Very serious riots are breaking out in Spain among the
agricultural labourers. In Andalusia there is a nearly uni- versal strike, and in Estremadura the men have taken up arms, defied the old soldiers who form the Guardia Civile, and when attacked defended themselves with revolvers. They are all organised into Unions, and appear to be ready for any kind of insurrection. Their complaint is that they are wretchedly paid, the normal rate in Andalusia, for instance, being sevenpence a day; that they have no cottages near their labour, but are forced to herd in distant villages ; and that they are oppressed by the bailiffs who assign their work, the whole profit of which goes to a few rich landlords who work vast tracts without an intermediate tenantry, and spend the profits, which in some districts are very large, in Madrid or other cities. There is no doubt that the condition of the agricultural classes in most parts of Spain is exceedingly bad, or that a spirit of almost ferocious bitterness has recently appeared among them which threatens the very existence of landed property. The Liberals promise redress, but they do not give it, and the result of further delay may be a jacquerie like that which hurried on the flight of the nobles during the French Revolution.
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