The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1900-12-27

Barcelona,") its aristocratic villas all
laid out after a uniform pattern, so that
a man must needs go home very sober
i'll order to fit his own latch-key The
main street of this quarter is the cele-
brated Rambla,' so often pictured
and described as one of the gayest re-
sorts i'll Europe. 1t has a fine prone
made, with double rows of plane trees
down the middle; and on each side of it
are the best hotels. club houses, thea
tres and restaurants of the city. 1t is
said that Barcelona has more casinos,
club-houses and fashionable gambling
places than any other city of its size in
Europe. 1t also rejoices in the posses
sion of fourteen theatres, all of more
or less pretension and open the year
around The finest, called Teatro del
Liceo, devoted mainly to light opera,
occupies the side of an ancient monas-
terry of Trinitarian Monks; and the
Teatro Principal, said to be the largest
| in Spain, is an immense, barn-like af-
fair, with seating capacity of five
| thousand.
| Remains of the former royal state of
Barcelona are found in the Palacio Real
of the kings of Aragons, and the Pal
acio de la Reina, palace Of the Queen,
| both in the old town. The present
palace of the Captain General was built
NV tho ,o,,pininoJ a,+bo riff; oc for q cloth
hall, in the year 1414. The only thing
of interest about it is the archives OF
the Patrimonio Real, deposited here
since fire at the Palace few year ago
| The records of Aragon and Catalonia
some of them dating back to the 9th cen
fury, are considered among the most val
liable documents of their kind in exist
ance. Then there in the Lonja, OF Elk
change, dating from 1888; the Aduana
or Custom House: the Casa de Con
sistorial. a fine old Gothic building: and
most important of all. the Atarazanas.
or Arsenal-a very large and ancient
structure at the Seaward end of the
Rambla said to have been built little
more than eight hundred and fifty
wears ago. The first bank of exchange
and deposit III Europe was established
in Barcelona. i'll the year 14Gl. One OF
the most remarkable buildings is the
old Casa de la Deputacion, where the
! Cortes Of the province used to hold its
! stiffness 1t is now called the -Audencia
being occupied by courts Of law. The
administration of Spanish lustice-so-
called-is everywhere incredibly cor
rupt but to Barcelona is given the
| the least unsavory reputation Of any i'll
the kingdom. The proceedings are con-
Quoted with such dignity and ceremony
| that casual op-looker would never sus-
pect the existence of the sinister intiu-
enceS which control the decisions of
| these solemn tribunals. Only Well-dreS-
| Sed spectators are admitted. and never
women. The morbid curiosity that fire.
quently attracts American ladies to our
| criminal trials would be considered
scandalous in Spanish Audiencia.
caps, as in opera bouffe, and are attend
ed by alguaZils bearing the wands of
office and clad in the quaint costume of
the sixteenth century. When any one
enters or leaves the courtroom, he
| bows low to the Judges on the bench
| who politely return the salutation,
though in the midst of the gravest de-
| liberation on which mans life or lib
erty depends SO far is courtesy set
above every other consideration in
| Spain. The lawyers remain seated
while making their arguments and of
course nobody dreams Of depriving him
self for moment of his comforting
| cigarrito. The business of the court
| seems to be entirely in the hands of
escribandos, a class who discharge the
duties of attorney and notary and share
with the alguazils the universal detes-
tation of the people. The common
J appellation of the escribando is ''Don
Judas" and his character is an epitome
of all that is odious and mercenary.
The most contemplate mischief-maker,
who, in the qualification of spirit of
petty malice sets whole community
by the ears and involves his neighbors
in vexatious lawsuits, is a novice in his
art compared with the escrbando. If
he learns of a quarrel, even though the
parties may have since become recon-
ciled, he draws up an information and,
before filing it, privately notifies the
offenders of the amount necessary to
buy him off. If they refuse to accede
to his demands they are prosecuted;
and when the case comes to trial, both
are morally certain to be ruined. No
character in this sin-curSed world can
be meaner than this Spanish disturber
of the peace-unless it be the feminine
gossiper of American villages, whose
venomous tongue poisons friend and
foe alike. Even in ordinary civil actions
in Spain, shameful methods of extor-
ton prevail. The continuances are in
terminable and very expensive; and,