IN 



DIPLOMATIC CORRESPONDENCE AND FOREIGN RELATIONS. . 



SPAIN. The abdication of the King, Don 

 Amadeo I., wao the occasion of great < 

 ment in S|xiin. It took place on February 

 lltli, and was practically the extinguishment 

 of the monarchical form of government. The 

 report of the American minister, Mr. Sickles, 

 to Secretary Fiah, under date of February 18th, 

 presents some of the scenes of a most unusual 

 occurrence in the history of monarchical gov- 

 ernments. The following are extracts : 



On the night of Sunday, the Itli instant, a rumor, 

 apparently authentic, wu heard at the opera, and in 

 oine of the clubs, that the King had intimated his 

 desire to renounce the crown. On the following 

 morning aeveral of the journals confirmed the report, 

 although suggesting that an act of the Cortes would 

 be neooaaary before such a step could be taken, in 

 conformity with article 74 of the Spanish Constitu- 

 tion. During the day it waa understood that this 

 grave question was under consideration in Cabinet 

 council, and that the Cortes woul 1 be asked to sus- 

 pend its sittings for few days to enable ministers to 

 prepare the'neoessary measures to meet the crisis. It 

 seems that a communication in this sense wan sent 

 by the President of the Council to Senor Rivero. the 

 presiding officer of the* Chamber of Deputies, which 

 that officer declined to announce officially to the 

 House, lest such a proof of the irresolution of the 

 cabinet might provoke popular tumult. 



I had an appointment for that day, the 10th in- 

 stant, at three in the afternoon, with the Minister of 

 State at the Foreign Office. At noon Senor Herelo, 

 the Aistnt Secretary, called at the legation to nay 

 that the minister could not meet me as proposed, 

 and it was not difficult for me to satisfy myself, de- 

 spit* the reticence of my visitor, that there was 

 ample foundation for the reports 1 had heard. The 

 Chamber of Deputies met as usual at three p. 11., and 

 I repaired to the diplomatic tribune, where several 

 of my colleagues soon afterward joined me. Empty 

 benches and a dull debate poorly reflected the ani- 

 mation already visible in the streets. Descending 

 to the floor of the House, I soon encountered groups 

 of members in the halls and taloiu, busily discussing 

 the theme as yet forbidden in the Chamber itself. 

 Observing Rivera, the President, leave the chair, I 

 went to his room, and had scarcely saluted him when 

 -even! of the cabinet entered, among them Martos, 

 Beranger, and Boocrra. in whose (iocs I fancied I 

 >could see a serenity ana satisfaction of good augury. 



Returning to the diplomatic tribune, it was not 

 'long before Rivero resumed the Speaker's chair, 

 which waa regarded as only preliminary to the ap- 

 pearanca of ministers in their places. A crowd of 

 member* came in from the lobbies, and expectation 

 waa on tiptoe for a statement from the Government 

 bench. None of the cabinet appearing, the hum of 

 conversation soon swelled into loud murmurs, as it 

 was of course known that the council had risen, and 

 ministers were In the antechamber. 



Figusras, the Republican parliamentary leader, 

 seixed the opportunity affor.lt. i l.y the impatient 

 temper of the House and demanded that the speakers 

 should request the attendance of ministers, in order 

 that the Cortes might he informed of the crisis, 

 which it is understood embraced not only the cabi- 

 net, but even the crown. 



KHrero replied from the chair that he had already 

 aent repeated messages to the Government, request- 

 ing their presence, and that this would be the laot 

 he proposed to send. 



Al tliiii moment the ministers entered the chamber, 

 the President of the Council foremost 



' Zorrilla at once rose and requested Scflnr 



Voenu to repeat the inquiry which bad been ad- 

 dressed to HM Government through the chair in the 

 atxeoee of the cabinet, 

 figuerae promptly responded, saying he would 



omit his preamble and come to the point. He wanted 

 the House to hear what the Government proposed to 

 do in the present juncture, and, if the Government 

 was not prepared to submit a proposition, he would 

 do so himself. 



Zorrilla made a long speech in reply, to much of 

 which the House listened with raurked impatience. 

 He said it waa true the King had spoken of abdica- 

 tion, but nothing could transpire officially on so 

 5 rave a matter until his Majesty had given the sub- 

 net more reflection; that ministers nad I.. 

 le King to pause in his purpose, and take twenty- 

 four or forty-eight hours to reconsider his determi- 

 nation : that meanwhile, and in order that there 

 should be no precipitation, he hoped the House would 

 suspend its sittings, thus leaving the Government 

 disengaged from other duties, so that they might 

 consider and frame the measures most expedient to 

 be brought in for the action of the Cortes. 



While this debate was going on, a great multitude 

 had gathered around the palace of the Chamber of 

 Deputies. Although here and there an irrepressible 

 agitator harangued groups of listeners, the crowd 

 was calm, though anxious to know something of the 

 action of the Chamber. To satisfy this feeling and 

 avert any untoward demonstration, several influen- 

 tial deputies came out and spoke to the people from 

 the balconies and porticoes of the building. Troops 

 were sent for to keep the streets open and allow dep- 

 uties to pass in and out of the palace. The arrival 

 of a couple of companies of cavalry and a small force 

 of infantry caused a flurry and some scampering, but 

 it was soon seen that no offensive movement was 

 contemplated. The people made way for the column, 

 which broke into detachments, posted at the ap- 

 proaches to the palace, and kept a clear space lor 

 some distance. 



To return to the Chamber. As soon as the Prpi- 

 dent of the Council concluded his long speech, Fi- 

 gueros rose to reply. 



Rivero, from the chair, said the rules did not allow 

 a deputy to continue the discussion after his question 

 had oeen answered. 



Figueras invoked the practice of Parliament to 

 open a debate when a cabinet crisis was announced, 

 remarking that this was even graver, since the very 

 institutions of the country were tottering. 



Rivero suggested that the only way to open a de- 

 bate was for Figuoras to announce an " interpella- 

 tion." 



Zorrilla, on the part of the Government, said they 

 were not disposed to answer an interpellation, as 

 they required all their time to meet the necessities 

 of the situation ; and he begged Scfior Figueras not 

 to avail himself of the last resource afforded him by 

 the rules that of offering a proposition. 



Figueras replied that he regretted he could not ac- 

 cede to the request of the President of the Council 

 of Ministers, for to do so would make himself the 

 most criminal of men. He demanded the reading of 

 a proposition he had placed on the table before the 

 order of the day was announced. 



The Secretary then road the proposition as fol- 

 lows : " The Cortes agrees to go into permanent ses- 

 sion." {Signed by five members, at, proscribed by 

 rules Fipuoras, Ramos, Caldcron, Huelvcs, Patino, 

 Piiigeervcry NiefO 



Figucrns supported his proposition In a brief, 

 strong appeal, saying that the speech of thn Presi- 

 dent of the Council reminded him of what Tiberius 

 said to his doctors : " You dispute while I die." The 

 Government nxkod forty-eight hours to consider 

 while the country is in agony, and when in a lew 

 minutes the fate 'of the nation may bo decided by 

 the people. Are<R'o here in a boa of roses, where 

 wo can slumber until it plenscs the President to 

 wake us up and tell us the King lias revoked " an 

 irrevocable resolution}" Do you know what may 

 happen in twenty-four hours 1 Monarchies have a 

 habit of procrastination. Who knows if in those 

 twenty-four hours we shall not sec armies hero that 



