The Timaru Herald. MONDAY, JANUARY 13, 1890.

Timaru Herald, Volume L, Issue 4742, 13 January 1890, Page 2

The Timaru Herald. MONDAY, JANUARY 13, 1890.

The cablegrams relating to the health of the infunt King of Spain are rather conflicting, but taken altogether they point to the conclusion that his illness will probably prove fatal in the course of a few days or it may be hours. One message states that Senor Sagasta (who is Prime Minister and President of the Council) remains in office for the present in order to avert a revolution which it is feared may be attempted shoal- the King die. Not a word is said as to the probable instigators of a revolution, but that ia a little detail wbich the compiler of the message may have regarded as of no interest or importance to the outside world. At the present juncture Spain may be threatened with revolution from either of two sources, or from both. The Republican party are both powerful and dissatisfied, and the Carlists have also Ito be reckoned with. At all events ['they would not be slow to act if there ! appeared to be any reasonable hope of success. Tho present King, Alfonso XIII;, is the posthumous son of Alfonso XII., who died iu 1886, and was succeeded by bis eldest daughter Maria -de - las - Mercedeß, She reigned till the birth of her brother, tbe infant who is now said to be dying. Tbe regency is vested in tbe Queen Dowager, Muria Christina, daughter of Karl Ferdinand, Archduke of Austria. Should tbe King's illness terminate fatally tho crown would, under the constitution of June 30th, 1876, go to his eldest sister, who already reigned in the interval between her father's death and her brother's birth. The constitution provides farther that should the lines of the legitimate descendants of the late Alfonso XII. become extinct, tbe succession shall be in tbis order — first to bis sisters ; next to bis annt and her legitimate descendants : and next to those of his uncles, the brothers of Ferdinand VII. '* unless tbey have been excluded." If all tbe lines become extinct the nation will elect its monarch. Tbe words which we have enclosed with inverted commas naturally bring us to the Carlist question as it may affect tbe Spanish monarchy in the near future. When the French were expelled from Spain by Wellington at the close of 1813 Ferdinand VII. renscended the throne. He was married tbrico without issue, and it was supposed that his brother Don Carlos de Bourbon, would succeed him. But Ferdinand married a fourth -time, and had issue the Infanta Maria Isabella, afterwards Queen of Spain, and mother of AlfonßO XII. The Salique Law, excluding females from the succession bad been set aside in her favour, and hence the claims of Don Carlos, which were recognised by a strong party in Spain. He incited rebellion, and after many adventures was compelled to escape to France. In 1836 his claims were solemnly rejected by the Constituent Cortes. In 1844 he abdicated in favour of his eldest son, and died in 1855. Don Carlos, his son, born in 1818, was known as the Count de Montemolin. He attempted to get into Spain in 1849, but was turned back in tbe course of his journey through France. The Carlists, bowever rose later on, in 1860. _ Tbe. Count de Montemolin was arrested, but was liberated after signing a renunciation of all bis claims to the Spanish throne. He died in the following year. These two men, the son and grandson of Carlos IV., were recognised by tbe Carlist party as Carlos V. and Carlos VI., respectively. Don Carlos, the present representative- of tbe pretensions of that branch of the Spanish Bourbons is tbe son of Don Juan, brother of Carlos VI. The following paragraph from " Men of tbe Timo " brings the story down to the present date: — " In October, 1868, Don .Juan abdicated in favour of his son, whose standard was raised in tbe north of Spain by some of bis partisans, April 21, 1872. On July 16, in that year, Don Carlos published a proclamation, addressed to the inhabitants of Catalonia, Aragon, and Valencia, calling upon them to take up arms in his cause, and promising to restore to tbem their ancient liberties ; and in tbe following December Don Alfonzo, the brother of Don Carlos, nssumed the command of tbe Carlist bands in Catalonia. Don Carlos himself made his entry into Spain, July 15, 1873, announcing that he came for the purpose of saving tho country. Since that period the war was waged witb remarkable vigour, and tbe various governments wbich came into power at Madrid strove in vain to dislodge tbe Carlists from their strongholds in tbe north of Spain. When the Republic came to an end, and tbe eldest son of tbe ex Queen Isabella returned to Spain as Alfonso XII.', Don Carlos issued a proclamation, dated at his headquarters at Vera, Jan. 6, 1875, calling opon Spain to adhere to his side. Tho contest was carried on with great stubbornness nnd gallantry by the Carlists for more thrm a twelve-month after tbis; but in January, 1876, Tolosa, their last stronghold, fell, and its defenders flying in disorder, sought refuge on French territory. Don Carlos went to Paris, but on July 18, 1881, was expelled from France on tbe ground of bis having ostentatiously allied himself with tho partisans of the Comte de Chambord. Sinoe tbo death of Alfonso XII., Don Carlos has not actively come forward aa a pretender."