resignation, of the determination which the King my august father and lord made known to me today; and, in accepting the rights and duties which he freely transmits to me, I undertake a task which I will accomplish, God aiding, with the same sentiments and the same devotion to the security of the monarchy and happiness of Spain. CHARLES LOUIS." " MANIFESTO OF THE PRINCE OF THE ASTURIAS. "Bourges, 22nd May. "Spaniards!-The new situation in which I am placed by the renunciation which my august father has deigned to make in my favour of his rights to the Crown, imposes upon me the duty of addressing you. Do not believe, Spaniards, that I intend to cast among you a brand of disorder. Sufficient blood and sufficient tears have been shed. My heart recoils at the sole recollection of past catastrophes, and shudders at the sole idea of their recurrence. "The events of the last years will, no doubt, have left prejudices against me in some minds, and they perhaps suppose me animated with the desire of avenging old wounds. There is no room in my heart for such a sentiment. If, I am so destitute of knowledge of the real position of affairs as to suppose that I wish to accomplish what is impossible. I am aware that the best mode of avoiding the return of revolutions, is not obstinately to destroy all that has been constructed and to reconstruct all that has been destroyed. Justice without violence, reparation without reaction, a prudent and equitable compromise between all interests, by utilizing and turning to advantage so many good institutions bequeathed to us by our ancestors, without at the same time opposing the spirit of the age as far as those inspirations are salutary-such is my policy. "A question is attached to my family, which, originating at the conclusion of the reign of my august uncle, Ferdinand the Seventh, (Q. S. G. G.) excited a civil war. I cannot forget what I owe to my personal dignity, nor sacrifice the interests of my august family. But I assure you from this moment, Spaniards, that it shall not depend on me if the dissension I deplore be not for ever extinguished. There is no sacrifice compatible with my honour and my conscience to which I am not disposed, in order to put a conclusion to civil discord, and to hasten the reconciliation of the Royal Family. "I speak to you, Spaniards, candidly, and from my heart. I desire to present myself among you with words of peace, and not with the war-cry. It would be to me the subject of great grief, if I find myself ever obliged to deviate from that line of conduct. Under every circumstance I depend upon your correct sense of right, upon your love for the Royal Family, and on the assistance of Divine Providence. "If Heaven grant me the happiness of again treading the soil of my country, I wish only to be surrounded by your loyalty and your affection. I do not wish to feel any desire in my heart but that of consecrating all my life in effacing even the recollection of past discords, and in cementing your union with general prosperity and the happiness of all; which will not be difficult to me, if, as I expect, you will aid my ardent desires with the qualities which are stamped on your national character -with the love and the respect you bear to the holy religion of our ancestors, and that magnanimity which has ever induced you to give your life when it became impossible to preserve it without disgrace. "CHARLES LOUIS." At the same time Don Carlos issued this farewell address to the Spanish nation:— 66 Spaniards, my faithful defenders! Called to the Crown of Spain by imprescriptible rights, my sole desire has constantly been the happiness of my beloved country. That happiness now requires my renunciation of my rights to the Crown, in favour of my very dear eldest son Charles Louis, Prince of the Asturias. No sacrifice could be too great to me when the welfare of my native land was at stake. I have willingly made that of the renunciation in behalf of my son, whom you will acknowledge as my lawful successor, and surround with the same affection and same fidelity. He will, on his side, know how to reward, as they deserve to be, your loyalty and constancy in upholding the sound principles which alone can save Spain. 66 In quitting public life, I feel On the 23rd of May, Queen Isabella, in person, closed the Session of the Cortes by a prorogation. During the autumn some serious disturbances occurred at Madrid, owing to the new system of taxation introduced by the Minister of Finance. On the night of the 5th of September a portion of the populace rose and some firing took place, but the émeute was promptly quelled by the military, and next morning every thing was restored to a state of tranquillity. At an earlier period the State of Catalonia had caused considerable uneasiness to the Government; for the attempt to enforce there the law of the quinta or conscription of one man out of five for military service had been so unpopular that it was resisted at a great many places simultaneously, and riots ensued, accompanied by loss of life. At Sabadell the insurgents came in contact with the military, and many persons were killed, General Concha commanded the troops, and by his active and energetic measures succeeded finally in putting down the insurrectionary movement. These events happened early in July. On the 15th of December the new Session of the Cortes was opened by the Queen in person accompanied by her Royal Mother. General Narvaez, the President of the Council, presented her with the following written speech which her Majesty read to the assembled Chambers. "Gentlemen, Senators, and Deputies: "During the short space of time that has elapsed since the termination of the last Session of the Cortes no remarkable alteration has taken place in the relations of my kingdom with the other Powers. "The negotiations pending with the Holy See continue. "During that interval the ratifications of the treaty concluded with the Emperor of Morocco have been exchanged, as well as those of the treaty of reconciliation, peace, and friendship with the Republic of Chili. An unexpected accident has prevented the conclusion of the same formality with respect to the treaty recently agreed upon with the Republic of Venezuela. The many bonds which unite Spain with those States cannot but contribute to the establishment of intimate relations between the two countries. I desire to protect by all means our navigation and commerce. By giving life and animation to agriculture and industry, a new stimulus will be given to the progress of our navy, which will insure recovery from the state of prostration into which it had fallen, and which will not confer less benefit and advantage upon our foreign provinces, so worthy of all our interest for the fidelity they have always displayed under all circumstances. "At home, in the Peninsula, order and respect of the laws have been maintained, so that every attempt at treason has been defeated by the vigilance