On Tuesday the King of Spain's decree was published convoking
a National Consultative Assembly next month, four years since the establishment of the Directory or Dictatorship. It is to be a nominated Assembly to all intents and purposes without any legislative powers. It is not therefore likely to produce any rapid advance towards democracy in Spain. There is just a chance that the right members may seize the opportunity of publicity and a • platform- to begin to create something like public opinion, and this might have considerable effect eventually/. For four years Spain has had the Government that apparently suited- the times. At any rate, the Marquis de Estella - deserves his country's gratitude for her position to-day as compared with what he took in hand four 'years ago, -a' discontented . . people "involved in a 'war to which no end was 'in sight and which was draining her of men and money. If the Spaniard does not care for liberty he might do worse than continue to trust himself to the Dictator. The new Assembly is but a small step towards consti- tutionalism, but if it is given honestly as a genuine invitation to the country to think about governing itself constitutionally before long, then we congratulate the Dictator on a larger-minded action than any that we can find on the part of the other Mediterranean dictator who, having served Italy well in a moment of peril, seems to have no intention of ever preparing for a day when his personal rule may make way for liberty or constitutional government.
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