Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1898-05-17
IHE SPANISH CABINET.
Changes to Cause a More
Active War Policy.
EXPLANATION O. A MYSTERY
Min 's.ers Should Have Re-
signed Before Now.
PEOPLE AGAINST THEM
Attit"d" OF tho sng,sta Regime too
concili"t"ry :" Suit the B.lii-
Irreconcilablc Differences
EXPLANATION OF A MYSTERY
PEOPLE AGAINST THEM
NRY Ta;egranhl

tBy Teiegraph)
MADRID. May l6.-9 A. M-Senor
A1oret, the minister OF the colonies, to-
uay confirmed the statement that any
changes made in the composition of the
cabinet would be wholly in the nature
OF a more active war policy.
2:30 Z. M.-The Queen Regent has
charged senior Sagasta to form u new
cabinet. The permier will. this even
ing, confer with the presidents of the
chambers and with Senior Gamazo.
a communication has been sent to
the chambers announcing the cabinet
crisis, and asking the chambers to SuS-
pend their sessions pending a solution
Senior SagaSta believes the new minis
try will be formed by Wednesday, next.
Orders have been issued by Senior Sa-
gasta countermanding the reception
which was to have been held tomorrow
upon the occasion of the Kings BIRTH
day, and he has instructed the captain
generals i'll all districts not to hold
their usual receptions. 55i
1870 P. M.-Admiral Camara the COM
mander of the Spanish reserve squad
ron. has been recalled here to confer
with the ministers respecting his inten-$
ded operations. -
The newspapers express fear that
secret Anglo American alliance al
ready exists.
P. Mon receiving the announce
| ment that the cabinet had resigned.
both houses adjourned. &
The Queen Regent has written Mrs
Gladstone. making inquiries and ten
dering assurances Of her profound SYM
pathy. -sstAs'
Today long telegram was received
! from the Princess Of Wales. in which
occur the words Il am praying for :
you
CHANGES EXPLAINED.
LONDON. May 1.-THE Madrid cor
=, nf tbe Times saws.
II am now in a position to explain
the mysterious cabinet changes which
have been hanging fire for several
weeks and have given rise to may sur
misses Senior Sagasta and the Sasas-
Ia cabinet came into office with the
policy of avoiding a conflict With the
United States by pacifying Cuba
through autonomy. In pursuing this
policy the cabinet not only ran counter
to the general current of opinion In
the Conservative party, but in violence
to the feelings OF a large section of its
own adhcrentS "a
Its attitude was too concillatory to
suit the bellicose temper of the nation
and. consequently, 1t became very un-
popular. When the policy failed and
war was seen to be inevitable, in spite
of all the concessions. it ought to have
resigned, to make way for a fighting
cabinet. Ministers DESTROYS of peace
at any price short of sacrificing the
national honor We're not the men for
conducting affairs in a struggle
against an enemy infinitely superior
in resources. sg.#
mo doubt a Conservative cabinet
was practically impossible because it
would have required a Conservative
majority in the chamber, which WAS
not ohtainable without subjecting the
country to the dangerous ordeal Of a
general election, but such an extreme
measure was not necessary. There
We're many Liberals who had condemn
ed the cabinet for being too concilia-
tory and who continued to urge 1T to
accept the arbitrament of war. They
were the men who We're naturally sup
posed must be willing to accept the
responsibilities of office when war
was imminent.
$50 it seemed to at least several
members of the Sagasta ministry and
on the very day of the opening OF the
Cortes his colleagues urged upon Sc
nor Sngasta the advisablity OF the
cabinets resigning Immediately. Se-R
nor Sagasta objected. Even after some
useless delay all he could be induced
to do was TO advise the Queen Regent
10 consult with important political
leaders on the question of a change OF
cabinet. .me
Though some Of these had shown
themselves very bellicose when war
was at u comfortable distance none
was inclined to assume the response
bilities OF office when war was about
to begin. All. therefore, with the ex-
ception of one or two who We're known
to be DESTROYS of fishing in troubled
waters. advised strongly tina: the eX-
listing cabinet continue. The Queen
Regent who Is strictly constitutional
in her acts. had no choice but TO re-
quest Senior SagaSta to remain. he
consented but the other ministers
We're by no means satisfied. Ihere
were irreconcilaple differences OF optn-1
ion among them on at least one vital
question of policy, and several OF them
felt that they themselves, as we'll as
some OF their colleagues, were not ca
pable of coping with the departmental
duties of their Office at a time OF great
national danger Finally on Sunday.
May 8, Senior Sagasta, yielding to the
representationS of those who wished 20
retire, rendered the Queen Regent the
resignation of the cabinet. Again the
same Important political personages
were sought and again they declined
the responsibilities Of office. Things
seemed at a dead lock- but there Was
still way out of it. The Fundamental
question of policy which divided NM
isters was whether the government
should still seek a pacific solution by
nrovokine the friendly Intervention OF
the great powers or should abandon all
present hone of peace ana fight to the
bitter end On that question, affect-
ing the vital interest of the country, Il
the nation might have vel! beeninyited
to listen to the voice of Its represen-$s