SPAIN. 



713 



27, 1872, provided for a liability upon all per- 

 sons to be drawn for the permanent army, and 

 fixed the time of military service at seven 

 years ; three in the active army, two in the 

 first, and two in the second reserve. On Feb- 

 ruary 17, 1873, this law was repealed, and a 

 new one passed, according to which the army 

 was to recruit itself by volunteers. The force 

 in .Spain was to number about 216,000 men. 

 The army in Cuba consisted of about 60,000 

 men, namely. 54,400 active army, 4,000 men 

 of reserve, militia 1,500. The army in Porto 

 Kico consisted of 9,400 men ; that in the Phil- 

 ippines, of 9,000. Total number of troops in 

 the colonies, 78,100. For military purposes, 

 the country is divided into five districts, or 

 "capitanias generales," at the head of each of 

 which stands a captain-general, with the rank 

 of field-marshal. 

 The fleet, in 1872, was composed as follows: 



Of sailing-vessels, there were one frigate 

 (28 guns), two corvettes, one transport, two 

 pontoons. The navy was manned, in 1872, 

 by 9,700 sailors anil 5,000 marines, and com- 

 manded by 2,344 naval officers and 144 ma- 

 rine officers. 



The following table exhibits the trade of 

 Spain during the years 1861 to 1869 ; the 

 valne being expressed in reals (one real = 

 $0.04.8) : 



The aggregate length of the railroads in 

 operation amounted, on January 1, 1873, to 

 5,:!28 kilometres (1 kilometre = 0.62 m.); the 

 aggregate length of the telegraph-lines, on 

 January 1, 1871, to 11,754 kilometres. 



At the close of the year 1872 a grave con- 

 flict, arose between the ministry, at the head 

 of which wag Forilla, and the officers of the 

 -.ish artillery, in consequence of the ap- 

 pointment of General Hidalgo as Captain- 



General of the Basque provinces. The officers 

 generally protested against this appointment, 

 because they charged Hidalgo with having or- 

 dered in 1866 some of the officers to be shot 

 in the barracks of Sangil, or, at least, with not 

 having prevented the mutinous soldiers from 

 committing the deed. Hidalgo denied having 

 either ordered or been present at the execution 

 of the officers ; and the Minister of War de- 

 fended him in the Cortes, but the officers did 

 not change their minds. Finally, the request 

 of Hidalgo, not to send him to tlie Basque 

 provinces, was accepted, and he was soon alter 

 appointed commander of the military district 

 of Tarragona. This, however, did not satisfy 

 the officers of the artillery, who generally 

 offered their resignation. The ministry were 

 determined to carry their point, and therefore 

 accepted the resignation of all the officers, 

 filling their places by the appointment of sub- 

 altern officers. The King doubted the expe- 

 diency of this policy, and refused to sign the 

 measures proposed by the ministry. Being, 

 however, on the other hand, convinced that 

 the Radical party, of which Forilla was one 

 of the chiefs, was the only one in the country 

 wjiich was sufficiently strong to command a 

 lasting majority in the Cortes, arid that ho 

 would be unable to form a cabinet stronger 

 than that presided over by Forilla, he came to 

 the conclusion that there was no prospect of 

 establishing a strong government, and that the 

 best course for him to pursue would be to 

 abdicate the throne. The royal message, in 

 which the resignation is offered, is dated Feb- 

 ruary 12, 1873. 



The abdication was at once accepted ; both 

 Chambers met in joint session, and constituted 

 themselves the sovereign Cortes of Spain. A 

 new ministry was elected, at the head of 

 which was Figueras, one of the leaders of the 

 Republican party. Another leading Republi- 

 can, Emilio Castelar, became Minister of For- 

 eign Affairs, Francisca Pi y Margall, a Feder- 

 al Republican, Minister of the Interior; Nico- 

 las Salmeron y Alonzo, Minister of Justice ; 

 Francisco Salmeron y Alonzo, Minister of 

 Colonies ; General Cordova, Minister of War, 

 Jos6 Echegaray, Minister of Finances, and 

 Manuel Becerra, Minister of Commerce and 

 Agriculture. (See DIPLOMATIC CORRESPOND- 

 ENCE, in this volume.) A circular of Castelar 

 to the diplomatic agents of Spain in foreign 

 countries declared that the republic was the 

 result, not of surprise, but of a conscientious 

 consideration of the Cortes ; gave due credit to 

 the loyalty and constitutional sentiments of 

 King Amadeo, and emphasized the peaceable 

 character of the republic both at home and 

 abroad. A decree of the Government ap- 

 pointed General Pavia comiminder of the 

 Army of the North, and recalled Moriones to 

 Madrid, to assume the command-in-chief of 

 the artillery. On February llth the Cortes 

 passed a resolution declaring that the national 

 Government assumes all powers, and declares 