and the firmness of the authorities, as well as by the fidelity of the army, the subordination and discipline of which might serve as a model for the world; and, in fine, by the excellent spirit of the people-tired and worn out by revolt, and anxious to enjoy fully the benefit of peace, under the shade of the Throne, and under the protection of our national institutions. "In order to consolidate the possession of advantages so precious, we have, by virtue of the authority which you gave to my government, established organic laws. I have to congratulate you on the fact that these measures have fully justified our expectations. The nation now finds itself endowed with laws, the want of which had been felt during so many years, and the establishment of which has been effected without suggesting any difficulty; on the contrary, the establishment of those laws is beginning already to produce their fruits in the good order and government of the State. "Independently of those reforms -so important and urgent-others of less magnitude have been ef fected, as well in the department of public instruction, as in the administration of justice, and in various other branches of Govern examination, you will find all the ameliorations and improvements of which they were susceptible. Time and experience will lead us to discover defects which it is indispensable to correct, which it would have been impossible in so short a space of time to have removed, and which ever accompany the establishment of a new sys tem. "Some of the evils and injuries arising out of the law of Aranceles, passed in the year 1841, being obvious, the Government proposes a convenient opportunity to submit to you measures for their remedy. My Government proposes also to submit to you measures calculated to increase the public wealth and to strengthen the credit of the nation. "My Government will also present to you a project of law with the important object of endowing, in a permanent and solid manner, public worship and the clergy. "Such, gentlemen, senators and deputies, are the principal matters to be submitted to your consideration, relying as I do upon your zeal and good will, of which I have received so many and such unequivocal proofs. The greatest and most difficult portions of this work being accomplished, it now remains only to conclude and place it on a solid basis. During the last session you introduced into the Constitution the reforms indispensable for placing in harmony the prerogatives of the Crown and the rights of the nation. You authorized my government to promulgate those organic laws, by means of which the political machine received freedom of action and movement. You decreed, in fine, a new plan of finance, calculated to put an end to the disorder which consumed the resources of the State. At present it devolves on you to examine the results of your former resolutions and to introduce such further improvements and reforms as shall appear to you called for and necessary- -a task, which though less brilliant, is not the less useful and glorious. Your zeal and perseverance will be necessary to aid my Government in the laudable task of regulating the finances and administration of the State, which necessarily felt the effects of previous great and fatal disorder. "I feel convinced that this task, if undertaken, will not be found greater than your capacity. This I hope for at least, confiding in the protection of Divine Providence, and with an ardent desire to add this new service to the many which you have already conferred on the Throne and the country." At the close of the Speech General Narvaez having received Her Majesty's commands, said, "Her Majesty orders me to announce that from the present moment the Cortes of 1845 are legally opened, in conformity with the constitution of the monarchy." Next day the Chamber of Deputies, or Congress as it is called, met for the purpose of electing a President. The candidates were Castro y Orozco, supported by the Government; Bravo Murillo, by a fraction of the Moderado party; and Pacheco, by the Moderado Opposition. In the first scrutiny, though the majority was in favour of Senor Castro y Orozco, yet none of the candidates had the number of votes necessary to form the absolute majority; a second voting took place, when it was found that Castro y Orozco had 74 votes; Pacheco 51; and Bravo Murillo 6. Senor Castro y Orozco was consequently declared President of the Congress. The House then proceeded to the election of the Vice-Presidents. The result was the election of Senor Armero as first Vice-President, who had 58 votes. The other candidates were Peña Aguayo, who had 39 votes; Govantes 4; Pacheco 4; Churruca 2; Sartorius 1; and Salamanca 1. Senor Govantes was elected second Vice-President, having obtained 55 votes. Senor Salamanca was elected third Vice-President; Senor Churruca fourth Vice-President: Senor Nocedal was elected first Secretary ; Senor Vahey, second Secretary; third Secretary, Senor Lasheras; and Senor Rodenas, fourth. it was At the close of the year very generally believed that a negotiation was going on for a marriage between the young Queen of Spain and Prince Trappani, the brother of the King of Naples. No official communication, however, was made public. PORTUGAL.-If it be true that "happy are the people whose annals are dull," the Portuguese nation enjoys felicity. Nothing occurred during the year which requires notice in our pages except the Royal Speech on the 20th of April, on which day the Queen closed the Session of the Chambers. It was as follows: fidence and to that of the na tion. "The many and important measures which you have approved for the maintenance of liberal institutions, of peace and of order, and those which you have adopted for the organization of the public finances, and for the development of the different fountains of national wealth, will be a living document of your devotion to the Throne, and of your solicitude for the liberty and the happiness of the people which Divine Providence has confided to my care. "If your Parliamentary labours are concluded, there is still a sacred duty incumbent on youthat of instructing the people in the fulfilment of their duties, and in obedience to the laws. I confide in your patriotism and fidelity. "I thank the Chambers for the means which they have voted to my Government to meet the expenses of the public service, and also for the grants to my two beloved sons, Prince Don Pedro and the Infante Don Luiz Filippe. "I have the satisfaction to be able to assure you, that perfect tranquillity reigns throughout the continent and ultramarine possessions. The session is closed." at ITALY. An unsuccessful tempt at insurrection occurred this year in the Roman States. The reasons which influenced the malcontents appear in the following document, which was extensively circulated by them throughout the Legatine States. It was headed MANIFEST OF THE PEOPLE OF "When the Sovereign Pontiff |