iforeign an TOLIMA

SPAIN.—There has been no favourable reaction in Spain, and the intelligence has grown more and more disastrous to Espartero. Madrid is at length in the power of the insurgents. On the 15th instant, the day that Narvaez arrived in its neighbourhood, the cannon were with- drawn from the gates and placed in the principal streets near the centre of the town ; defence being concentrated near the Palace. But the pre- parations, like the whole conduct of the war, were marked by impru- dence and, inefficiency. Aspiroz had been allowed to take possession of a house near the city ; and some shots were exchanged, proving fatal on both sides. On the morning of the 17th, Aspiroz made an attempt on the Casa de Campo, one of the royal seats on the river-side oppo- site to the Palace ; but he was compelled to retreat. On this day earnest efforts were made to complete the barricades of the streets ; but how ?— " All hands were called to aid at the formation of barricades," says the Madrid correspondent of the Times, "promenaders and passers-by not exempted. The great paving-stones of the Calle de Alcala spread over the flags in front of the British Embassy, to serve as Caltrops against cavalry ; but the centre of the wide street is left level ! Two barricades cross it; bat they are left open in the middle, and shallow throughout. No sand-bags are employed, and the naked piles of stones present dangerous facilities of spreading mischief to a coming cannon-ball. Worse still, the gates are barricaded by upright planks in addition to heaps of paving-stones. But the Milicianos have yet to learn the danger of splinters. All this class of precautions ought to have been taken a month ago, when Aspiroz first threatened Madrid; not left till the second week of the siege, to be done in a hurry, with the worst and most dangerous materials that come to hand."

Meanwhile, Narvaez had summoned the city to surrender, but had met with refusal. In the midst of mutual threats, the diplomatists made a curious demonstration. Brigadier Lemmery, the military com- mandant, had declared that he would defend every street and ultimately the Palace. S. Mendizabal is reported to have made a similar declara- tion, and to have added, that " if all went to the worst, he would bring out the Queen, place her in the centre of the troops, and, fighting his way through the besiegers, carry her out of Madrid." M. Weisweiler (the agent of the house of Rothschild) having observed that " the Foreign Ministers would not allow him to recur to such an extreme measure," N. Mendizabal replied, " If the diplomatic body presume to interfere, I will send them their passports, and those who shall not have left Madrid in the twenty-four hours shall be shot." The several Foreign Ministers held meetings in order to make some representation to the Government, with a view to prevent the Queen's being the ob- ject of actual contest ; but they could not at first agree to terms. Rival notes were drawn up by Mr. A ston and Mr. Washington Irving ; the dift's, ference between them, to borrow the words of Mr. Aston, being, that he' protested against the attack on Madrid, while Mr. Irving, supported, by the other foreign Ministers, protested against the defence. On the 16th, however, a note jointly the production of Mr. Aston and Mr. Irving was unanimously adopted. Among other things, the Ambassadors de- manded to be "permitted, in the event of an attack, to attend her Ma- jesty at the Palace, and watch over her safety." The reply to this com- munication was, that " the Government cannot accede to this demand of the Corps Diplomatique." The exact upshot of these negotiations does not appear.

Events, however, proceeded, though not in a very direct progres- sion. On the 17th, Narvaez retired from Madrid, and hopes began to revive in the capital. Aspiroz, who had retreated to Aranjuez, made a counter-movement and joined his colleague. It was soon rumoured that Narvaez had gone back to meet Seoane, who, with Zurbano and 10,000 men, was marching for Madrid. The opponent forces met at Torrejon, on the 22d; and after an engagement of a quarter of an hoar, both armies "fraternized,"—that is, Seoane's army deserted in a body. Seoane and the son of Zurbano were taken prisoners ; Zurbano himself escaped, and was supposed to be concealed in Madrid. The Munici- pality of the capital at once determined to surrender it ; and they made arrangements for Narvaez to enter it on the 23d.

