While at Seville, I learned some very gross instances of injustice practised by the government in its dealings with its subjects. My authority could not be more authentic, because my informant--an old and highly respectable merchant--was himself the person who had suffered. A debt of 1600_l._ was due to him by government, upon a contract for supplying cartridge boxes; this debt had been some years due, and he had applied for payment often, and in vain. At length, having some other business in Madrid, he resolved to attempt the recovery of the debt, by preferring his claim in the proper quarter. Day after day, he went to the minister; sometimes he was denied admittance,--sometimes he saw the minister, and was always treated by him with the utmost rudeness: this was his first transaction with government, and he had yet to learn its way of doing business. One day, when he was leaving the minister, and slowly passing towards the stair, a reverend gentleman touched his sleeve, and begged to know what was the cause of his frequent visits to the minister: the merchant told him his business. “And do you expect to receive payment of the debt?” demanded the priest. “I despair of it,” replied the merchant. “Then,” resumed the priest, “you would probably sacrifice a small part to obtain the rest;” and upon the merchant admitting that he would gladly do this,--“Come,” said the priest, “to-morrow early, and I’ll undertake that you shall have your money!” The merchant kept his appointment; the priest was waiting--the merchant never saw the minister; and in less than half an hour, the priest put into his hands an order for 1200_l._, upon the treasury at Seville; the remaining 400_l._ being the perquisite of the minister and his emissary:--yet even after this, it was necessary to sacrifice another 100_l._, before payment of the order could be obtained at Seville. All this is according to usual practice: no settlement of any government account can be obtained without making a large sacrifice; sometimes as much as a third, or even a half. The system of bribery is universal, from the minister to the lowest official: sometimes the individual is robbed, sometimes the treasury. If the transaction lie between the government and an individual, the minister and his go-between are the gainers, and the contractor is robbed. If the affair lie between individuals and employées--as officers of the customs--a false return of duties is made to government; the merchant and the employée pocket the difference; and the government is robbed: this is a regular part of the settlement of every custom-house transaction. At Malaga, I learnt a curious instance of this, adding another to the many proofs of a weak and disorganized government. All vessels chartered from Gibraltar for Malta, Corfu, or any foreign port in the Mediterranean, but carrying part cargo for Malaga, are obliged, while they remain at Malaga, to deposit all goods _in transitu_ in the custom-house, as a preventive