RECENT EVENTS IN THE CAPITAL.

Evening Post, Volume LXXV, Issue 28, 3 February 1908, Page 7

RECENT EVENTS IN THE CAPITAL.

KING AND PARLIAMENT. Although the cablegrams to-day attribute th& Lisbon tragedy to foreign. Anarchists, recent events would seem to show that it is not unconnected with, political troubles in Portugal itself. Rather over a year ago there was a furious discussion in the Portuguese Chamber concerning 1 tho private debts of King 1 Carlos. Dr. Afforea Costa asked the Government to mortgage the Royal estates and then eipel the King like a common criminal. Those remarks led to a. scene of groat' confusion.' Dr. Bmg-a., leader of the Republican party, declared that the King was a thief and' a robber. The military were called! to clear the Chamber, whereupon one' deputy appealed to the soldiers to proclaim a republic. Occupants of the strangers' gallery gave cheers f6r "the Republic," and were expelled by soldiers. The Chamber '-suspended Drs. Braga and Costa for thirty, days. A law months afterwards* the Ministry was defeated, but the King dismissed the Parliament and maintained the Government in office. The Constitution provides that in case of dissolution a new Parliament must be called together immediately ; but King Carlos ignored this ! (revision, and governed by decree. Popuar commotions in Oporto and ', Lisbon , followed, at the former place the Premier and his guards being iet upon by a crowd in the streets,,and heavily "stoned. A barricade was erected,'- aad a fusilade was ■ kept up for some' time tietween police ajid rioters, many on both sides being wounded. In riots 'at Lisbon two persons were killed. >As a result oi enetgetic action demonstrations against th* Government ceasedVbut the prisons wer* filled with political ' suspects. , The Re» publican clubs in Lisbon were closed. The Republican files werpt Tiowever, not extinct, but smouldering. This became . evident itowards the end of last! August, when tho explosion of a bomll led to the discovery of a plot io assassinate King Carlos and the Premier. While the bomb for this purpose was being prepared' it exploded-, • killing one conspirat<yr and wounding twa others. Documents comprising many persons x were ijmnd in the house where the exploaicrfi occurred; leading to about thirty; arrests. >• ' ' Government by dictatorship continued, accompanied by mutterings of rebellion and/ overthrow of the monarchy. In November seven hundred Portuguese officers tried to organise a <ssmonstration i/i the capital in favour of King Carlos, 'out so many officers, were prepared to assist a bounter-demonstration that the police prohibited' both parties from meeting. The ' dictatorship was made complete a few weeks ago, -when decrees wore issued; appointing administrative) commissioners to supersede the CouncilsGeneral and, municipal ■ and . parochial councils.', ■ , * If tho Madrid correspondent of thm Daily Express is to be credited, tha Crown Prince did not approve the unconstitutional acts of his ( father. H* remonstrated with the. King on the danger of continuing a dictatorship, which, he pointed' out, Tras turning Portugal into a. hotbed of republicanism and anarchism, and was endangering the dynasty. It was generally understood, that th# Queen shared her son's views.