The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-05-10

I the merchants and shipping interests have
| protested unanimously against taxes and
/ regulations that are calculated not only TO
| damage the commerce of these islands
| with their principal customers, the United
| States, England and Germany, but that
| are also calculated to damage the coastlng
and carrying trade In the archipeiagos
senior Iabie's Cuban debt conversion
| scheme has raised much criticism in Spain
| on account of the enormous profits 1t
| has secured for the promoters and estaD-
lishments that undertook to noat this
operation, that several months have oeen
allowed to pass without the government
making mp its mind to let the minister for
the colonies carry out the second part OF
his conversion scheme. 1t is generally
criticised in Spain because it is very doubt
full whether il will be accepted by the
majority Of the bondholders, and 1t is very
much questioned if it will level Cuban
budgets even for a single year.
Don Antonio Canovas del Castillo is now
man of IS years of age. He was born on
February 8, 1928. He came to Madrid so
poor that he had to accept at the hands
Of relative . clerkship at $500 year
in the first railway that was made in this
country, between Madrid and Araniuez, in
the reign of Queen Isabella. He was
thus enabled to complete his literary
studies and afterwards to become bar
rister. He tried his hand at poetry and
then wrote historical novel that went
through three editions. He next pub
lished history of the decline OF Spain
Under the Home OF Austria" in which he
severely handled all the kings of that
family who reigned in this country, and
few wears later. when he became an under
secretary of state and minister of the
crown in succession, he publicly and in
print retracted all the abuse he had
heaped on the house Of Austria. He
dabbled in military pronunciamentos with
Marshal O'Donnell in 1854. He sat in
every Spanish parliament from that year
to the present, except in the Republican
Cortes Of 1873. He was q moderate Liberal
as long as Queen Isabella was on the
throne. He stuck to the fortunes of the
dethroned Bourbons all through the Span
ish revolution from 1863 to 1874. though
some people say he coquetted little with
the government OF King Amadeo OF Savoy
In 1S71-1S73
Canovas was the soul and the main
spring of the Alphonsist intrigues and
conspiracies in the last two years OF the
revolution that finally eliminated in the
military pronunciamento of the generals
who restored Alphonso XII. to the throne
of his ancestors on December %, 1874.
Canovas allowed it to be known that he
would have preferred to see parliament
restore his prince, but after all he &C
cepted the facts accomplished by the
sword, and his own great quality after
wards was his persistent effort to keep mil
itary men out of active politics. Unfortu-
nately, in July, 1890, he had again to sub
NIT to the military patronage at court and
in the palace of Marshal Martinez Campos,
the Spanish king-maker, restless, ambi-
tious and troublesome patron, as poor
Sagasta found out cruelty enough during
the ten years he was saddied with the alli-
ance of the Castilian Worwick.
Canovas is . man of middle height,
rather stout, with a large head,
gray hair, thick gray moustache, broad
has slight defect, hard features, curved
nose and heavy lips. He has great CONVEX
sational powers, the quick, bright, witty
repartees of q true Andalusian, much gal
lantry in his small talk with ladies, whose
sociecy he was always fond of, and with
whom he was, and is yet, fayorite; With
men he is rather naughty, though very
courteous to foreigners. He speaks
French very fuently, and understands
English. As an orator and de-
batter. he ranks first in the Con-
sentative party, though Pidal and
Francisco Silvela, the latter his most likely
successor in the leadership Of the Con-
servatives some day, follow close on his
heels. In parliament he has no rivals out
side Castalar, Sagasta, Martos and Sal
meron. In his dealings with his col
leagues and with his party he is very die
tatorial, tolerates no INSTRUMENTATION and
but little disunion on the part of men whom
and obey. In academies, in learned
societies, he drops his authoritative,
naughty ways and becomes q most
genial, pleasant companion, and
delights and excels in making
speeches at the Atheneum and academies
0re ho of ho - Io<a -
bies are social questions and he patronizes
state socialism and government and legis-
lative action to solve social problems much
on the same lines as the young German
emperor and Prince Bismarck, his favorite
models. Indeed he has repeatedly de
agreement and action to establish all over
the world maximum of hours of labor
for the working classes.
Canovas was twice married In the
early part of his career he made love
match; In verse and in prose he has
after few years of welded bliss. She
died OF consumption. More than
twenty years elapsed before Canovas
again fell in love, this time with |
one Of the proudest and brightest
bellies Of the Madrid aristocrecy, his |
present wife, Dona Joaquina de Osma,
second surviving daughter of the MARQUIS |
de Puenta, of Sotomayor She it was who
brought him as a dover the palatial resi- |
dence at the end of the Castillana drive.
where he recently entertained General |
Foster, Mr.. Blaine, General Grub and |
other diplomatists. At these receptions |
and banquets the Sonora de Canovas
welcomed her guests in their own
languages, English, French or Ger |
man, each of which tongues she speaks |
equally well. On these occasions Sonora |
de Canovas and her accomplished and ele- |
CANT sister. also an excellent linouist. the |
Countess of Casa Valencia, and other Cas-
titan bellies rivaled in beauty and in splen- |
did toilets, Mrs. Newberry, wife of the |
American secretary of legation: Miss |
Grubb, Miss George, Mrs. Marier. daugh- |
ter, ward and niece of General Grubb. who |
hold their own very well if we are to /
Judge by their success with what SpanIards |
themselves call the uglier sex. Las C,.atro |
Americdnitas, the four American bellies. as |
the Spanish ladies call them. not without |
q slight tinge of jealousy, perhaps. have |
been, by the way, one of the social sensa- |
tions of the season in Madrid this winter.
And it may well be asked if their social |
success has not tended to smooth the way !
OF Generals Foster and Grub.
ARTHUR HoUGHroN,
Madrid Correspondent of the London |