The Restored Monarchy

The last Conservative cabinet of this reign was neither popular nor successful. In the cortes the tension in the relations between the Government and the Opposition was growing daily more serious. Outside, the Republicans and Carlists were getting troublesome, and the tone of their press vied with that of the Liberals in their attacks on the Conservative cabinet.

Regency of Queen Cristina.

The declining health of the king had been kept as secret as possible, and in the ten months before his death the Conservative cabinet displayed unprecedented rigour against the newspapers of every shade : in 6o days 1,26o prosecutions were ordered against Madrid and provincial papers. But at last, on Nov. 24, 1885, the truth had to be admitted and on the morning of the 25th the end came. It was no wonder that the death of the king should have made Spaniards and foreigners extremely anxious about the prospects of the monarchy. Alphonso XII. left no male issue. He had two daughters, the princess of the Asturias, born in 188o and the Infanta Maria Theresa, born in 1882. At the time of his death it had not been officially inti mated that the queen was enceinte. The Official Gazette did not announce that fact until three months after the demise of the sovereign. On May 17, 1886, six months after the death of Alphonso XII., his posthumous son, Alphonso XIII. was born at the palace of Madrid. The political situation was difficult. Canovas assured the queen-regent that he was ready to undertake the Government if it was thought wise to continue the Conserva tive policy of the late king, but in the circumstances he frankly advised that Senor Sagasta should be asked to take the reins of government, with a view to inaugurating the regency under a progressive and conciliatory policy.

Sagasta.

Sagasta took for colleagues for the first Liberal cabinet some of the strongest and most popular statesmen of the party, virtually representing the three important groups of men of the Revolution united under his leadership—veteran Liberals like Camacho and Venancio Gonzalez; Moderates like Alonzo Martinez, Gamazo and Marshal Jovellar; and Democrats like Moret, Montero Rios and Admiral Beranger. The new cabinet

convoked the cortes elected under the administration of Canovas in 1884; and supplies and other bills were voted to enable the government to be carried on until another parliament could be elected in the following year, 1886.

The field was thus fairly clear for an accentuation of the Catholic policy which the queen mother had at heart. She be came regent when Spain had felt the consequences of the expul sion of the Jesuits and other religious orders from France after the famous Jules Ferry laws, which aimed at placing these orders once more under State control, to which they declined to submit.

They selected Spain as an excellent field of enterprise; and all the Governments of the regency showed so much indulgence towards the Catholic revival thus started, that in less than a decade the kingdom was studded with convents and monasteries. Progress.—The prime minister conducted the first general elec tion in 1886 much after the usual precedents. The long parlia ment of the regency was composed of considerable Liberal ma jorities in both houses, though Sagasta had allowed a larger share than Canovas was wont to do to the minorities; on the Opposition benches Republicans of various shades were represented by their most eminent leaders, the Carlists had a respectable group, and the Conservatives a strong muster, flanked by a group of dis sentients. The first cortes of the regency in five sessions did really good and substantial work. A civil code was carefully drawn up by Alonzo Martinez, in order to consolidate the hetero geneous ancient legislation of the monarchy, especially in the old kingdom of Castile; while at the same time measures were taken to ensure respect for the local civil laws of many provinces, especially Catalonia, Aragon, Valencia, Navarre and the Basque territory. Trial by jury was re-established for most crimes and offences. The laws regulating the rights of association and public meeting, the liberty of the press and other rights of the subject were reformed on liberal and more tolerant lines.

Republican Movement Fails.

In these circumstances, a Republican movement which was suddenly launched in Sept.