New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-01-09
THE CORTES.
soME PECULIARlTlEs OF SPANISH
CONSTITUTIONAL GOVERNMENTS
TRICKS OF THE CABINET
BRIBERY AND COR
RUPTlON.

-. adven, to office Of the Sagasta Administra-
w., nearly three months ago that one is almost
Limited ID forget that Spain Is blessed-soine
or-sa5-with a parliamentary form OF gov
nnt Indeed the Liberals are showing
.s~osa-d for the spirit of the Constitution that
a. xor.hv II the most reactionary wing OF the
co,ssrvatjve party Yet. unless the charter OF the
-, he entirely ignored in letter as well as ID
-, tho new Cabinet will be forced TO face tn
ro-,es before the end Of the present month
80, II II be only for the purpose or dlssoVihs
G, and ordering general election. In fac',
,,ers i every reason 10 believe that this Is the
80 which Sacasta has in view, since II Will
49, tho effect Of giving him further respite oi
+rss months from legislative uammels Inc
co,s,itufion provides that the new Cortes shall
=. ei.c,as md assemble in session within three
,,or,hs II the dissolution Of The previous Cham
hers This shows clearly that its trainers IN
..nsss 70 provide against the danger OF the
eove-nment being left without parliamentary
,strsint for a longer period than three months
q a time
Vet by an artlAce which il is difficult 10 stls-
matte as other than piece Of uickery. the
various Spanish Cabinets. Liberal as well as
Conservative. manage to evade this rule by
alice for period Of three months. and then
gummoning them merely for the purpose Of lis
tning TO the decree Of dissolution. which allows
another respite Of three months so that the
new Cabinet practically gets six months lee
way = The Cortes during which time II gov
ems by means Of DEGREES. which only subse-
suently receive the necessary legislative sane
ton. OF course. these six months give time to
e-ganize The provincial administration In such
. manner as to assure q legislative majority for
the Government in he lower chamber a; the
genera election. Governors Projects and rural
officials even down TO the very police officers.
are al replaced with men belonging to the party
10 power who bring 4 bear upon the registered
voters degree 4 pressure. and even Of ter
rorisu. 4 which people in This country have no
conception. In fact a Government majority al
te polls is always q f0reg0ne conclusion. the
LIBERIA majority being as a rule considerably
smaller than that OF The Conservatives In analo-
gous Instances. owing 10 the fact that the
former. who consider themselves the champions
par excellence Of popular constitutional govern
nent- are ashamed to 60 TO the same extreme
lengths IN bulldOz.ng the voters as the Con
seTyatives.
THE GOVERNMENTS POSITION
II must be thoroughly understood that at the
present moment the Spanish Government is in
q thoroughly Unconstitutional position. which
In countries more enlightened and progressive
would cad TO It's impeachment For the Cortes
though prorosued. still in existence. with
TIE Conservatives in an overwhelming ma
ior'j That IS ~ say. the present Cabinet does
not in strictly constitutional sense, represent
tn viii Of the people as manifested by the ma
1ority IN Parliament. and IS conducting the az