The Provisional Government have apparently authorized the Times' correspondent to
say that their candidate for the Throne is Ferdinand of Coburg, husband of the last Queen of Portugal, and father of the present King. The idea is that by electing him Spain will acquire a good administrator and a resolute constitu- tionalist for the present, while in the future the succession may fall to the King of Portugal, and the Peninsula thus be once more united. At the same time, the Emperor of the French is precluded from demanding compensation. King Ferdinand is a Catholic of the Coburg type, i.e., not Ultramontane, has had great experience, and governed Portugal as Regent for some years very satisfactorily. The only objections in the way seem to be that he is unwilling to undertake the burden, and has some unfortunate female connections which he may be unwilling to give up. Prim, however, would hardly have announced his candidate unless sure of his consent, and we suspect, in view of the disturbed state of the country, that we shall next week have to record the installation of Ferdinand the Eighth, King of Spain.
