluded, in January, 1844, he would merely mention that the Government gave 20,000,000 to the contractor for an advance of 12,500,000, thus leaving to the latter a profit of 7,500,000 on 20,000,000. M. Mon, after drawing a parallel between the former and present financial situation of the country, entirely to the advantage of his Administration, solemnly declared that since he had held office, his sole desire, as well as that of his colleagues, had invariably been to improve the revenues, to promote the welfare of the nation, and sacrifice their private interests to the general interests of the country. The State, he added, had derived important advantages from its connection with the Bank of San Fernando, and, if the contract with that establishment was again to be concluded, he should not an instant hesitate to sign it.

The address of the Congress of Deputies was voted on the 29th of January.

Amongst the number of those who had pretensions to be considered as candidates for the Queen's hand in marriage, was Don Enrique, the second son of Don Francisco de Paula, the Queen's uncle, and consequently first cousin of Her Majesty. This young man was in the Spanish navy, and it was generally thought that he was the most formidable rival whom Count Trapani, the youngest brother of the King of Naples and Christina the Queen Mother, and therefore

uncle of the Queen, had to fear in the negotiations which were about actively to commence for providing a Royal consort. On the 5th of January, some questions having been put in the Cortes respecting the marriage of the Queen, General Narvaez thus expressed himself," I have come to a very delicate question, that of her Majesty's marriage. Here, gentlemen, I shall say neither more nor less than is necessary, considering both the delicacy of the topic and the respect due to the illustrious person in question. Her Majesty has not yet expressed the desire to contract a matrimonial alliance. Her Ministers have not deemed it advisable to kindle such a feeling in her heart. When it may please her Majesty when she shall herself have named the person whom she may wish to marry-and she has not yet named one-her Ministers, acting as faithful knights and men of honour, will come and inform the Cortes of it, as commanded by the Constitution ; and afterwards on the 26th of January, the same subject having been again brought forward in the Chamber of Deputies, he said that Ministers had resolved not to exclude the pretensions of any prince -not even though he should come from the centre of Africa; much less of any one connected with the Queen by ties of blood and amity. But, in, fact, the question of the marriage had never come before the Government, as her Majesty had not expressed any wish to contract matrimony.

Don Enrique about this time published a manifesto to the Spanish nation, in which he avowed himself a partisan of the Progresista or Liberal party, and thereby gave great offence to the Government,

who resolved to remove him from Spain, and he was accordingly ordered to join forthwith at Ferrol his ship, to the command of which he had recently been appointed. Don Enrique immediately quitted Spain, and not long afterwards took up his residence at Ghent.

Although the Ministry was apparently strong in both Chambers, and did not exhibit external symptoms of weakness in its administration of affairs, it was in fact on the brink of dissolution, owing to the want of harmony amongst its members. It was no secret that General Narvaez was not on good terms with his colleagues, and frequently dissented from the measures which they approved; and at last, on the 11th of February, a Royal ordinance appeared in the Gazette, signed by the Queen, which announced her acceptance of his resignation, under the pretext of ill-health. It ran thus,

"My Secretary at War and President of the Council of Ministers, Don Ramon Maria Narvaez, having represented to me that, owing to the debilitated state of his health, he finds himself in the impossibility of continuing in the exercise of those important functions, I hereby accept the resignation he has tendered to me, remaining completely satisfied with the loyalty and zeal with which he has performed them."

This decree was followed by another, appointing General Frederico Roncali, senator of the kingdom, Minister of War, in the room of General Narvaez.

The Queen immediately sent for the Marquis de Viluma, and asked him to endeavour to re-construct the Cabinet. He accepted the commission, but failed in the attempt. The Queen then applied

to General Narvaez, and gave him authority to form a new Ministry. Up to this time his late colleagues had not resigned their offices, and refused to do so voluntarily, professing that they were ready to carry on the Government without him; but they were now deprived of office. Narvaez did not succeed in forming a Ministry, and the task was then confided to General Roncali, who was able at last to bring together a Cabinet, of which, however, he did not himself become the head. The new Ministry consisted of the following members:-Marquis de Miraflores, President of the Council, and Minister for Foreign Affairs; General Roncali, Minister of War; S. Isturitz, Minister of the Interior; S. Topete, Minister of Marine; S. de la Pena Aguayo, Minister of Finance; S. Arazola, Minister of Justice. General Narvaez was at the same time gazetted as Commander-inChief of the army.

y

On the 16th of February, explanations took place both in the Senate and the Congress, as to the causes which had led to the Ministerial changes. In the Senate, General Serrano put questions respecting the nomination of General Narvaez to the rank and dignity of Commander-in-Chief of the army, and demanded that the House and the country should be informed as to the duties which that office imposed, and the political position which he occupied.

The President of the Council replied, and said that the title of General-in-Chief granted to the Duke of Valencia was merely honorary, and that no powers were attached to it, except under extraordinary circumstances; and then any powers that might be granted would be so by a special Royal

order, countersigned by the Minister at War, and for which the latter was responsible to the Cortes.

