The cruelties practised in the hour of victory by the
Queen's troops upon the insurgents in the North of Spain, have been to some extent retaliated by a body of Carlists, who entered Vittoria on the 15th instant, and put to death 196 prisoners, in cold blood. The combatants on both sides appear to be little better than faro- cious brigands. The affair is not of much importance in a miliary point of view ; though the Carlist Commander, who rejoices ii the appellation of THOMAS ZUMALACARREGUY, in his despatch to the supreme "Junta" of his party, magnifies it into a most glorious achievement.
The only news of importance from Madrid relates to a decree which has been issued by the Queen ; whose necessities compel her to become a church reformer. The leading provisions of this decree are thus stated in a letter of the Times correspondent at Madrid.
" The first article pronounces the instant suspension of the provision for all prebends, eanonries, and ecclesiastical benefices, which are not immediately con- neeted with the cure of souls. The second directs that the revenues of those which thus become vacant are to be exclusively applied in terms of the Papal bulls on the subject to the extinction of the public debt. And the third, by way of a salve for the sores of the clergy, reserves the power of disposing of individual benefices for the purpose of rewarding such eminent services as may be rendered either to the Church or the State. 'There can be no doubt that this decree is intended to facilitate the negotiation of some future loan."
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