The Speech of the Queen of Spain to her Cortes,
on opening the session on 27th December, is of amazing length, but contains little that is satisfactory. The Queen says she was ready to fight on behalf of the Pontiff ; boasts of the promptitude, energy, and success with which rebellion in Spain has been put down ; hopes the Budget will one day be equalized ; promises a new penal code ; demands a law placing education under the Church ; and suggests the formation of a rural police or guard. The rest of the message is a glorification of Spain, and a list of financial expedients. Not a word is, of course, said of the sale of Cuba and Porto Rico, which it is reported have been offered to the United States for 30,000,0001., payable in three equal instalments. The offer may tempt Mr. Seward, who, in possession of those two islands, could at any moment make our own West Indies almost untenable.
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