Revolution in Portugal.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10112, 6 October 1910, Page 5

Revolution in Portugal.

THE KINQ A PMSCWEE.

United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright,

(Received Last Night, 8.20 o'clock. LONDON, October 4, A wireless message has been received in Paris, reporting that a revolution baa occurred in Lisbon, Portugal. Warships were bombarding the Palace at two o'cloek. I The Army and Navy are siding ! with the Kevolutionaries, who are re- j ported to have captured the Palace. King Manuel 11. is reported to have been taken prisoner, A DOCTOR SHOT. i Racesvcd October 5, 10 15 a.m. LISBON, October 4. Dr. Fombardo, a celebrated alienist of Lisbon, and leader of the Liberal campaign against the Clerical?, was iatally byjliieulenant J Rebello with a |

j UNOFFICIAL CONFIRMATION. WARSH'PS BOMBARDING THE PALACE. 'IELEGRAPH COMMUNICATION CUT. THE KING'S LACK OF FORCE. Received Last Night, 11 o'clock. LONDON, October 5. The Portuguese Consulate in London has received no officii; 1 coufirm atjon of the Revolution, but private advices lead tbe Consulate to believe that the reports are correct. Reuter's agent at Santandcr, a seaport of Spain, reports that the German steamer lllyria Has received a wireless message from the steamer Cape Blanco, anchored at Lisbon, stating that a revolution has brouen out,, and that warships are bombarding the Palace. The Revolutionaries have hoisted a green and b'.ue flag in place of the Royal Standard. j Telegraphic communication has! been cut since the receipt of the message reporting the shooting of Dr. Bombardo.

The Times publishes a letter, just received, from a well-informed Lis* bon correspondent,' who states that King Manuel's lack or> force in political affairs, has been accentuated by a public suspicion that his private life has been rapidly losing him the esteem of the Roman Catho ics, who have hitherto been loyal.

Private advices state that the recent attitude of the Conservatives has aroused the suspicion that they have entered relations with the Re pubilcans. Many landed prcprietors have been making provision lo gu abroad, in case of trouble. Capitalists have been transferring their securities across the border. Couvr. parly is displaying timidity, which prompts the belief that they will not offer serious resistance. The concerted absence of the Prcgredsistas and tneir allies, when King Manuel opened the Cortes on Sepumber 23n1, focussed the growing criticism of the King.

KING MANUEL 11. King Manuel 11., who is reported to have been taken prisoner by the Revolutionaries, is a sen of the late King Carlos, and is . barely twentyone years of age. He succeeded to the throne on the assassination of his father and brother on February let, 1908. His Civil List was fixed at £73,000. The Conetitution of 1826 givts wide power to the King.

GOVERNMENT. There are two legislative chambers, the Peers and the Deputies, collectively called the Cortes. )n case of a disagreement between the two legislative chambers, a commit- j tee of both decides, and if the committee disagrees, the King decides. The Chamber of Peers consists of 90 members Dominated for life, in addition to the princes of the blood,l the twelve bishops of the Continental diocesep, and 52 hereditary peers. The Chamber of Deputies is composed of members elected under a system of universal suffrage every four years, to the Eiumber of 15. POPULATION AND . RELIGION. The population of the kingdom of Portugal in 1909 was given as 5,687,627. The capital, Lisbon, baa a population of :?57.000. Threefifths of the people are engaged in agriculture, and about one-fifth in industrial occupations. The State religion is Roman Catholic, but all others are tolerated.

POLITICAL PARTIES

Until 1906 the two chief political parties in Portugal, the Regeneradores or Conservatives led by the late Senator Hintze Rsbero, and the ProKresaistas or Liberals led by Senator de Castro shared the administration between them. In 1901 Senor Joan Franco founded a party of Liberal-Regeneradores, with a policy of social and economic reforms and efficient Party control of the ad- I ministration. In May, 1906, b'enbor Franco was appointed Prime Mints ter, but at the elections in August ; he failed to obtain an absolute majority in the Chamber, while four Republican members were returned. Obstruction was manifested directly he tried to carry out his projected reforms,' and in May, 1907. the Chamber was dissolved, and a virtual dictatorship was established, with the result that all p?rties organised themselves solidly against the Government. On the assassination of i King Carlos in February 1908; Sen-

WARSHIPS BOMBARDING THE PALACE.

hor Franco res'gned and left the country, and a Coalition Ministry was formed, under Vice-Admiral Feueira do Amarai to support the 1 young king. EVENTS IN 1909. The Coalition Ministry which had been formed on the assassination of King Carlos in February 1908, resigned on December 19th, owing to the action of Senhor Vilhena, the Regenerador leader, in withdrawing f his support. The formation of a new

Cabinet was complicated by the division of parties in the Cottes, the Kegeceradors themselves being divided into three sections. Eventually a Cabinet of three Kegeneradora and lour Progressists vtas • formed by Senhor Camrjos Hecriques, the leader of one of the Kegeneradcr parties, I The jjew Cabinet piociaimed a I policy of "tolerant Liberalism," and was violently assailed as Progressist by the Kegeneradors following Senhor Viihena. At the request of the Premier, the State council postponed the meeting of Parliament until Match Ist, On i that date the session was opened by I King Manuel. It closed, after a succession of stormy scenes in the Chamber of Deputies, on the 16tb. On the 31st the Cabinet resigned, ostensibly on trie around ot Opposition attack upon the Finance Minister, Senhor Espreguena. Senhor ' Beirao having failed in the attempt to form a,Ministry, the taak was undertaken by Senhor Telles, whose Ministry undertook the programme of its predecessor, and was promised ! the support of the Progressist, Hen- ; riquiaip, and Amaraliata. Its motto ' was "i<icerty, appeasement, and ad- ' ministration." It lasted for nearly ] four weeks. Personal squabbles arid party obstruction havinp brought the business of the Lower Chamber to a ( standstill, Senhor 'feiles resigned on \ May 4th. He was succeeded by Sen- . hor Wenceslau de Lima, who formed a non-party Administration. \

With tbe exception of the Premier, the new Ministers were all inexperienced in polities, nune of them being a member of the Chamber of Deputies. In order to give them time to prepare a programme, the Council of state adjourned the Cortea until July 19th. TROUBLE BREWING.

The Madrid correspondent of the London Timee, wiring to his paper on August 25th last, said:—Advices have been received here from Lisbon, dated 23ru insi,, to ihe effect that, u-.i ihe tesult of conftreuces between tie Minister of War and the generals of the garrisons, and between the General Staff of the Navy and thu commanders of the warships lying in the Taeue, all leave for officerr-and men 'has been suspended and the warships have been ordered to leave for various destinations. These measures have caused general surprise. It is added that, in \iew of rumours attributing tu the Conservattvea the intention or provoking a disturbances, the Guvernrrient has taken further steps to rpair.tain public order, whicu, so far, however, has not been disturbed; Ail telegrams relating to the subject are stopped by the Censor. In certain quarters those disquieting rumours are characterised as inventions and part of an election manoeuvre.