26 DECEMBER 1868, Page 2

The Spanish municipal elections have passed over peaceably, and have

resulted—somehow or other. The bulletins inform us that the municipality in Madrid is Liberal-Monarchical, but does not give the result for all Spain. There are strong rumours that S. Figuerola, the Finance Minister, is to be dismissed, that the Army is seriously discontented, and that the Duke of Aosta, the second son of Victor Emanuel, is Prim's favourite candidate. Espartero has written a letter advising everybody to wait for the Cortes, and everybody is waiting except the place-hunters, who literally besiege the Provisional Government, but nobody appears either contented, or hopeful, or determined. The nation, to all appearance, just drifts on from day to day. At the same time, it must be remem- bered that this opinion is based on letters from correspondents who are obliged to rely mainly on the acrid gossip of a southern capital.