The Spaniards are getting on ,slowly with their Constitution. The.Gortes
have, however, moteittbaireligious. clauses which establish the Catholic religion, but concede toleration to foreigners, and to any Spaniards who profess any religion other than the Catholic. There was, however, fierce debate, during which the speakers on the Liberal side showed almost as much violence as the Clerke. S. Saner declared that all religions were equally true and equally false, thought men would be much better without religion, declared God an invention, ridiculed the Immaculate Conception, and finally asserted that Jesus had brothers. This last remark overcame the patience of the President, who forbade the speaker to proceed, whereupon the Republicans left the hall in a body. They returned, however, after five hours, and S. Castelar announced that for his part he had abandoned Christianity for philosophy, and S. Ruiz advised the total and immediate separation of Church awl State. On the other hand, Canon Manterola declared that the Prelates, as depositaries of the faith, were above the Cot tee, above Spain, and above the world, and Cardinal Cuesta asked if men were at liberty to believe that two plus two make five. If not, what gave them a right to disbelieve religious truth ? The Chamber sympathized with Castelar, murmured at Manterola, supported the silencing of Saner, and passed the clauses as they originally stood. Clearly the " unity of the faith" is a fact in Spain !
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