The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1898-04-29
SPAIN AS SHE
EXISTS TODAY
From the New York Sun.

the executive resting In the king, the power
to make laws "in the cUrtes with the king.
The cortes are composed of a senate and
congress- equal in authority. There are
three classes of senators-1rst senator's
by their own right; secondly, senator's
nominated by the CT own, and thirdly. sena-
tors elected by the corporations of state,
that is the communal and provincial
states, the church. the universities, aca1e-
mics, and by the largest payers Of contri-
buttons. Senators by their OWL right are
the grandees of the kingdom, whose TILES
and possessions entltle them to the privi-
lege. The congress is formed by deputies
in the proportion of one to every $1,000
population. In 1878 Cuba secured the right
to send deputies to the cortes in the pro-
portion of one to every 10000 fire infabi-
tants paying lbs pes ssas in taxes yearly.
The constitution further enacts that the
king Is inviolable, but his ministers are re-
sponsible. and all his decrees must be coun-
tersigned by one of Them. The cortes must
approve his marriage before he can con-
tract 1t, and he cannot marry any
one excluded by law from success
sion to the crown. If all the lines
become extinct the king would be
elected by vote of the nation" After
the king the reins of government are
guided by president of the council and
minister of foreign affairs, justice, finance,
the interior, war, marine, agriculture.
commerce and public works, and minister
of the colonies
SPANS area and population, as they are
at the present time, are interesting, in
view of the fact that once her possessions
were greater than those of any other Eu-
ropean power. Her present area, includ-
ing the Balearic and Canary Islands, each
OF which is considered province is 197,-
go square miles. New York, New Jersey
pennsylvania and all of the New England
states combined have an area of 1905
square miles. Spain is, therefore, trihe
larger than these states. On the other
hand, Texas has an area of 1852, $50 square
miles, SO that Texas is 1850 square miles
larger than Spain. The population of
Spain is estimated to be 1860, 234, about the
same as that of New England and the
Middle states named.
Besides the Canary and Balearic islands,
Spain holds the colonies of Cuba, area A.
655 miles, population before the war, L.,
63l ,6S7; Porto Rico, area $500 square miles.
population, S06,70S; total area and popula-
ton in America 1920 square miles ard
2,43S,395 persons respectively. Her possess
area 114,326 square miles, population 7,OOO,-
600; the Sulu islands, area $50 square miles.
population 10000 the Caroline islands and
Palaos, area $50 square miles, population
$4,000; the Marianne islands, area APO square
miles, population 10,172; total area and pop
ulation in Asia, 116,256 square miles and L.
12l,172 persons. Her possessions in Africa
are Rio de Orc and Adrar, area 2i30 900
square miles, population 100000; Ifui (near
Cape NUM-, area 27 square miles. popula-
ton, 6000; Fernando Pc. Annabon, Corisco,
Elobey and San juan area $50 square miles,
population 10000; total area and popu alton
in Africa. 243SH square miles and 1850
persons. The total area of Spain's foreign
possessions is 4O5,33S square miles. The
total population is 9,695,567 persons. SO
that her foreign possessions have an area
more than twice as large as her own and
a foreign population nearly half the size
of her own. OF course, when she loses
Cuba her foreign area will be reduced one
ninth, and her foreign population, If the
loss of garrison is considered, reduced
nearly one-sxth.
Census returns show that a very large
proportion of the inhabitants of Spain are
illfterate. Nearly II, coo 900 in the kingdom
can neither read nor write. In the whole
of Spain it was found that but 1904, 460 per-
sons could read and write, COS DOS persons
could read only, and yet Spain supports a.
500 public and 5576 private schools. law
in 1857 but it was never enforced, partly
for political reasons and partly because of
the wretched pay of the teachers-$50 to
$100 year being a usual fee In higher
education Spain is not behindhand She has
ten large universities, carrying an enroll
ment of 900 students.
Spain gets its revenue by a system of
direct and indirect taxation, stamp duties,
government monopohes, ETC. Direct taxes
are imposed on landed properties, houses,
live stock, commerce, registration acts, IT,
ties of nobility, mortgages, etc.; the indi-
rect taxes come from foreign imports, arti-
cles of consumption, tolls, bridge and ferry
dues. Her revenue for 1896 and 1897 was
80 III $50 pounds sterling; her expenditures
80, 5S4 pounds sterling. She had besides
this, however, an extraordinary expenditure
of 1850, 900 pounds sterling. Her public debt
is now over 81 700 900 ,000 including over $780,
00o 900 incurred in Cuba.
Spain is an agricultural country. In the
early part of the century the country was
owned by landed proprietors who had ac-
qured great tracts of land but in recent
years these tracts have been divided and
passed into the hands of small farmers and
fruit growers. The grape is the most i'm
portant culture, but large quantities of
oranges, raisins nuts and olives are ex-
ported every year. Spain is rich in min
erals, the annual value of her mineral ex-
ports being about 1854 900. She also man.
ufactures cotton goods. She has nearly TO-
900 looms. Her imports for 1867 amounted
to G29, 1866 906 Her. exports brought her in
e34, 800, 400. The most primitive conditions
prevail in many parts of Spain, and in some
parts life is almost as 1t was when Column
bus travelled the country roads on foot lead
ing his little son by the hand This is due
to the meagre means of communication,
there being only 754S miles Of railroads in
the whole country. This Is only 3.9 linear
miles of road for every 100 square miles Of
territory New England alone has as many
miles of railroad as has Spain, and her
territory is not nearly as great The same
area as Spain picked up out. Of the upper
eastern United States has nearly 10000
miles of road. But the people Of Spain still
adhere to their gayly caparlsoned mules,
which, perhaps, make up in WORKOUT ro-
nance what they lack in speed.
Spain is well defended from invasion by
a Gordon of forts and fortified towns
drawn completely around her frontier. On
the north there is Fuenterrabia, the forti-
fed port of Passages and the military ports
of Santona, Santander, Ferrol, Coruna and
Vigo. In the Basque provinces are Bilboa