The Dutchess of Victory had sought refuge in the Royal Palace, where the Provincial Deputation and Ayuntamiento had installed them- selves.

The Regent's position was doubtful. One report makes him passing the ,frontier of Portugal on the 17th: a more recent and credible ac- count describes him as entering Cordova on the 16th, in proceeding to the aid of Van Haien at Seville ; of which it was said that the Regent's General had taken possession.

Again, it is said that Van Haien was marching on Cadiz, which had "pronounced."

Albacete, so recently occupied by Espartero, had revolted, and had been taken possession of by the insurgent Colonel Buil, with 1,300 men. Lerida had also joined the revolution, and been seized by Cortines and Prim.

At Barcelona, two sections of the Revolutionary party, the Mode- rados and the Exaltados, have begun to quarrel about appointments. The Moderados and Exaltados are variously represented as possessing the majority.

A new movement had been made in Upper Arragon, by S. Ortega, a captain in the army, young, but wealthy, and an enthusiastic adherent

of Don Francisco de Paula : the avowed object was the marriage of Queen Isabella with the son of the Infant. Ortega threatened the Cata- lonians with fierce war ; and they returned his threats ; but his influ- ence seems to be of little weight. He had attacked Saragossa, and had been beaten off, though not without loss on both sides,

FRANCE.—While Spain is troubled, the Queen-mother Christina is busy in the French capital. She held a grand levee in the Hotel de

Courcelles, on Monday, her birthday. The Bing, Queen, the Duke d'Aumale, the Duke and Datchess of Nemours, and Madame Adelaide, successively visited the Ex-Regent, and M. Guizot and Marshal Soule

presented their homage. "The Duke d'Aumale," observes the Com- merce, " was most gracious to all the Spaniards present in the salon of the mother of Isabel the Second, and even spoke to them in their native language." The principal men of her adherents among the Spanish refugees held a meeting in the Palace, and assuming the fall of Espartero to be certain, consulted as to the form of a provisional go- vernment and Christina's reentrance into Spain- " From the observations made," says the correspondent of the Morning Chro- nicle, "it appears that the majority of the party who support Queen Christina prefer a military provisional government to a civil provisional government ; be- cause in that manner they hope to exclude the Exaltados in favour of the purely moderate party. The plan proposed is, that the Provisional Government so appointed should convoke the Cortes for the purpose of proposing to it the majority of Queen Isabella the Second forthwith. [ She was twelve years and nine months old on Wednesday last, the 26th instant.] The question of the Queen's marriage would then be settled; and steps would be taken, in concert with the Cabinet of the Tuilleries, to have the new regime recognized by the Northern Powers, who are to be requested, for the sake of absolute governments, to send accredited ambassadors to the new Government of Madrid. M. Toren°, too unpopular to return to Spain, reserves for himself the Embassy of Paris ; M. Zea Bermudez will go to Vienna; and in order to get rid of Olozaga, he will be offered the post of Ambassador in London."

The domestic news of France is of little interest. The Belle Poule, with Prince de Joinville and his Brazilian bride on board, arrived at Brest on Saturday ; a previous report to that effect having been false. The vessel had been detained by contrary winds.

The session of the Chambers closed on Monday ; when the Royal de- cree of prorogation was read. Several of the Ministers and about one hundred of the Deputies were present. They were not expected to re- assemble until the 9th January.

The appointment of Vice-Admiral de Mackaw, as Minister of Marine and Colonies, in the room of Admiral Baron Roussin, was notified in the Moniteur of Tuesday.

The National publishes a third list of subscriptions in France in favour of the Repeal agitation in Ireland: it amounts to 412 francs 59 centimes making the total amount subscribed 1,137 francs 50 centimes.

A deputation of the Peace Convention had an interview with King Louis Philippe on Friday, and presented the "Memorial to the Go- vernments of the Civilized World." The estate ex-schoolmaster received the deputation very graciously, expressed a cordial interest in the object of their mission, and highly gratified them by the general tenour of his observations.

