PORTUGAL.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 508, 15 May 1909, Page 5

PORTUGAL.

A NEW CABINET—DISSOLUTION THE . ALTERNATIVE. V, .. (BTTBLEORAPH—PRESS ASSOCIATION—COPTRIGHT.) . . ... (Beo. May 14, 10.57 p.m.) Lisbon, May 14. I Woncoslan Do Lima has formed a non-party Cabinet in Portugal containing, the most independent and safest statesmen available. ; . This is the last chance of governing, with the present Chamber. ' . "GERRYMANDERED" ELECTIONS.., After,, the assassination of King Carlos and the Crown .Prince ,n 1907, elections were held and- the present. Cortes was. elected. " The Republicans ■ alleged .that .the elections 'were manipulated/ and thit the new Chamber "If -iS c t repr -, e f? nt „ m f he country. Writes Hazolls Annual, The Monarchist parties won,an overwhelming victory. In Lisbon 4 Re>ml s seoU F, ed seats against 10 Monarchists. The results were: Regoueradores, 63; Progressists, 59; Independents, 15; Nationalists, 1; Republicans,, i ;.Franquistas, 3; Dissident ProBressists, 7; total membership, 155. , The country is divided into 2G electoral dis. tricts, large tracts of the surrounding country being included in an urban electoral district w here necessary, for gerrymandering' purposes. This tells chiefly against - the Bepub-•;,!K-]i£?- k ? Te ff eat the purely urban distncis._ It was stated that in 1908 the cities of Lisbon and Oporto cast majorities for the, Republicans, while thoy were strong in nf fv, "ft* and 1 ?,, tb6 urbttn "id rural centres or the - three southern provinces " ■ Parliamentary government has since proved very difficult m Portugal, and the group sy^ workable! srese ««bb fo be S