THE FIRST MESSAGE.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 940, 6 October 1910, Page 5

THE FIRST MESSAGE.

, A LIBERAL LEADER KILLED. . SHOT BY A LIEUTENANT. By Telegraph—Press ABSooiatdon-Oopyrifflit, . Lisbon, October 4. Dr. Bambardo, a celebrated alienist of Lisbon, and leader of the Liberal campaign against the - Clericals, was • fatally shot, by Lieutenant Rebello' with, a revolver. i LATEST DETAILS. THE REPORTS CONFIRMED. ROYAL STANDARD HAULED DOWN. (Roc. October 5, ll'.O p.m.) . ' London, October 5. . The' Portuguese Consulate in London has no offioial confirmation of the news regarding the revolution-, but privato advices lead, the Consulate to believe that the reports are correct. Reuter's correspondent at Santander. (Castile) reports that the German steamer Illyria received a wireless message from, the steamer Cap Blanco, anchored at Lisbon, stating that a revolution had broken out and that warships were bombarding the palace. . . ./

■ The revolutionaries, it . was:. added,' had hoisted a green . and blue flag in place, of the Royal Standard. , V f

Ordinary. telegraphic . communication has been out since the message reporting the ■ shooting of Dr. Bambardo was 'received. 1 ' ■ ' " "

ICING LOSING GROUND. ■ "The Times" .publishes a letter froru a; well-informed Lisbon correspondent, which it has just received. The correspondent statesthat King Manuel's lack of force in .political' affairs,;- by - public suspicion regarding his .private life, has; been-rapidly losing him the esteem of the Catholics, 'who - have been hitherto loyal. '■ - ■ Private advices state,, that the recent attitude of the Conservatives has aroused the suspicion that they havo, enteredinto relations with -the Republicans., . ; .■ PREPARATIONS FOR FLIGHT. Many landed' proprietors have been making provision to go abroad in case of - trouble, and • capitalists • have beeW transferring their . securities across .the borders'. ' ■ . . Tho Court party is displaying timidity, and this .prompted the .belief that , they will not offer serious' resistance. The concerted absence of . tho Progressistas and their allies ttjlien King Mnauel o'pened the Cortes on September 23 focussed the .growing criticism of . the King.

A LAND OF CHAOS. UNHAPPY PORTUGAL AND ITS - KING. Portugal has been in a disturbed state for a number of years past, and in May, 1907, the Parliament at -Lisbon - was dissolved and a Dictatorship established. This lasted. untili the following February, on the first day of which King.Carlos and the Crown Prince ' were: killed as . they were driving through the. streets on their return to the Palace from an excursion to Yilla.-Vicosai... The, Queen'.and Prfnoe Manuel, who was slightly , wounded, "were 'flso in the carriage. Prince Manuel, who was only .eighteen years old at the time; 'succeeded to the throne. /The Dictator'ship under Senhor Franco ' was ended, ana a Coalition - Ministry ; was. formed from the ranks of the chief parties; both of which rallied to the support of the young King. The ' harmony established did; not last long, and after a . generalelection 1 in. April,-1908, a series of Ministerial crises followed, with . the ' result that a state of political chaos has, prevailed almost from that time up to this. A CATASTROPHE IMMINENT. ' TEE EVENTS .OF AUGUST. - The revolution which has now i occurred' was not unexpected, as will be seen by the following dispatch sent by the Lisbon correspondent of the London - "Daily News,*' under date of August'22:— :l , "During the last few days the greatest excitement has prevailed throughout the country.: Tho. cause of tho agitation is a report that a revolution is '.imminent.'. Although it is officially declared-that a serious plot for the .overthrow of the Government has been discovered, it is impossible to obtain trustworthy details.. . "Tho rumour that is current, .whatever its source may be, is, however, that, the Clerical Party, with the support of a section of tho . Army and Navy, intend to establish a military dictatorship. "Never since the time of the murder of King Carlos has there teen such a display of military force. Tlio First Division of the Field Army is under arms in Lisbon, whilo the .surrounding forts and strong-' holds are fully garrisoned and ammunitioned. .' 1 "Tho Duke of Oporto, the young King's uncle, has, according to this rumour, betaken himself in alarm to the security of the fortress at Cascaes. '

