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glorious ranks of which he forms a part, he engages, for his own advantage, and for 
the good, above all, of the country, in the labors most fitted to his situation and class, 
giving, moreover, a worthy example of the virtues which are combined in him as a 
citizen, and proclaiming by his acts the benefits of all-blessed peace. 
Inspiring himself by these considerations, His Majesty the King (whom may God 
guard) has seen fit to order that the governors of the provincesinvaded by the locusts, 
in conformity with the various military authorities, shall utilize such forces of the 
army as, in the judgment of those authorities, may not be indispensable for the needs 
of their branch of the service, recompensing the sergeants, corporals, and privates 
with the gratuity previously agreed upon. 
By royal order, accorded in council of ministers, I say this to your illustriousness, 
or your information and the consequent ends. God guard your illustriousness many 
years. 
Madrid, March 27, 1876. 
C. TORENO. 
The DIRECTOR-GENERAL OF AGRICULTURE, INDUSTRY, AND COMMERCE. 
Most ILLusTRIOUS Sir: To the end of guaranteeing the application of the funds des- 
tined for the work of extirpating the locust, and in conformity with what has been 
proposed by your direction-general, in order to give a uniform organization in all the 
invaded provinces to so important a service, upon the results of which depends the 
avoidance of great evils for the agriculture of the country, His Majesty the King, 
(whom may God guard,) solicitous for the fate of so highly-prized interests, has seen 
fit to order the following: 
1st. The sums which are conceded by this ministry for the service treated of, will be 
understood in the conception of aid given to the provinces invaded by the plague, with- 
out, however, for this reason, involving the derogation of the provisions of article 2 of 
the royal order of June 3, 185], which declares the cost of the extinction of the locust 
to be provincial or municipal, as the case may be. 
2d. The sums destined for each province shall remain at the disposal of the respect- 
ive governors, who shall designate a depositary therefor from among the voting mem- 
bers of the provincial committee of extinction, so that he may issue in his own name 
the warrants which may be required. This depositary shall be directly responsible for 
the legitimate expenditure of the funds, to which end he shall take care to obtain the 
necessary vouchers. 
3d. The said depositaries shall render their accounts within the term fixed before- 
hand by the royal order of concession, in triplicate, with the countersigned approval 
(visto bueno) of the governor of the province, and on the proper paper, accompanied by 
the certificate of the accounting secretary of the auxiliary commission of extinction, 
in accordance with the result of the entries noted. 
4th. The provincial and municipal committees will conform their action to that 
which may be determined by the following instruction, formulated by your director- 
general, wherein, without changing the existing provisions governing the work of ex- 
terminating the locust, the various dispositions now in force are now re-arranged and 
amplified in accordance with what is counseled by the experience acquired during the 
last campaign. 
By royal order, I say this to your illustriousness for your information and the oppor- 
tune ends. God guard your illustriousness many years. 
Madrid, March 27, 1876. 
C. TORENO. 
The DirECTOR-GENERAL OF AGRICULTURE. 
PLANTING OF FORESTS. 
Sm: The spectacle of the mostly puerile and altogether sterile and profitless political 
debates, consisting of petty party controversies, destitute even of historical utility, 
which have chiefly occupied the Cortes during the first six weeks of the session, has 
not been auspicious to the national welfare of Spain. 
These debates, which would otherwise have been tediously uninteresting, have had 
but one incidental good effect, that of drawing from some of the members, such as 
Mr. Canovas del Castillo and the Conde de Casa Valencia, admirable discourses in de- 
fense of the true interests of the country, in reply to speeches of opposition members, 
who seem to have spoken for no reason whatever, except to hear themselves speak. 
Meanwhile, in the presence of these lamentable divagations of party spirit or per- 
sonal ambition, so much in disregard of practical legislation, constant exceptions 
appear, which tend to afford hope that all is not yet lost for Spain. Of this nature is 
the measure proposed by D. Ignacio José Escobar, to enforce the planting of forest- 
trees, the want of which is so serious a misfortune in extensive regions of the country, 
esrecially in the broad and elevated plains of the Castilles and Estramadura. 
't would be a work of supererogation for me to speak in detail here of the evil con- 
