Year: 1878




progress of science. to check philosophy and
discipline the youth OF Spain in the hard school of
The syllabus Liberty of the subject intcrfered
with by arbitrary arrests. deportation the
Philippines, state of siege in the Basque provinces
and oncroaehment upon the judicial authority by
courts martial Liberty of the press has been
tailed by special laws and circulars of the Executive
and fettercd by fines until it has become uncom
mon occurrence 10 sec ve ont of nine liberal papers
in Madrid brought up for sentence in one week.


REFoRMs IN


Universal suffrage one of the few reforms of
1865 which had been untouched. though every one
could foresee its doom when limited franchise ana
restrictions introduced in the elections of town
councils. those OF provincial assemblies and
of the Upper House of the Cortes Last week il was
reported that directly after the Army bill the House
would be called upon to vote the measure
destined to reform the electoral suffrage in political
elections The approach of the general election in
resistance to the series of bills brought in by the
Cabinet in quick succession. All the parties
tions as an event likely to bring about a crisis
which might perhsps. induce the conservative
Cabinet to resign and allow more liberal gov
ernment to consult the opinion OF the constituent
cies without the unfair pressure which is usually
brought TO bear upon the voters. For no other
reason. perhaps. has this session been quiet and
void of interest Otherwise. indeed the Army bill.
which vests the supreme command and control OF
military institutions and military resources in the
hands Of the Sovereign and creates in time of war
irresponsible nder- -in-chef. would have prob
ably been vigorously resisted in the Cortes.





The apathy and Indifference of the Lower Honse
We're disturbed on Saturday, when q brilliant skir-
school and Sefior Romero Robledo, Minister of the
Interior. The liberals in the Cortes reminded the
Home Secretary OF other times, when His Excellency
used to sit among the earnest advocates of universal
suffrage even to that extent that he active
promoter of the revolution of Cadiz. The atmos-
phere had become rather tempestuous the sitting
of Monday and the galleries began 10 fill inst before
five O'Clock, rs it was known that Emilio CASTELAR,
would speak before division taken. The lob
an1cu - t1.a .slal
all the afternoon and every inch of space in the
large session hall was filled with eager spec
tators and members OF both Senate and Lower House.
A little after five Emilio CASTELAR, rose in his
among the benches of the Left and began Of the
most eloquent speeches OF his brilliant career In q
magnificent exortum he sketched the evils which
had attended the series of pronunciamentos and
violent changes to which every party in
cession had appealed in order to reach the
goal ut AL alike-power and exclusive
monopoly Of all the institutions in this country.
In a single period of this Grafton CASTELAR, rapidly
described the rise and fall OF absoutism and the
progrcssista schools. the quick success of the
action and of the revolution in 1876. in 1856 1868.
when he said 1.-The sovereignty of the nation
snpplanted the ancient monarchy by
the restoration when the unfortunate coup fstat
OF Sagonte took place The President of the
Cortes, Seiior Ayala called the orator to order.
amid loud ordinations of the Right and Centre,
most of whom had risen to their feet. Alone the
ten Ministers OF the Crown sat motionless the
first bench of the Right. Seilor CASTELAR,. calm
and almost smiling, let the storm pass away and
in . quiet subducd but slightly trembling voice.
again denounced. with passionate eloquence, the
fatal consequences Of the prOnunciamcntO system,
which in his opinion makes the possession of power
monopoly for its temporary tenants. and inspires
all the other parties with the inveerate habit of seek
ing its acquisition by every means foul or fair


REAcrIoSARy GOVERNMENT.


CASTELAR, analyz yzed1the defects OF the new Limited
franchise BILL and pointed ont what great error bad
been committed by conservative policy by so-callcd
partsans Of the restoration, who suddenly cast out
side ot their political several millions of elec
tors who for ten have exercised their rights,
and who condemned to stand in abyss
from which they will think they can only escape by
ment Senior CASTELAR, considers reactionary
and faught with perilous consequences in
y country in which political schools only too
prone resort to violent and illegal modes of reach
ing power. He asked the Cortes whether the electors
Congress had indeed authorized them to sweep away
by any legislation the rights of about two-ffths Of
the admit male population Of spain In conclusion
cate Of liberal policy, and that neither
he his followers would systematically
oppose such policy it did sincerely and truthfully
consult public opinion. THAT liberal policy need
not fear disorders any violence the part Of
democracy; democracy has passed from the ardent
impulses Of its earlier days to the qnietar Judgment
of matured experience il will give up it's ancient
prejudices when restored to its rights.
and II has recognized that the path OF free debates
and peaceful elections may be the slowest but is at
the same time the safest road to success"


WANTS KNOW.


SeIor Canoyas del' Castillo rose to answer the
harangue Of the republican leader. and he confined
his remarks to defence Of the Limited Franchise
bill. The Prime Minister challenged Castelar, to
show what grounds he ventnred to speak in de-
fence of democracy and of Spanish repubcansm.
as il is well known fact that the bulk of
his party incline toward the radical doc
trnes OF Ruiz, Zorrlla, Py Margall, and even
OF Csntonaiism. Some surprise was evinced by the
House. and more by the galleries, when the
Premier declared that few authors and fewer states
men nowadays defended universal suffrage. In
cluSion Seor del Castillo assured the House
that after passing this bill the constitutional mon
archy Of spain would be complete