The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1897-06-03
sAGAsTA MASTER OF SITUATION.
Events Leading Upto the Spanish Cabinet
Crisis.

Madrid, June 2.-After the meeting in
the lobbies of the Senate between the
Duke of Tetuan and Prof. Comas, the
Liberal minority held a meeting and ex-
Premier Sagasta, the Liberal leader, was
summoned to confer with his followers.
The Liberal senators and deputies event.
ually decided not to attend any more ses-
sions of the Cortes until full satisfaction
had been accorded the Liberal party by
the Duke of Tetuan. A duel between the
senator and the Duke was proposed, but
| it was eventually abandoned. The Duke
| of Tetuan at first rendered his resigna-
tion, but he withdrew it later on the ad-
vice of the premier who, the personal
question of the dispute having been set
tied by the seconds of the two parties, de-
cided that a duel was not necessary held
| that in view of the pending important
| international questions the ministry
should not he disorganized.
| On the following day the law students
made a. manifestation of sympathy in
| front of the residence of Senator Comas
and then went to the house of the Duke
of Tetuan and hooted that minister un-
| til they were dispersed by the police.
On May "a the premier made statements
| in the Senate and in the chamber of
| deputies in reference to the Teutan- Comas
| difficulty but they were not of q concili-
atory nature and the situation became
still more unsatisfactory.
| After that days session of the Cortes
! the dissident conservatives held meeting
and decided to ask the president of the
chamber to enter into negotiations with
Senior Sagasta with the view of inducing
the Liberals to attend the meetings of the
Cortes, but their efforts were fruitless.
| Replying the same day in the Senate to
| a question as to why the Liberals were
| absent, the premier said:
"In the opinion of the government, the
matter which the liberals plead as an ex-
cuse for the absence from the Senate is
an incident of purely personal charac-
| ter, which has already been arranged
The government respects the opinion of
the Liberal minority, but it rejects their
theory of tho incident and their demands
| for the resignation of the minister of for
eign affairs MS being contrary to the con-
stitution of parliament.
| The Premier added: Formerly gov
erned in the absence of a minority; but
under the present circumstances the re-
sponsibility belongs to all parties. 1t is
impossible to place the negotiations now
on foot without serious detriment if we
| change the foreign minister
| Thereupon the Marquis of Percales, in
behalf of the dissident conservatives de.
clared that under the circumstances they
felt themselves compelled to remain alb
sent until the Liberals had received salts
| faction.
| The same day the premier made SINH
| liar statement in the chamber of deputies
further remarking that he regretted the
absence of the Liberals because it pre-
vented Senator Sagasta from defending
| himself against certain accusations aris
ing out of an erroneous Interpretation OF
one of his speeches.
The premier further referred to the baG
impression which had been produced il
this way at Washington, where, he ex
planned, it seemed to be supposed that the
sale of Cuba was possible thing HI
added: "Spain is not nation of mer
chants capable Of selling it's HONOR
Senor francisco Silvela. the leader of tn,
dissident conservatives in the cham ber
then accused the Duke Of Tetuan of hav
ing committed a grave error which he in
sisted could not be righted by few quie
words He claimed that the minister o
foreign affairs ought to expiate hi
offence by resignation.
Continuing, ,Senor Silvela characterized
the action of the United States in recog
nizing the belligerency Of the Cuban in
surgents as great iniquity, . and salt
! the diplomatic conduct of the govern
ment was altogether blameworthy. TIL
deputy also questioned the intelligenc
of Premier Canoyas in retaining tn