NEWS OF THE WEEK.
THE members of the Spanish Cortes persevere in their labours with all the zeal of men to whom law and speech-making have the zest of novelty. They evidently take delight in the performance of their duties, and are free from the jaded feelings which weigh upon the spirits and depress the energy of legislative and official backs. On the 28th of last month, a petition was presented to the Procuradores, which may very properly be termed the founda- tion of a Bill of Rights. It consists of twelve articles, of which the following is a brief abstract or index.
Art. 1. Declares that the freedom of the subject is protected and guaranteed by the laws, and no Spaniard ought to be compelled to do that which the law does not prescribe. Art. 2. Establishes the liberty of the press ; no censorship, but laws calculated to punish those who may become guilty. Art. 3. No Spaniard to be prosecuted, or arrested, or punished, but through legal means. Art. 4. Ex post Arlo laws to be abolished, and commissions equally. Art. 5. The Spaniard's home to be his castle. Art 6. The law to be equal to all the Spaniards, both to protect and to punish. This, of course, does not interfere with the privileges of the Proceres.
Art. 7. As a consequence of the last, all Spaniards to be tit to fill places, both civil and military, without their being required to be nobly born. Art. 8. All Spaniards to be equally bound to pay taxes, in proportion to their means.
Art. 9. Confiscation to be done away with. Property declared sacred. Yet the Spaniards are bound-1st, to pay the fines imposed by legal sentence ; 2d, to give up their property to the State, in case public utility should require it; bet not without indemnification.
Art. 10. Public functionaries to be responsible for all acts against the freedom and rights of individuals.
Art. 11. Ministers to be responsible. Art. 12. The Militia Urbana to be organized upon a broader base, and under regulations to be voted by the Cortes.
This petition was discussed with great animation on the 1st and 2d instant. The Ministers, simply, it would seem, because they
were Ministers and ex officio hostile to measures for consolidat- ing public liberty, opposed the adoption of the petition ; but were defeated, on a division, by 71 votes to 38. As a whole, therefore,
the document was sanctioned. When, however, the articles came
to be discussed separately, a singular change occurred in the views of the members, for the first article was neither rejected nor adopted, the numbers being 52 and 52. A question then arose as
to the right of the President to give a casting-vote, as he had already voted once in favour of adopting the article. The
reglamento was not clear upon this point ; and the Chamber was in some difficulty, till, at the suggestion of TORENO, it was agreed to modify the article ; and it now stands thus—" The law protects and insures individual liberty." In the debates on this petition, Don TELESFORO DE TRUEBA and MARTINEZ DE LA ROSA distinguished themselves by effective speeches.
The Proceres have resolved that " Don CARLOS and all his line are excluded from their rights to the succession to the throne
of Spain." This resolution was adopted by. all the Peers in Madrid, except one, who, for some reason unexplained, declined voting for or against it. -The Ministry have gained popularity by their decided support of this resolution. From the seat of war, the news is as vague as ever. The rainy weather has been an obstacle to the operations of both parties. !tomes army appears, however, to be gradually forcing the insurgents to confine their movements to a narrower field. How long the tiny warfare may last, is uncertain ; but Colonel CARADOC, who has accompanied ROHM'S army, has given his opinion that there is no doubt as to the issue in the Queen's favour. In the absence of important news, the correspondents of our Daily Journals have furnished some amusing details of the mode of warfare in Navarre. The following passage in a letter from a Bayonne correspondent of the Times, reminds its of the Whig parson-hunting in 'Scotland, in the days of LAUDERDALE and CLAVERHOUSE.
"The chief amusement nt tl4t-varied the fatigues of the campaign was cur& hunting. Aftrit the ,Queen's troops had entered a villa0, one of these black game would sometimes be seen stealing' from behind the houses towards the fields ; when an alarm would be instantly given, and a regular chase commenced. On one occasion, Colonel Caradoc was the first to raise the cry of Stole away ;' when General Rodil ordered his Aide-de-Camp to pursue the flying curt. The latter tucked up the skirts of his clerical habit ; and being a young and active man, put the Aide-de. Camp's horse to his best gallop ; and would its all likeli- hood have escaped, but that, in an attempt to leap a ditch, his foot slipped, and lie went plop into the water ; from whence be was drawn like a half drowned rat by the Aide-de-Camp, and brought before General Ittslil; who placed him iu the ranks, and made him march for several days with the troops. Zumala- carregui has (organized a numerous band, composer) entirely of curates or monks, who are excellent marksmen, and pay particular attention to the officers of the Queen's troops, and pick them down as often as they can. In contradistinction to these black bands, dauregui has under his command a numerous body, 600 or 700, of Chapelgories, so called from their wearing red caps. These fellows, all young and active men, are also capital shots, and are enthusiastically devoted to their chief ; who sometimes tells them to disperse, and meet hint again at a particular time and pliee. Each man goes his own way ; and at the hour and spot appointed, like Itoderick Dhu's men, at the signal of their chief they all to a mats start up in his presence. It was by these Chapelgories that the magnificent convent of Aranzazu was burnt down—a work which they did with great glee, as they have a particular dislike of the monks."
