702 



SPAIN. 



properly applied. The abolition of the odious octroi 

 dues, the abolition of the hateful conscription, las 

 quintas. and the reduction of taxation, so that the 

 national powers of production be not paralyzed, with 

 many other reforms, will speedily transform our de- 

 graded, depopulated land into a flourishing state. 

 The road must be cleared by the toleration of all re- 

 ligious opinions, by clearing away abuses, and by 

 respecting rights legitimately acquired. To arms, 

 then, fellow-citizens ! Let each give his support, and 

 suddenly all this canker of corruption will be swept 

 away. To arms, then, and let our war-cry be, " Viva 

 la Libertad and the National Sovereignty 1 " 



A still stronger proclamation was distributed 

 among the soldiers. In Madrid the precaution- 

 ary measures of the Government succeeded in 

 preventing an outbreak; but in the eastern 

 provinces a number of insurgent bands appear- 

 ed. The Government troops dispersed them, 

 however, without difficulty, before General 

 Prim, who, during the year had lived in Bel- 

 gium, found time to join them. The last bands 

 were, about the 1st of September, forced to 

 retreat to France, where they were disarmed. 

 General Prim was, at the request of the Spanish 

 Government, expelled from the Belgian terri- 

 tory ; but in another proclamation announced 

 that he would not consent to abandon his revo- 

 lutionary eiforts for one day until governments 

 in Spain have ceased to be the executioners 

 of their country, and the' scandal of civilized 

 Europe. 



The Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs, on 

 September 21st, addressed a circular note to the 

 Spanish diplomatic agents abroad respecting the 

 insurrection, in which the plans of the leaders 

 of the insurrection are thus referred to: 



"What other possible fate ? indeed, could await a re- 

 volt which, by the admission of its instigators, pro- 

 claims the sacrifice of the Spanish nationality and 

 dreams of an Iberian union which, under the inspira- 

 tion of correct instinct, both Spain and Portugal re- 

 ject for their own welfare with equal energy j a revolt 

 which also proclaims the sacrifice of territorial integ- 

 rity, since its organs announced, without being con- 

 tradicted, the annexation, and even the sale, of rich 

 portions of the Spanish territory ; a revolt, lastly, 

 which and this fact would alone suffice to bring^ 

 about its failure calls for the radical destruction ot 

 social order and existing policy, which it wants to 

 replace by terrorism, by levelling republics, and other 

 not less irightful Utopias, whose principles and ex- 

 tent are undisguised. 



On December 27th the Queen, on reopening 

 the Cortes, announced, in the speech from the 

 throne, that the Spanish Government had of- 

 fered to France both moral and material co- 

 operation, in case it should be necessary to 

 defend the lawful rights of the Pope. The 

 Government had received an invitation to take 

 part in the European conference, to be held for 

 the purpose of guaranteeing the Papal temporal 

 power in a firm and legal manner; and, with- 

 out doubt, Spain would accept the proposition of 

 France. Among the bills laid before the Cortes 

 was one by the Minister of Public Instruction, 

 the object of which is to provide primary edu- 

 cation for the whole people. Its principal pro- 

 visions are, that every village, having a popula- 

 tion of at least five hundred, roust have a 



schoolmaster, to be paid out of the municipal 

 funds, and school materials are to be provided 

 to an amount equivalent to a fourth of the 

 teachers' salary. In hamlets having a smaller 

 population than five hundred, the parish priest 

 will be charged with the primary instruction 

 of the children, which is to be obligatory 

 all over Spain. The state will grant a year- 

 ly sum of $200,000 in aid of towns and vil- 

 lages unable themselves to provide the ne- 

 cessary funds. The Government will favor 

 the establishment of houses of religious edu- 

 cation; and the books to be placed in the 

 hands of the children must be approved by 

 the bishops. Parents who are poor will not 

 have to pay for their children's instruction. 

 Every Spaniard fulfilling certain conditions of 

 aptitude will be allowed to open a school; but 

 if his conduct or doctrines give rise to com- 

 plaint, the alcalde will have power to close the 

 establishment. 



A new railroad map has lately (1867) been 

 published in Madrid, on a scale of about 3^ 

 inches to the degree of latitude, and exhibits the 

 following features : lines in operation, lines in 

 construction, lines contemplated as named in 

 the reports of the committee appointed April 

 25, 1864, and finally tramways. The length of 

 the roads constructed, as roughly measured on 

 this map, is found to be for Spain 850 geo- 

 graphical leagues or 3,000 English statute miles, 

 and for Portugal 125 leagues, or 450 miles. 

 The distance from Paris to Irun, on the frontier, 

 is 819 kilometers (510 miles), which occupies 

 25 hours. From Irun to Madrid, the distance, 

 631 kilometers (395 miles), is made in 24 hours, 

 while from Madrid to Cadiz, 726 kilometers or 

 455 miles, it takes 25 hours. The fare from 

 Paris to Irun is 92 francs or $18.42, from Irun 

 to Madrid 278 reales vellon or $13.90, and from 

 the latter place to Cadiz 322 r. v., or $16.10, 

 making the rate of first-class fare 44 centimes 

 per kilometer, equivalent to 3^ cents per mile. 

 The second-class fare is three-quarters of the 

 first ; third class one-half. The whole system 

 of material and operators is more or less that 

 of the French the cars or coaches being 

 divided into departments, each containing two 

 seats, like a post-coach, each occupied by four 

 persons in the first-class divisions, and by six 

 in the second-class. Some cars have all the 

 divisions of like class, while other cars will 

 have both first and second class divisions. A 

 few have a front division, with glass under, 

 looking forward, and one seat for four passen- 

 gers. This is called a berlina, and the fare is 

 10 per cent, extra. Occasionally a berlina is 

 fitted up as a sleeping-place to accommodate 

 one person, who has to pay the price of the 

 whole four seats. In this berlina-carra is a 

 water-closet, which, of course, can be used only 

 by the one passenger ; no other cars have this 

 convenience. The whole of any one division 

 of a car may be secured by paying for it one 

 hour in advance. All tickets must be taken at 

 the offices, and these are closed five minutes 



