SPAIN. 



671 



The following cities of Spain and the Span- 

 ish colonies have more than 100,000 inhabi- 

 tants : 



Madrid 897,690 



Barcelona 249,106 



Havana (Cuba) 230,000 



Manila (Philippines) 160,000 



Valencia 143,856 



Seville 133,938 



Malaga 115,882 



The revenue was estimated in the budget of 

 1879-'80 at 812,363,790 pesetas (1 peseta=19'3 

 cents), and the expenditures at 828,237,108 

 pesetas. The public debt on June 30, 1879, 

 amounted to 12,916,046,162 pesetas. 



According to the law of May 14, 1879, the 

 army in Spain is to consist, in time of peace, 

 of 90,000 men, of whom 59,993 will belong to 

 the infantry, 12,783 to the cavalry, 9,955 to the 

 artillery, and 4,168 to the corps of engineers. 

 In time of war the army is to comprise 450,- 

 000 men. The same law fixes the strength of 

 the army in Cuba at 38,000 men, in the Philip- 

 pines at 10,500 men, and in Porto Rico at 3,346 

 men. 



The fleet in 1879 consisted of 121 steamers, 

 of 21,576 horse-power, with 525 guns. 



The imports in 1878 amounted to 397,800,- 

 000, and the exports to 431,300,000 pesetas. 



The political situation at the opening of the 

 year was regarded as critical. General Mar- 

 tinez Campos was seeking, by interviews with 

 Sefior Sagasta and others, to strengthen the 

 Constitutional party through fresh alliances. 

 The senators and deputies from Navarre had 

 demanded the reestablishment of the constitu- 

 tional guarantee in that province, but the Gov- 

 ernment had refused to accede to their request. 

 The opposition deputies had absented them- 

 selves from the Chamber since December 10th, 

 having taken offense at the course of the Prime 

 Minister during the sittings of that day, and 

 would not return until Senor Canovas del Cas- 

 tillo had made apologies to them. 



The Cortes assembled after the Christmas 

 holidays, on January llth. The members of 

 both Houses on the next day resolved, after a 

 long debate, to resume their seats in the Cortes. 

 Count Toreno, who resigned the office of Min- 

 ister of Foreign Affairs, was elected President 

 of the Chamber of Deputies, January 21st, in 



place of Sefior Lopez de Ayala, who had died 

 on the 30th of December previous. Seftor 

 Canovas del Castillo took the portfolio of For- 

 eign Affairs as a temporary measure. The dis- 

 cussion of the bill for the gradual abolition of 

 slavery in Cuba was begun in the Chamber of 

 Deputies January 14th. The bill was passed 

 by the Chamber, January 21st, by a vote of 

 230 to 10, the members of the minority and 

 the friends of General Martinez Campos ab- 

 staining from voting; was passed by the Sen- 

 ate, after it had received some modifications at 

 the hands of a mixed committee of the two 

 Houses, January 30th, by a vote of 156 to 28, 

 and was promulgated as a law in the " Official 

 Gazette," February 18th. A motion made in 

 the Senate for the establishment of two schools 

 for apprentices to the profession of toreadors 

 was opposed by the Minister of Public Instruc- 

 tion, who said that he hoped that, in a short 

 time, the manners of the people would be so 

 changed as to permit the suppression of the 

 barbarous spectacle of bull-fighting. The mo- 

 tion was then withdrawn. 



At the sitting of the Senate, March 9th, Mar- 

 shal Martinez Campos declared himself to be 

 the adversary of Senor Canovas del Castillo, 

 adding that 'he was anxious to promote the 

 unity of the Liberal party. The Premier re- 

 plied that he himself was no adversary of Mar- 

 shal Martinez Campos, since they had both 

 great interests to defend in common. 



Stormy debates, extending over several days, 

 took place in the Chambers in June, on a mo- 

 tion for a vote of confidence in the Govern- 

 ment. In the Senate, Marshal Martinez Cam- 

 pos denounced the conduct of the Ministry ve- 

 hemently. Senor Canovas del Castillo replied, 

 maintaining the correctness of the course fol- 

 lowed by his Cabinet, and protesting against 

 what he described as the threatening language 

 of Marshal Campos. The vote was taken on 

 the 12th, by a division of 170 to 22, after 

 further speeches by Marshal Campos and the 

 Premier. A vigorous discussion took place 

 on the same motion in the Chamber, ending 

 in the adoption of the resolution by a vote of 

 246 to 13. The opposition abstained from 

 voting in both Houses. The Cortes was pro- 

 rogued June 23d. The provincial elections re- 

 sulted in large majorities for the ministerial 

 candidates all over the kingdom. The dynas- 

 tic Liberals, however, abstained from voting, 

 except at about fifty polls. The Cortes was 

 opened December 30th by King Alfonso, who 

 said in the speech from the throne that, actu- 

 ated by no ambition abroad, and fettered by no 

 fears at home, Spanish diplomacy was endeav- 

 oring to extend the commercial relations of the 

 country with America and Europe, and would 

 neglect no effort to obtain from foreign nations 

 equal advantages with those which Spain grant- 

 ed to them by treaties of commerce. His 

 Majesty also stated that it was necessary to 

 increase the naval forces and strengthen the 

 national defenses. 



