The Foreign intelligence this week is made up principally of
rumours and speculations. There are but few facts stated, and most of those are contradicted.
Beginning with Spain, it is said that the siege of Bilboa has been raised by the Carlists; and on the other hand, that it has not been raised, but that the assailants are determined to take the city. The weather, however, has been so extremely unfavour- able, that the Carlists find great difficulty in keeping up their works. Of course they experience greater hardship than the garrison, which is under cover. The last active operation of which we have intelligence, was a sortie of the garrison on the 22d November : it was sustained with little loss by the Carlists, who repulsed the enemy with considerable slaughter; but this is the Carlist account. GOMEZ is everywhere and nowhere—that is,, nobody can tell his position at any given time : it is hoped, though, in Madrid, that NARVAEZ will " find him" somewhere, and retake the plunder he has amassed. Bands of Carlist marauders have advanced within a short distance of Madrid, and the last batta- lion of the garrison has been sent out to drive them back. Some alterations in the Ministry were on the point of being completed, when the last accounts left Madrid. LOPEZ had re- signed the Home Department, to be succeeded by GONSALEZ, and CUADRA the Marine, which INFANTE was to have. CALATRAVA remains at the head of the Government ; but MENDIZABAL, ac- cording to the story, was to give up the Finance Ministry to FERRER, and Moscoso to succeed RODIL as Minister of War. RODIL himself had submitted to the Government, and resigned his command, after all his blustering. It is said that he will be tried by a Court-martial ; but nobody seems to believe it.
The Cortes have finally confirmed Queen CHRISTINA in the Regency. The vote was passed almost unanimously, on her Majesty's birthday. The sale of national property has since prin- cipally occupied the attention of the Deputies ; who are the only public functionaries paid regularly by the Treasury.
According to a brief telegraphic despatch in the Moniteur of Tuesday, a Carlo-Republican plot to overturn the Government bad been discovered, and twenty-five persons arrested in Madrid.
Previous page