General Narvaez addressed the Chamber, and gave some details explaining the causes of his resignation. He said, that in consequence of the reports which had been in circulation for so long a time-reports which had been taken up by the public press, and repeated over and over again-of dissensions in the Cabinet of which he was President, he had, after much reflection, arrived at the conviction that the necessity had arrived for his retirement altogether from Ministerial life. He detailed the interviews with her Majesty, spoke of his own disinterestedness, of his love for his country, and his attachment to the Throne and the Constitution. He added that he was ready to serve her Majesty in any capacity in which she might be pleased to employ him.

The Marquis of Viluma mentioned the fact of his having been sent for, as well as the unsuccessful result of his attempt to form a Ministry. There were other circumstances, which he said he did not think proper to speak publicly of, connected with the same subject, and said his duty was to be silent, no matter what the decision of her Majesty was, and content himself with saying "Viva la Reyna."

General Roncali, Minister at War, repeated the assertions of the Marquis of Miraflores respecting the nature of the title conferred on Narvaez; and declared that the Minister at War was the person responsible for any authority hereafter conferred, in virtue of that office, on General Narvaez. He said that there was no occasion to entertain any fears respecting

that office, from the known discipline of the Spanish army.

General Serrano said that, notwithstanding the assurances given, such an authority as that conferred ought not, in any country where a representative form of Government was known and received, to be confided to any individual. Such extraordinary powers, even under extraordinary circumstances, could only be conferred with the consent of the Cortes.

In the Congress the President of the Council entered more fully into explanation, and gave an outline of the intended policy of his Government. He began by alluding to the expectation generally entertained that a programme of its future political conduct would be presented by the Cabinet. It was his opinion that programmes were but of little use. They generally fettered a Government, and so many circumstances of an unforeseen kind might happen, that it might often be found necessary to depart from them. He should therefore content himself with stating briefly what the Government intended to do respecting the measures brought forward by his predecessors. He, in common with his colleagues, agreed to adopt the electoral law of districts, such as it had been already presented and passed in the Chamber of the Congress. They also accepted the tributary system as to its basis, reserving to themselves to introduce such modifications as the situation of the country required. The estimates already presented by the late Minister of Finance should be again submitted to examination, with the view of economizing, as much as possible, the resources of the country; and, if it were also possible, of alleviating the burdens

of the people. He took the present opportunity of eulogizing the conduct of M. Mon, the late Minister of Finance, for the establishment of his tributary system. He dlluded to the law of the press, and aeclared that its object would be to allow the completest liberty to the expression of thought and public opinion; while, at the same time, its excesses should be made amenable to the laws. He also referred to the law of public order. With respect to public employments under the Government, he announced it to be his intention never to sanction the bestowal of such on any persons who were not entitled to them by merit and ser. vices; and he rejected entirely the system of favouritism. He then entered into the details of his acceptance of office, and his interview and conversation with the Queen and the late President of the Council. He said that the conduct of General Narvaez had been most straightforward and disinterested throughout the whole affair.

Ge

neral Narvaez, on discovering that his becoming a candidate for office would be an obstacle in the way of the formation of the Ministry, at once declared that he was ready to make every sacrifice rather than such should be the case. He was ready not only to retire from public life, but even to abandon his country altogether, and retire to France, if his presence in Spain could be looked upon as the cause of discord or disunion.

In the course of the discussion, Senor Martinez de la Rosa, the late Minister of State, gave his version of what had occurred. He described his various interviews

with her Majesty. He said, that on the night he last met the Congress as a Minister of the Crown,

shortly after leaving the Chamber, at rather an advanced hour, he was summoned to the presence of her Majesty. The Queen informed him of what had passed between her and Narvaez; and that the President of the Council of Ministers had just declared to her that, owing to the delicate state of his health, he found it utterly impossible to continue any longer in the exercise of his laborious duties as Minister. He (Martinez de la Rosa) declared in the most solemn manner that there had not existed any cause of difference, political or otherwise, of a public or secret character, as far as he knew, to call for the resignation of the chief of the Cabinet. He then alluded to the conduct of himself and his colleagues, in declining to tender their resignation. They had several projects of law which it was necessary to carry through the Cortes, and which they could not leave in an incomplete state.

The new Administration did not long continue in power, and it was generally believed that its overthrow was occasioned by the ambitious design of General Narvaez to possess himself once more of the highest office in the tate. Although he had been invested with the office of Commander-in-Chief, under the Miraflores Cabinet, he had partisans of his own, with whom he caballed and organized attacks upon the Ministry in both Chambers. In addition to this, it was said to have earned the hostility of the Queen Mother, by its lukewarmness in supporting the pretensions of her brother, Count Trapani, as a suitor of the Queen.

On the 16th of March a vehement attack was made upon the Ministry in the Chamber of Deputies.

M. Egana began it by de