Alphonso XIII.—King Alphonso XIII., whose enthronement took place with all the antique ceremonial on May 17 was him self at the outset under clerical and reactionary influences, and his contemptuous treatment of ministers—who at the ceremonial functions were placed wholly in the background—seemed to argue an intention of ruling personally under the advice of the court camarilla. This impression, due doubtless to the king's youth and inexperience, was belied in the event; but it served still further to discredit the Liberal Government. On Nov. 7 Sagasta resigned, resumed office temporarily on the i4th, and handed in his final resignation on Dec. 3. On Dec. 6 a Conserva tive cabinet was formed under Silvela, the portfolio of finance being taken by Villaverde.
The first years of the new reign saw a renewal of the rivalries between the leaders of both parties, Conservative and Liberal alike, the latter temporarily breaking up when, on Jan. 5, 1903, Sagasta died. The result was a period of frequent changes of Government : the conservative Governments of Villaverde and Maura, and the clerical-conservative Government of Azcarraga, in 1904, the Liberal Governments of Montero Rios and Moret in 1905. The country meanwhile was in a ferment, the old an tagonisms, due to the conflict of interests between the industrial north and the agricultural south and to the traditional regional, social and religious conflicts, being now complicated by socialist and anarchist agitation. • The king's marriage with Princess Victoria Eugenie, which took place on May 31, was in many respects significant. In spite of the young queen's "conversion" and the singular distinction conferred on her by the papal gift of the golden rose, the "Protes tant" alliance marked a further stage in Alphonso XIII.'s eman cipation from the tutelage of the Clerical-Conservative court, which looked with disfavour on the marriage. The king was, indeed, showing an increasing tendency to think and act for himself, which, though not as yet overstepping constitutional limits, was disconcerting to all parties.
The political situation soon assumed a serious aspect when the new cabinet presided over by General Lopez Dominguez, a democrat, obtained the king's sig nature to an ordinance giving, in conformity with the spirit of the law, legal validity to the civil marriages of Catholics. This aroused a furious agitation among the clergy, to which bounds were only set by the threat of the Government to prosecute the bishop of Tuy and the chapter of Cordova. In the session 1906 07 the most burning subject of debate was the new Associations Law, drawn up by the minister Senor Davila. Even in the Liberal ranks the question aroused furious differences of opinion; Senor Montero Rios, the president of the senate, denounced the "infamous attacks on the church"; the Government itself showed a wavering temper in entering on long and futile nego tiations with the Vatican; while in Jan. 1907 the cardinal arch bishop of Toledo presented a united protest of the Spanish epis copate against the proposed law. This and other issues produced complete disunion in the Liberal party. Already, on Nov. 27, Lopez Dominguez had resigned; his successor, Moret, had at once suffered defeat in the house and been succeeded in his turn on Dec. 4 by the marquis de la Vega de Armijo. The question
was now mooted in the cabinet of dropping the Associations Law; but on Jan. 21, 1907 Senor Canalejas, president of the lower house, who was credited with having inspired the bill, puolicly declared that in that event he would cease to support the Government. By the 24th the cabinet resigned, and a Con servative Government was in office under Senor Maura as premier.
During his second period of political power Maura gave a clear indication of his qualities and aims, which were to exercise a powerful influence upon affairs. Though a sincere Catholic, he was no Clerical, as was proved by his refusal to withdraw the ordinance on civil marriage. The main Gbjects that he set before himself were, firstly, the mainte nance of order; secondly, the reform of local government, so as to destroy the power of the caciques and educate the people in their privileges and responsibilities. The local administration reform bill was submitted to the cortes in Oct. 1907. It contained
clauses, largely increased the responsibility of the local elected bodies, made it compulsory for every elector to vote, and did away with official interference at the polls. The bill met with strenuous opposition, and on Dec. 23, 1907 the cortes adjourned without its having been advanced.
But in the following year the struggle between the antagonistic forces in Spain once more pro duced a perilous crisis. The Local Administration bill, after being debated for two sessions, passed the lower house on Feb. 13, 1909, having at the last moment received the support of the Liberal Senor Moret, though the Radicals as a whole opposed it as a sop to Senor Cambo, the Regionalist leader, and tending to disintegration. It was however evident that the method of Senor Maura, who ruled in the spirit of an enlightened despotism rather than in that of a constitutional government, could not meet with the approval of Liberals : at all events it was inevitable that he should incur unpopularity in many quarters. His efforts to re construct the Spanish navy were attacked both by the apostles of retrenchment and by those who saw in the shipbuilding con tracts an undue favouring of the foreigner; the Marine Industries Protection Act was denounced as favouring the large ship owners and exporters at the expense of the smaller men. The cabinet's ecclesiastical policy also exposed him to the fate of those who take the middle way; the Liberals denounced the minister of education, Don F. Rodriguez San Pedro, for making concessions to the teaching orders, while the archbishops of Burgos and Santiago de Compostella fulminated against the Government for daring to tax the congregations. In his reforming work Maura had an active and efficient lieutenant in the minister of the interior, Senor La Cierva. Under his auspices laws were passed reforming and strengthening the police force, instituting industrial tribunals, regulating the work of women and children, introducing Sunday rest, early closing and other reforms. In short, the position of the Government, when the cortes adjourned on June 6, 1909, seemed to be assured.