POLITICAL UNREST.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1639, 4 January 1913, Page 5

POLITICAL UNREST.

IN PORTUGAL--FAILURE TO FORM A CABINET, THE NEW EEPTJBLIC. . ''. Dy Telegraph-Press Assoclailon-OopyrißM i '■: Lisbon, January 2. '.;;., Dr. Manoel Arriaga, liio President, 'baa : failed to induce the Democratic and Con* ':••.'' scrvativo leaders to form a Cabinet.; "•..-." \' There are thjr,ty vacancies in the Cham« ■''■■ : "'--~ ber... Meanwhile the President has to-' . V quested tho Government to retain office, "i C ■':/ AN UNHAPPY"STATE. ' ;: \ V^ EEFOEMS LACKING IN POETOGAL^ The situation of Portugal to-day/two years and a, half after Hio revolution, i» •? Jar from ■ prosperous. ■. Tho national debt '• ■>< has increased enormously, and tho Portu> '■'■' Bucsi legislators (according' to the "Daily : '\ Neva" correspondent) do not seeni to be > '.-:'■ matting a success of the Republic, While. , .'\ the iiow Republican' regime w*s>wolcomod! :' ,'\ oven by Royalists who were tired of an ■: ' \ effete Monarchy, tho Republican Parlia-'"V .!,? ment seems to have shown itself quit* i" > incapable,of putting things straight;. Tlia ',i : '. ;'■ correspondent of . the "News,"- who' .has '■:>.«•■ 'A hitherto boon very; firm'\ in .liisPpro-'v. • ! ' Republican views, goes'on to eay:—Official : '" : ':,' departments are mostly, run bv old Mou*''"'' • archistaViyhich; the'Republio "has shorn i ;; ; :'.(; the good 'sense to retain. ■ Recently th*; : .'. v. 1 : Minister for Finance, Sen hor Vicente Fcr< / v -'.i reira, _visitod London and Paris to sound'"'. '• financiers as to a new loan. Ho: was in- .'• formed,' however,, that guarantees ; would)';'' V V bo required, 'which .it ' seoms J?ortugal ■ ' \ 7 cannot .grant . without allocating ! th«''v,i' colonics, a ooureo which' publicopinioaV y would, not tolerate.'." - . ■'.■ ;■■■'■'3 .' There is no doubt but that tho Eopublio::'r? inherited hoavy responsibilities, from: tho-',;' old effete Monarchy,-; but no ; really prac-, Y tioal measures' have ..been . adopted, to jh-< > stituto. •reforms.;,;; TTnfort'analoly,,''thiap state of things is reflected on trade, whichit' is ■ heavily handicapped. . ,Tho. majority, of the wealthy classes,were,Boyalists, who have left the country. l Banks,hold great numbors of unpaid drafts," and tbo'moncj crisiß, is acute. The cost of; living ha/ risen to such :an extent that' Lisbon J x.owthe. dearest capital in Europe i which to live, vegetables! meat, etc., hot ing increased from,'Wto"so'nor'cent, i the last two tears; 'rWith'thVexccptk of wine (vines), all the crops have; pftiW very poor this year, anoV as tho jpq spprity of the country, mainly ..depends « a good '.harvest, it is evident,there wi be increasing distress' amongst tho poor* classes...!" ~" ■;■■.■■'"■'.'' '■.'-".', -.:"■:■■ :• \ -.■!:--',*■-;. - : ;.'.- ,'j .'.'• With the;new. press law; newspapers As prohibited tho ■' use;, of free speech, ah| thoEoyaUst press no'longer exists. Th< Eepublican 'journals' aw' nearly alleemiJ official, being the, organ: of' some .special faction of the Republican party.;,' ;Th«i censure on telegrams sent by foreign oor-j respondents, • abroad';, .is .' doily bocomingn more' stringent. v< \ i •59:-\ v - : -S , j. i ; L '. /•';>•'. ■>•'■■;. I ;Tho prisons . aro overcrowded'.."with » Eoyalists accused ' of : conspiring"against-i the Eopublic. Tho Courts-martial daily , sentence batohes of 15, to 20/ conspirators -. i to: heavy .'sentences .of' six; years' solitary; :.-■, confinement,. followed '.by, ten '.years', oV ; ,, ;v portation: totho. colonies. ' ■' ■'. ~ -.'-■•,■,':.{ Although lit,is only just the Eepublid','■;! 1 should' punish thosiv.l>earing arms or coin.';'.,; spiring against it,' it is not'fair.to iroai ,'...v;'si them, like Criminals of tho' lotcsJ; type, ;.;,; i,s and subject.them to close confinement iniv.j:. ;■■_ inadequate;: cclls,>-:4resse4 '.: in f- hoc4ed, ,\',.'•']■' shrouds jvitli. two l^^cye" hblesi-for the pur< ':' '•;:"; ,pose of 'vision,:''and debarred^roth:all v ;;;,,i.-,.; ; !; speech.-;tt must be reniemb<>red that : lb» :., '.. the greatlpart.tho'prisoners Wong ,t«_tho;.;"'■' highest :-Portufiueso . .aristocracy.: ■ Thia I '. .;. ■' ■~ treatment'is ; raising. fl ,protest ■ from the •,,■ .better, class of: pcoplo, who claim that, /. «uolr prisoners should;be ( placed, in fort •;,■; resses as 'political offenders.,: It,, would ' , scorn, howovor,- that tho Qo-rtrnments :,- hand is foroed'iri.'this , 5 '.'•'...;■ Tabid Socialist Republicans.; ;;.-n.,':■."':'..iilvf -/;■■: ■> ■' In, view of.the' general state' of ■.annua s . .': emigration is assuming' alarming .proper-..; .. tions l 'cspecia\ly.,from.; the 1 Douro and::.....;.;. v Alomtejo provinces, and •■hi»"n«j' rw 01 '?" 1 ' ',-.'■•; f ■ the enormous''avcrago.of•. 72|000,',f0r \M ■ , .;■■.;;;;. current year, with prospect of increasing, :;; ■ which is threatening the whole; ; agrioul- v| tural welfare of the country.";-..':':•'..;;,';,;;.,■' \-(-"/r