and its strength will be great when, in addition to the vigorous means of action of which a Government always disposes, public opinion shall give it its efficacious support, and the Ministers will come forward with their antecedents of uprightness, integrity, and moderation. It is thus, Madam, that the undersigned hope to respond in a becoming manner to the indefatigable and maternal solicitude of your Majesty for the happiness of your subjects, and to the exalted mission of statesmen, of which they aspire to render themselves worthy at any price.

66

Madrid, April 16, 1853." The Lersundi Ministry lasted until the middle of September, when another change took place, and the following Cabinet was constituted: -Comte de San Louis (Sartorius), President of the Council; S. Estevan Collantes, Interior; Marquis de Girona, Justice; General Blazer, War; Marqnis de Molins, Marine; S. Domenech, Public Works. The Cortes were again convoked, but the Sartorius Administration enjoyed the confidence of that body as little as its predecessors, and in consequence of the opposition manifested in the Senate in the course of a debate which took place on the 7th, 8th, and 9th of December, upon the apparently unimportant question of the right to proceed with a railway bill, when the Ministry were defeated, they immediately suspended the session of the Cortes.

PORTUGAL.-On the 15th of November, the Queen of Portugal, Donna Maria da Gloria, died in childbed, after great suffering, during which it was found necessary to sacrifice the life of her

infant.

She was born at Rio Janeiro, on the 4th of April, 1819, and on the death of her grandfather, Don John VI., in 1826, when her father, Don Pedro IV., renounced the throne of Portugal, and the Constitutional Charter was proclaimed, she was betrothed to her uncle, Don Miguel, who was made regent of that kingdom. The that followed are well

events

known.

Don Miguel seized the throne for himself, and Donna Maria came to England, where she was recognised as Queen of Portugal; but it was not until the capture of Lisbon, by Don Pedro, in 1833, that she entered Lisbon. Don Pedro died in September, 1834; and Donna Maria, who was then only 15 years old, was declared to be of full age, and entered upon the functions of Government. In January, 1835, she married Prince Augustus, of Leuchtenberg, the eldest son of Eugene Beauharnais, but he died in the month of March following. There was no issue of this marriage. In 1836, Donna Maria married, a second time, Prince Ferdinand of Saxe Cobourg, and by him she had a family of eight children. On her death the King Consort proclaimed himself Regent of Portugal until his son should come of age.

On the 19th of November, the Cortes assembled to record the Regent's oath of allegiance to his son, the new Sovereign, on which occasion he addressed them as follows:

Portuguese nation submerged in mourning for the loss of a virtuous Queen it so dearly loved-my first moment of relief is that in which I find myself in the centre of the national representatives. In their presence I have just reiterated the solemn oath which the Constitutional Charter requires from the Regent during the King's minority.

"This sacred oath will be by me religiously kept.

"My sincere and anxious care will ever be to promote, in all respects, the happiness of the subjects of the King Don Pedro V., at whose side you now see me.

"During the short time which intervenes before he attains his majority my every effort will be exerted to give him the lessons of a father and the advice of a friend, that he may daily become more worthy to occupy the glorious throne of his august ancestors. I will not cease to remind him of the eminent virtues of his excellent mother, and of his immortal grandfather, Senor Don Pedro IV.

"Meanwhile, confiding in the favour of God and in the efficient co-operation of the national representatives, I hope to deliver the kingdom to His Majesty the King, my august son, in the enjoyment of perfect peace, of its precious liberties, and in the advancement of those industrial and administrative improvements so necessary for the prosperity and contentment of all Portuguese citizens."

BELGIUM.-On the 22nd of August, this year, the Duke of Brabant, the eldest son of King Leopold and heir-apparent to the throne of Belgium, was married to VOL. XCV.

Marie Henriette, Archduchess of Austria, and daughter of Archduke Joseph, formerly Palatine of Hungary. This was an important event, in so far as it introduced the family of Leopold into that of one of the old Monarchies of the Continent, for dynastic alliances are never without influence upon the destinies of nations.

On the 8th of November, towards the close of an undisturbed and prosperous year, the new Legislative Session of the Chambers was opened by the following speech from the throne:

"Gentlemen,-At the close of the last session you had approved the project for the union of my son, the Duke of Brabant, with the Archduchess Marie Henriette of Austria. This union is now happily consummated. It is a guarantee of happiness for the inheritor of the throne, a pledge of perpetuity for my dynasty, a bond uniting us more closely with Europe, and an evidence of the confidence with which the Belgian nation is inspired. This confidence rejoices me, and the whole nation partakes of my sentiments.

"The impartiality and liberality of our international relations are better understood every day. This policy assures the maintenance of good relations with all the foreign powers.

"Measures affecting our material interests have been duly executed. The conversion of the three loans has been highly advantageous to the State.