Molnar AMERICL—The Margaret, a powerful steamer kept by the North American Mail Company at Halifax, for cases of accident to the regular steamers, has brought the mails and passengers of the Colum- bia, with farther particulars of the disastrous accident to that vessel. The Columbia left Boston on the 1st instant ; the weather being at that time hazy, with moderate breezes. On the 2d, the fog became dense and the sea calm. The vessel was going at the rate of ten knots an hour when she struck. At first it was supposed that a fishing-boat had been ran down ; but the obstacle proved to be a rock ; on which the steamer settled down. The chain .cables were instantly hauled aft, the coals thrown overboard, the anchors let go from the bows, and every exertion was made to lighten the ship, while an anchor was carried out in order if possible to get her off; but all was in vain. The ship was firmly fixed on the ledge about midships ; and from soundings it was ascertained that at this time there was

upwards of twenty-seven feet of water at her stern. Signal-guns were fired, and answered; at four o'clock a boat came on board from Seal Island; and those in the steamer now learned that they lay on the Devil's Limb, about a mile and a quarter from Seal Island. The pilot in whose charge the steamer was had been totally deceived in his reckoning by an extraordinary indraft of the tide into the Bay of Fundy. The passengers and baggage were conveyed to Seal Island ; and the extertions and humanity of Mr. Hutchins, the master of the ighthouse there, are spoken of in the highest terms. For some time after the ship struck, it was found not to admit more water than could be easily got rid of by two pumps; but on the day following, a gale of wind sprung up with a heavy sea, which caused the vessel to back upon the rock and bilged it, and the water then flowed in and out of it with the tide. On that day the packet brig Acadian, on her passage from Boston to Halifax, spoke the wreck ; and information was forwarded to the agents of the Company at Halifax ; who instantly despatched the Margaret to convey the passengers and mails. On Tuesday morning, the 4th, the Margaret arrived at the wreck, and immediately took all on board, with the exception of some who were left to see if any part of the wreck could be recovered. No person was hurt from first to last. There was not the least chance of getting the steamer off the rocks ; and the waters mast inevitably break it up in a short time. The Mar- garet returned to Halifax, which it left again on the 8th; commanded on the homeward voyage by Captain Shannon, of the Columbia ; on whose conduct the warmest praise is bestowed.

The Hibernia brings intelligence from New York to the 17th instant, and from Halifax to the 18th; having made the passage in nine days. The news is of little interest. The following is given by Publicus as a list of the new Cabinet which "may be said to be formed "—

"The Honourable A. P. Upsher, Secretary of State ; J. C. Spencer, Secre- tary of the Treasury; j. M. Porter, Secretary of War ; D. Henshaw, Seere- tary of the Navy; C. A. Wichliffe, Postmaster-General ; and J. Nelson, Attorney-General. I can only say that this Cabinet, with much talent, con- tains a motley and most singular combination of parties, and enjoys but little popularity."

The check to the Irish Repeal agitation had been—to say nothing of the good sense of the Americans—an Anti-Slavery speech delivered by Mr. O'Connell at Dublin on the 10th May last. The Charleston Repeal Association at once dissolved itself on hearing the speech read 1 At Philadelphia, Mr. Robert Tyler denied that Mr. O'Connell had ever made such a speech, adding this extravagant counter-statement-

" Sir Robert Peel and the Duke of Wellington have declared that Ireland must be put down, and that she can be put down in twenty-four hours; and that, if need be, they can cover that ill-fated land with the bones of her mur- dered children."

The papers state that Mr. Nicholas Biddle, the well known financier, had become insane.

The papers give the most flattering reports of the forthcoming wheat crops from all parts of the country, except central and lower Illinois. It is probable, says a New York paper, that the crop will be greater than that of any preceding year. Advices from Galveston, of the 24th June, make known the fact of an armistice between Mexico and Texas.