14 DECEMBER 1872, Page 3

Some persons, presumably Reds, walked about Madrid in pro- cession

on Thursday night. Three columns of soldiers were accordingly ordered to walk about too. One of the columns met the procession, was fired at, and poured in a volley, killing twenty persons, whereupon the Reds dispersed. Some Liberal members of the Cortes wished to know why the rioters had rioted and been killed, whereupon S. Marton replied that he rather thought they had been paid to get shot, and so run down the new loan I He evidently regarded this explanation, which would show a demo-

ralisation in Spain far deeper than that implied in an emeute, was rather a satisfactory explanation of the affair.