AUSTRIA.-On the 18th of February a determined attempt was made by a miscreant named Janos Libeny, a journeyman tailor, to assassinate the Emperor of Austria. The Emperor was walking on the ramparts of Vienna, in the afternoon, attended by one of his aides-de-camp, Count O'Donnell, when, as he reached a flight of steps that lead up to the wall from the end of the Kärnthner-strasse, a man rushed suddenly forward and tried to stab him in the neck with a large knife. Providentially the assassin missed his aim, and the knife only inflicted a superficial wound on the skull below the ear. Before he could repeat the blow Libeny was secured; and the Emperor, who did not for a moment lose his presence of mind, was able to walk to the palace of the Archduke Albrecht, where his wound was dressed, and it soon healed without any serious consequences.

The following letter from the

Archduke Rainer to his brother, the Viceroy of Hungary, giving an account of the event, will be found interesting.

"Feb. 20, 1853. "My dear Albert,—I write you a few lines in a great hurry, on events here. I was sitting at my table, reading, on the 18th, about half-past twelve in the day, when my chasseur rushed into the room, and exclaimed, His Majesty is coming up stairs, bleeding; he must have had a fall.' I told him to get linen and cold water, and rushed out just as his Majesty entered the ante-room. He said to me, 'They have been trying their Milan tricks on me now.' I was almost petrified when he showed me his handkerchief soaked with blood, which he had been holding to the back of his head. O'Donnell and I washed the wound with cold water. I left O'Donnell, and ordered out the carriage to fetch the nearest surgeon. The wound is on the back of the head, about an inch in length; it was gaping, and bleeding copiously. There was a stream of blood down, the shirt as far as the waist, and spots of blood all over his dress. Both his and O'Donnell's handkerchiefs were soaked with blood. As soon as all was in order, I hastened to the palace, met Seeburger on the way, and informed Grünne of what had occurred. The latter turned deadly pale, and could scarcely speak. On my return I met Charles (Archduke) in the Augustiner passage, on his way from the Emperor to Sophie. We then placed his Majesty in a carriage, and drove him to the Belaria. His Majesty told me, whilst I was applying the cold water, that he had received a blow on the head like

the shot of a pistol; that it made his eyes flash, and that when he looked round he saw O'Donnell struggling with a man on the ground. O'Donnell told me that they had not walked ten or twelve steps on the bastion when he saw a fellow spring upon his Majesty, flourishing a knife; that he immediately seized him, and pulled him down. His Majesty said to me, 'O'Donnell has saved my life.' He had half-strangled the man when people came up to render assistance. They would have put him to death, but his Majesty ordered him to be taken to the guardhouse. Everything was in commotion, everybody in despair. The lines were immediately closed, the railway stations occupied, the troops consigned to their barracks, two batteries telegraphed for. At the Te Deum an immense crowd and rejoicing. Every one showed the warmest sympathy. I trust all will be as well at Ofen. At Milan, two of Kossuth's emissaries have been arrested, each provided with 30,000 francs. They were trying to enter the town the day after the row. His Majesty is getting on well; the wound is closed. To-day his headache has subsided, or is only felt when he coughs; but there are symptoms of a slight concussion of the brain. His Majesty sees quite well with his right eye, but the left eye is still dull. To prevent inflammation, ice is placed continually on his head; the physicians think this will provide against it, and prevent all danger. They are quite satisfied hitherto, but his Majesty will have to remain eight or ten days perfectly quiet in bed, without occupation or much talking. Albert of Saxony arrived here yesterday evening. Ernst

"His Majesty's Government will not, and cannot, conceal from you that these apprehensions have actual grounds. The Government, however, looks forward with confidence.

"Prussia, relying on, and fully conscious of, her own strength, will continue to prosecute the sincere and active endeavours she has hitherto made in every direction to plead the cause of peace and moderation in this eventful

question with independent and impartial language. Whatever turn events may take, Providence has placed the King, our most gracious Master, at the head of a martial, patriotic, and united people, and His Majesty's Government-be assured of this, Gentlemen—will, in every step that it may be called upon to take in this matter, adopt the true interest of the country, which is inseparable from that of the Crown, as the sole criterion of their efforts and their actions.

"And, herewith, in virtue of the authority committed to me by His Majesty, I declare the session of the Chambers to be opened."

SWEDEN. For the same reason we give an extract from the King of Sweden's speech on the opening of the Swedish Diet in November, which seemed to imply that that country was resolved to pursue an independent course of action, and

not form a coalition with Russia, her nearest and most dangerous neighbour. The King said, "My feelings of duty in the presence of the political position of Europe compel me to present to you, Gentlemen, a detailed plan of the allocations which are necessary for the completion of our system of national defence, and of the proper measures to carry that system out, so as to guarantee the independence of the kingdom. All true friends of the country will, of course, give their most serious attention to these important matters. Never did a Sovereign of Sweden appeal in vain to the patriotism of his subjects in matters concerning the honour and nationality of his people. I am sure you will show that you are the worthy representatives of a nation whose courage and devotion have engraven the name of Swede' in ineffaceable characters on the most glorious monuments of history."