The New Zealand TABLET THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 1907. THE TROUBLE IN SPAIN

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXV, Issue 2, 28 February 1907, Page 21

The New Zealand TABLET THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 1907. THE TROUBLE IN SPAIN

ARTLY because the - Associations - Bill intro-' s duced. in the Cortes in October last'is similar in name, and even to some extend; in phraseology to the - Associations Law. of France, partly because most of our information regarding the doings^ in Spain has filtered through the French press before get- - ting, into English .channels, and partly because the secular press generally have set, themselves to magnify the most trivial occurrences if they- could by any means be construed into an' anti-clerical manifestation, a general impression prevails that -the ■*. recent events in Spain— recorded briefly in our cables-rare the direct outcome of the religious crisis, in France, that the condition in both countries is the same, - ands-that, lin fact, both- countries" are going through precisely the same phase. of political -development. . Such" -an idea is entirely-erroneous. While -theref,. is ' oertaflnly - some ground for dissatisfaction at the way things. are, going - at present, there .is nothing that could with; any degreeof truthfulness be. described as a general anti-Cattoolic or anti-Ohristian movement in Spain. OL all the various parties in the Spanish -Parliament there is, onlysone— the Republican party-*that is on principle anti-clerical, and it numbers only 30 deputies in a House of over fourhundred 1 members. Small'as this party is it- has been chiefly notable so far for its inability to hold together.

There is also a section of the JLiberals— a split off from the Dynastic Liberals— who show strong anti-clerical tendencies, - but there is not anywhere the remotest approach to any such well-drilled anti-clerical ' bloc '■ as that organised— with such calamitous results— by M. Waldeck-Rausseau. , •

Leaving out of cqunt a number of small and insignificant political groups there are, roughly speaking, three leading political parties in Spain— the" Liberals, the Conservatives, and the Republicans. The Liberals, who are at present in . a majority— numbering 2£9 out of a Lower House of 405 ■ members— are divided into three distinct sections. First there is the Democratic Liberals, led by Senor Montero Rjos, the man .last named in our New Zealand cables as having been sent • for to form a Cabinet. He describes himself as ' a Catholic and a defender of the supremacy of the civil power.' While Prime Minister in 1905 he declared his intention of altering the law, in 'such a way th a t all the Religious Orders might have . a legal status without any exceptions being made in their favor by means of a Concordat. He commands the largest following in both Houses, Next, there is the Dynastic Liberals, led by Senor Moret. According to a writer in the

' Duiblin Review '—to whose brief but illuminative article on ' Church and State in Spain ' we are . in>debted for most of the facts here presented— he displayed, when a member of the Liberal Cabinet in 1902, a- fixed determination not to take any steps affecting the Religious Orders without the consent of the Vatican. On all such questions he declared that the Government must ' proceed in accord with the Holy See.' He has the support of a good number of senators, and deputies. From the Dynastic Liberals has sprung a third Li'beraf section under the leadership, of Senor Canalejas. These comprise the extremists of the Liberal party, and they have developed a marked anti-clerical, bias. Of the Republicans wo have already spoken. The Conservatives form the constitutional .opposition party, and are led by Senor Maura, a very gifted speaker and the best lawyer in Spain. The speeches made by him as Conservative Premier a few years ago, i n defence- of the Religious Orders; are said to have been the most elo •quent that had been -heard in the Cortes" for many years. His party has the support of the wealthy and educated classes in the country, - and comprises over a hundred 'deputies and about? the same number 'of senators. From this brief sketch of the state of political' parties it will be seen thart; tfoou\gh the Liberals have -an absolute majority they are unable, owing to their divisions, to make any effective use .of it. No one section is strong enough to carry through a coherent programme, and such anti-clerical measures as are brought forward are proposed, not really on principle, font simply as a bid for the necessary support of the Republican faction. * In order to give our readers a still clearer view of the situation we may consider very 'briefly the actual anti-clerical measures that have so far been pro-., posed,, the reception they have ""met with, and the outlook for the future. The first active outbreak of antiiclericalism took place on the return of the Liberals io power just after the Spanish-American - w&r. The Minister of the Interior, Senor Gonzalez, on the plea of giving effect to public opinion, signed a decree which ordered the Religious Orders to comply with the condi-' tions laid down in " the Associations Law of 1887— a law which, at the time of passing, was not intended -to affect Religious Orders at all. 'The Bishops at once took actioni; the country was aroused ; and Gonzalez was obliged to resign. • The next move ,was made on 37 of last year, when the Minister of Grace ; and Justice, Senor de Romanoncs,. issued a Royal Order - annulling the circular of the Marquis del Vadillo regarding civil marriage. This circular had required, "for

the validity of civil* marriage, a declaration of hon-j allegiance to the / Catholic -faitiLohi the* 'parkof one 6t both of i the contracting-par-ties*; Again^the Bishops 1 is-. 1 sued pastorals "strongly condemning, the" new. measure, to 1 ' the extreme -annoyance- of -thfr-Minister r ,who threatenedone of the prelates with :" legal" proceedings. Tfie threat,/ however, was never carried •- out, and ■ many 1 higfcauthorities throughout the country - have pronounced the RoyalOrder absolutely unconstitutional. But; by far' the ahost~ serious blow at the rights-,, and: liberties of the ChurcV was struck pn » 25 when/ -.the' ?new Associations Bill was presented and read in the House of Deputies. Amongst} :. others, things, the = Bill- giY.es.-> the j .Governments the rigfat to dissoflve, any association' of f, which the supreme director resides- out i< of 'Spajn, and it would practically have the . effect of completely suppressing the Religious! Orders, wiith tthe exception of a very- few which are specially exempted. The measure has been, coldly received even by the other sections of the' Liberal' party. Senor Moret, through his organ,, .the Mmparci'al,' 'has expressqd his conviction that the Bill has "bf en merely:- introduced for display, and. is never meant to become law. Senor Montero Rios condemns it as. being really inconsistent -with Liberal 1 principles ; and Senor Maura in an important speech in the Cortes;. on Novem--, ber 9 made it abundantly clear that the fneasure runs counter to the feelings of the whole country;

' From what has been said it will be apparent that the anti-clexical movement in, . Spain is of strictly limited dimensions, and that, in < the present divided state of political -parties, there is ample 1 material and opportunity for .a successful Catholic resistance. Already,, indeed, there are unmistakable signs of a Catholic reaction. In all the- large centres Catholic demonstrations, in protest against the Bill, are being carried out with great vigor and enthusiasm, and the Spanish Bishops have* addressed a dignified' and weighty petition to the JKing, praying him to withhold his sanction, "if it should be asked, ior- the 1 obnoxious Bill. The' writer of the article in the ' Dublin '—of whose valuable contribution we have made 1 the freest use— is of opinion that the Associations Bill will not be carried through, ' and that after one or two more attempts to form a Liberal Cabinet the Conservatives under Senor: Maura will return to power— a view • thatt has every appearance of probability. Whether" that should, prove to be so" or not, at least sufficient has been- said-to show that the state of things in Spain is by no means - so bad as it has been painted by the press and that that country is very far from having embarked on the career of . godl,essiness atod anti-Christtfan vwvdictiveness which marks the present condition., of unhappy France.