Francisco Xavier De Isturiz, a Spanish statesman, born in Cadiz in 1790, died in April, 1871. After the fall of Joseph Bonaparte and the restoration of Ferdinand VII., those in Cadiz who were discontented with the rule of the latter were accustomed to meet in the house of the brothers Isturiz, which was known as the casa Otomana. This was the headquarters of the movement led by Riego (Jan. 1, 1820), "which made an anarchy of three years succeed a despotism of six." Xavier de Isturiz went to Madrid, where he aided in establishing liberal clubs; and having thereby placed himself in opposition to Arguelles and Martinez de la Rosa, who represented the moderate constitutionalists, he excited public opinion against them, especially after his election to the cortes in 1822. In 1823, while president of this body, he voted for the suspension of the royal power. Condemned to death after the restoration, he fled to London, where he was a partner in the mercantile house of Zulueta. Pardoned by the amnesty of the queen regent Maria Christina in 1834, he returned to Spain, where he at once engaged in democratic agitation and provoked the rising of the national guard, whose object was the overthrow of the minister Toreno, but which was suppressed by Que-sada. Shortly afterward his friend Mendiza-bal became prime minister, and made Isturiz his most intimate adviser.

In November, 1835, he was appointed president of the chamber of procuradores. a sort of state council. The chamber proved too liberal, which caused a quarrel and a duel between Isturiz and Men-dizabal. After the fall of the latter in 1836, Isturiz was appointed minister of foreign affairs and president of the council, but soon grew unpopular with all parties. The tumults of August, 1836, which resulted in the proclamation of the constitution of 1812, compelled him to take refuge a second time in England, whence he went to France. Having returned to Spain in 1838, he was elected to the cortes, and was its president in 1839. He negotiated the marriages of the young queen and her sister. In 1848 and again in 1850 he was sent as minister to England, and in 1856 to Russia. On Jan. 5, 1858, he became president of the Spanish senate, and 10 days after minister of foreign affairs and president of the council, but was soon superseded. The same year he was again sent as minister to England. He signed, in conjunction with M. de Flahault and Earl Russell, the convention of Oct. 31, 1861, relative to Mexico. From March, 1863, to October, 1864, he was minister to France.