The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1908-02-02

throw the present conditions and proclaim
a republic.
Causes of Tragedy
Carlos l Was born September 2S 1865
He married Marie Amelie, daughter of
Philippe Due De Orleans ON May p, 1886.
He succeeded to the thorne October ~,
1869 The Crown Prince, Louis Philippe,
Duke OF Braganza, was born March q,
1887
While there had been considerable dis
ruption in political affairs in Portugal
for a long time, the strained relations
between King Carlos and parliament were
brought to a head only on May H. last.
by the dissolution of the chambers. The
state counseliors addressed a letter to
| the King. protesting against the state of
ahsolutism, which resulted from the dis
solution, and they declared then that
the King and the country had been placed
In dangerous position. The crisis in the
political situation arose from the fact
that the cabinet, which represented ex-
elrsively the new liberal group, found its
programme of reforms INSTRUCTED by both
the other conservative and progressive
parties and decided to ask for the dis
, solution of parliament in order to bring
about the PRONUNCIATION of a number of
| measures by means of decree.
The cabinet was of the opinion that
thus having established its determination
country, it could appeal with the fullest
! confidence to the people for a gencl al
election The opposition attacked the
+, King for dissolving parliament, declar-
/ ing this to be an unconstitutional step.
Senior Franco. the premier, published a
! decree dissolying the chamber and stated
that after seven months of parliamentary
strife he had found it impossible to gov
! ern with a parliament and to carry out
his legislative programme, which included
! policy of social and economic reforms
and efficient party control of the admins
/ trations. In this he established a YER
I table dictatorship and since then has gov
/ erned with an iron hand.
Reports of Trouble.
! Reports emanating from many parts of
! Portugal, and through Madrid, in Spain,
| in the last few months have indicated
! that trouble was brewing for Portugal,
| and that revolutionists were at work.
| After numerous minor risings had been
| put down, the police on January % came
! upon a widespread plot to overthrow tie
monarchy and proclaim Portugal a repub-
lie. The plot was organized by a small
group of advanced republicans and the
original intention was to assassinate Pre-
mier Franco and depend upon the secret
republican and labor organizations, armed
with bombs and revolvers, to complete
the work of revolution in the streets.
But the police raided the meeting place
/ of the conspirators and made number
! of arrests Selling quantities of bombs and
other weapons. and since then other raids
have been made in Lisbon, with the re-
suit that the police believed they had
the revolutionares well in hand. Each
day, however, brought new evidences ana
notifications of plot to remove the heads
! of the state and establish republicanism
in the country.
! A treaty with England, however, not
/ only provides for assistance from that
country in event of foreign invasion OF
i Portugal but is also designed to safe
! guard the crown against any danger from
| revolution In the form of an attempt upon
! the monarchy itself.
l. Claims of Pretender.
| Dom Miguel de Braganza. head of the
| House of the line of Braganza. which for
merly reigned over Portugal. the pre-
! tender to the throne, is likely to come
TO the front again because of the death
! of King Carlos and the Crown Prince.
| The father of Dom Miguel was the late
! King Miguel I. Duke of Braganza. who
seized the throne from his niece, Queen
! Mary H. daughter of Emperor Pedro
I of Brazil, and was King of Portugal from
| 1898 to 1894, at which later date Queen
Maria was restored to the throne. There
| have been numerous runors of a rebel
T lion, with the object of placing Dom
| Miguel on the throne, but recently these
were not given serious consideration. Last
| June, Dom Miguel through the medium
| of the newspapers of Vienna, announced
! his willingness to fill any vacancies to
| the Portugal throne arising from the. con-
| stitutional dispute in that country.
| Business Frustrated.
| The tragedy occurred about $50 in
] the afternoon, but the panic which in
| stantly gripped the city and all it's ac-
| tivities Frustrated the lines of COM
1 nunication and it was not until for
| some hours that the news of the as.
sassinations were permitted to be sent
| broadcast. Lisbon tonight wears an
+: air of utter desolation. The theatres
| and cafes are closed, the streets are
! almost deserted and the electric cars
are moving without passengers. In
short. the city has shut itself up in it's
houses.
While the people communed upon
| the future of their country the minds
| of all the faithful monarchists turned
at once to the thought that the
| wounded infant Manuel was now king
of Portugal. With this conviction,
| came the other that all must be done
| to safeguard the boys life and couriers
| thundered through the streets summon
ing to the bedside of the wounded
youth all the skilled persons that could
be found in Lisbon.
mi ErAx hC h