Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1883-08-17
SPA IN.
The Country In a permen,.

III
For the past two or three years in spite Of
apparent prosperity in Spain there have been
mutteriDgs OF discomfort and occasional out
breaks. They showed that the forces OF rev.
olution were at work underneath the TRANQUIL
surface OF Castilian society. The most nota-
bic Of these outbreaks occurred at Barcelona,
where the troubles distinctly arose from the
discomfort of the working classes The riot
ers burned the octroi posts, had scufiles with
The guards and attempted TO prevent trains
from leaving Barcelona These disturbances
were accompanied by cries OF Long live the
Federal Republic" The province of Cata-
iona was proclaimed in state of siege. Cab.
met councils were held at Madiid-ope I'm.
DER the Presidency of Senior Sagasta and an.
other under that of the King. The govern
ment resolved to support the financial policy
OF oenor Camacho out of which the distur-
Dances arose, aud to resign in the event IF a
hostile decision by the Cham CT of Deputies
when Senior Sagasta. took Office he resolved
10 make an attempt to restore the credit of
spain by covering the deficits with which
budget alter budget for years past has closed,
anu Dy entering into more satisfactory ar
rangement with the creditors. For this pur-
pose II was necessary largely to increase the
TAXATION. lie also resolved to stimulate in
dustry by negotiating liberal treaties of com.
nttce with The countries with which Spain
trades. Senior Camacho, the finance min
lister, earnestly applied himself 10 the restora.
ton OF Spanish credit. To carry out his
plans lie imposed additional taxation.
IL was said at the time that the augmen-
titlon amounte,. to about twenty-five per
cent, but, IN fact, it appears that it was con.
sidcraby more. Indeed the finance minis
ter OF the late administration asserts that the
increase has been much nearer sixty-six per
cent. % enormous an addition naturally
created great discomfort The trade guilds
throughout Spain refused to pay the taxes,
and the government adopted energetic
measures TO compel them to do 30.
ror months the agitation grew, and it
was generally believed that on the meeting
| OF the Cortcs Senior Camacho would either
DC driven from Office or would have [ mod
ny his plans The system of election. how.
ever, which is IN force in Span enables every
government to Obtain majority no matter
what ils policY may be and, accordingly,
1t was found that the Cortcs supported the
policy of the existing Cabinet. Senior Sagas.
Ia, too, the Prime Minister, declared that he
iuly adopted his finance minister's plans,
anu tlat the government would stand or fall
ny them. 1t appeared, therefore, that only
by popular agitation could the course Of the
government be altered, and accordingly
since those declarations were made the
agitation has spread.
The commercial treaty negotiated with
france added to the general discomfort.
Senior Sagasla perceived that only by more
liberal fiscal policy could he raise Spain
from the poverty in which she is sunk lie
concluded commercial treaty with France
ny which. IN return for her reduction of the
French duties upon Spanish wines, he con.
scntcd to reduction of the duties on various
articles imported from France into Spain
more particularly upon cottons aud woollens.
strong opposition was male against the
treaty. The whole conservative party head
ed the opposition, and the employers of labor
in Catalonia, to coerce the government, in many
cases closed their workshops and threw their
workpCoplc into the streets. The workpeo-
pie already irritatcd by the increase in the
industrial taxes and in the ocrOi duties thus
found themselves thrown out of emplyment
IN consequence of what they are told isa fur
ther act OF injustice on the part of the gov
ernmcnt, and Of course were ready for mis-
chief.
In some parts of Spain the political dis.
content is aggravated by long continued
drought. The peasants and workpeople in
consequence OF the agricultural distress, are
also ready for mischief. In the South it
would seem that no very great danger is t.
be apprehended but throughout Catalonia
and Valencia, and more particularly in Bar
celona, the state of Otfliis is critical. The
people of Catalonia are of Il holder and
stronger type of character than the South.
crners, and are not ready 10 submit to what
they consider injustice. They are also not
very well disposed toward the restored mon
archy. Even during the republic these prov
lnces We're difficult to manage federalism hav.
ing strong hold upon the workpeople. Itisa al
legged that federalism counts for something
in the present disturbances and that the reac.
tionary party are also making use of the dis
content on account of the increase of the
taxes and the commercial treaty with France
IN the hope of driving Senior Sagasla from
Office aud restoring Senior Canovas del Castil.
10 to power. The proclamation of state OF
siege is Il violent measure amounting almost
OF itself to revolution. The monarchy is
not yet so firmly established us to be able to
resist political shocks. The fact that the cry
OF IL )ng live the Federal Repubic." has
been heard has naturally produced very
strong impression in Madrid. If dissolu-
ton were resolved on in the present excited
state OF public feeling it might bring about
disturbances little short of revolutionary.