"The worships in: the Tagus are reported to bo ready to shell tho'revolutionists. All the police have been concentrated in the police bajracks, whenco, in the event of a;rising, they are prepared to sally out, armed to the teeth, with revolvers' and sabres.; The, Customs officials and coastguards have been called in from the whole of tho surrounding country to swell tho defenco foroo in the capital. In consequence, tho smugglers havo had a clear field for the last few. days, and the illicit traffic has been enormous. Tho number of robberies and outrages in the towns has also increased. "It seems ns if tho 'revolt" has been postponed, but the military precautions are to continue." DIVIDED AGAINST ITSELF; THE STATE AS MANUEL FOUND IT. The late King Carlos was exceedingly unpopular with his people. He was extravagant, and when Senor Franco estab-

lished his dictatorship, one of his first acts was -to iriorease the King's. already over-swollen cml list -by an additional grant, 0f,£38,000 per' annum. A writer, in we Contemporary Review," who was in Lisbon at the. time of the assassination, described the attitude of the public as one. of callous indiiference. Lisbon showed not a trace of mourning; , 'A Republican newspaper" mentioned the tragedy in a few lines under : the heading "Miscellaneous News," and iion© • of, tlie moro serious papers expressed any sympathy ,witn the late King or the R-oyal Family. Only one, the "Diario," Senator Franco's own: paper, was outlined in black. ! Publio reeling was. in unison with the journals. . King Manuel's task has been a'difficult and ungrateful one, and the: same writer, -.1. Jean Finot, said; of Portugal as he found it-in'February, 1908:—• - 'He comas at - a moment when the monarphy, like a decaying tree whose branches are drying up and the sap fail-' Js' "is vPn;: the-, way : , to its - fall. Ihe finances. of, the. State are deplorable, lor centuries the' bad condition of the exchequer has weighed upon the. Portuguese kingdonj. The mess must needs continue. ■ Will the monarchical parties venture to attack- the abuses of favouritism, whioh ought to be, cut up by. the roots, _ov the tariff which : both sustains and Jails the. country? The leaders are divided'by intestine quarrels, -Perhaps they, would need another Franco, Iwith energy, equal to his, to break with the past;,, ... . , Perhaps there will be only one issue to, this monarchy in chaos—a Republic. The' other_ t day I was visited by ono of the Republican leaders, whose high character and eloquence command the , admiration even . of his. ■ enemies— Magalhaes Lima. 'The Republic is at hand,' lie told, me,, and his face was lit up by joyful hope.: . 'And afterwards?' said I. "Do you' really believe that a cliango of. the label alters the nature'of the liquor?': 'No doubt,' lie replied.; The monarchy , has.;-proved -its character. Think of our 75' per cent, of illiterates, of our undeveloped resources, of the ruins which' lie all round -us:- It is 'we 'who , will, transform: tho government, and with changed political conditions/we 6hall infuse.l a new spirit into our people." .. .

A STUDIOUS MONARCH. HOW THE- NEW KING RULED.; /• Of the new .King, A. M. Oram, wrote' some "little time baok in the "Daily Mail": "Dom Manuel is a bright, good-looking lad,.his graceful manners,and brilliance of repartee making him a great acquisition -to - the' rather, dull Court life. Ho is, intelligent and studious,' much devoted to those he considers his•' loyal friends; and, 'his innate . amiability of oharacter endears him to all. These qualities have been improved: by a methodical and strict education." ;

The , cable statements published abovo as to King Manuel's lack of force and private life are not in-harmony with the sketches of him which have appeared in the press : from time to time! A correspondent of "The Times," for instance, wrote in December last:—"A young man who; has but recently emerged from a stated of tutelage and the subordinate position of a second son'can ffardly have a; history. V; He may, however, have cha.r-' aoter, and this is emphatically the case with King Manuel. His ruling passion is undoubtedly for serious things.. If letters were the favourite occupation of his grandfather Dom. Luiz, and if sport and military matters were more to_, Donr Carlos than politics, the present King of Portugal is above all an eager student of the'art .of government. :Tn a letter written last summer to an . eminent publio man, , tho young King defines his . purpose in the following words:—. "'To do the right thing, to work, and, above all,' to accomplish something for my beloved country is my only: and exclusive ambition, and'it seems to me that it is a noble ambition. . . . This, difficult .but glorious ..mission r desire to carry' oui .devotedly, giving for it all I have, even /my life, if that be necessary.' ..''Doin Manuel, within the limits- of the Constitution, may:be said to rule as well, as' to reign.' He .discusses;.public affairs with his Ministers, Teads and considers documents submitted for . his Signature, and has frequent consultations with leading public, men. As : soon as such inter'views are' over he'inakes a: resume of. what has - passed . for. future reference. His power of appointing and dismissing Ministers without reference to Parliament gives 'him a real influence over the Executive, ,but. it is generally: agreed that he has i during his reign used his powers .with . the utmost prudence. . No. King could be more painstaking and methodical.' He undertakes personally, his correspondence with, public men, and copies his, letters himself by means of a press. His days, indeed, occupied as they are with audiences, desk, ivork, and the recreation necessary for health, raroly end before 2or 3 o'clock in the morning. He loves his business and is .'a master of detail."';'.