public aspirations for the reduction and control of the excessive number of orders and religious orders, without impairing their independence in spiritual matters," and in introducing a bill for the amendment of the law of 1887 Señor Canalejas declared that the government, “inspired by the universal spirit of liberty of conscience,” had given to article xi. of the constitution “the full sense of its text.”1
“Liberty of conscience,” a principle condemned by the Syllabus of 1864 and sneered at in the encyclical Pascendi gregis of 1905, was hardly a phrase calculated to conciliate the Spanish clergy, still less the Vatican. A cry went up that to allow dissident churches to announce their presence was to insult and persecute the Catholic Church;2 at Rome the decree was attacked as unconstitutional, and a breach of diplomatic propriety all the more reprehensible as negotiations for a revision of the concordat were actually pending. A violent clerical agitation, encouraged by the Vatican, was started, 72 Spanish archbishops and bishops presenting a joint protest to the government. Fuel was added to the fire by the introduction of a bill—known as the Cadenas bill—forbidding the settlement of further congregations in Spain until the negotiations with the Vatican should have been completed. This was denounced at Rome as a unilateral assertion on the part of the Spanish government of an authority which, under the concordat, belonged to the Holy See as well. As a preliminary to negotiation, the government was required to rescind all the obnoxious measures. This demand broke the patience of the prime minister, and on the 30th of July Serior de Ojeda, Spanish ambassador at the Vatican, was instructed to hand in his papers. In Vatican circles dark hints began to be dropped of a possible rapprochement with Don Jaime, who had succeeded his father Don Carlos, on the 18th of July 1909, as the representative of Spanish legitimacy and Catholic orthodoxy. The pretender, indeed, disclaimed any intention of stirring up civil war in Spain; his mission would be to restore order when the country should have wearied of the republican regime whose speedy advent he foresaw. The fulfilment of the first part of this prophecy seemed to some to be brought a step nearer by the overthrow of the monarchy in Portugal on the 5th of October 1910. For Spain its immediate effect was to threaten a great increase of the difficulties of the government, by the immigration of the whole mass of religious congregations expelled from Portugal by one of the first acts of the new regime. (W. A. P.)
Chronological Tables of Christian Dynasties in Spain.
Kings of the Visigoths, having relations with Spain, but not established within it:—
| Ataulf | 410–415 | Entered the north-east of Spain, murdered at Barcelona. | |
| Sigeric | 415 | His murderer, promptly murdered in turn. | |
| Wallia | 415–419 | Elected king, was the ally (foederatus) of the empire. Defeated the Vandals and Alans. Migrated to south-west of France with all his people. | |
| Theodoric I. | 419–451 | Made inroads into Spain, as ally of the empire. Killed in the battle with Attila. | |
| Thorismund | 451–453 | All these kings had the seat of their government north of the Pyrenees. They made inroads in Spain and had a stronghold on the north-east. Alaric was killed by the Frankish king, Clovis, at Vouillé, 507. | |
| Theodoric II. | 453–466 | ||
| Euric | 466–485 | ||
| Alaric II. | 485–507 | ||
| Gesalic | 507–511 | Bastard son of Alaric, was murdered. | |
| Amalaric | 507–531 | Reigned in south and south-east of France under protection of Theodoric, the Ostrogothic king in Italy. Fled before Franks to Barcelona at end of reign, and was murdered at Barcelona. | |
Kings of the Visigoths established in Spain:—
| Theudis | 531–548 | An Ostrogoth, general of Theodoric. Murdered Amalaric, and was murdered in turn at Seville by Theudigesil. | |
| Theudigisel | 548–549 | Murdered by Agila. | |
| Agila | 549–554 | Murdered at Merida. | |
| Athanagild | 554–567 | Rebelled against Agila, evacuated Andalusia to secure aid of Imperial officers. Established the capital at Toledo. | |
| Liuva I. | 567–572 | Elected at Narbonne. Associated his brother Leovigild with himself. | |
| Leovigild | 567–586 | The first Visigoth king who assumed the diadem and purple, struck coins in his own name, and enforced recognition of his supremacy in all parts of Spain, except the south coast. | |
| Reccared | 586–601 | Son. Associated with his father. The first Visigoth king who was a Catholic. | |
| Liuva II. | 601–603 | Son. Soon murdered. | |
| Witteric | 603–610 | Leader of Arian reaction. | |
| Gunthemar | 610–612 | Obscure kings. | |
| Sisebut | 612–620 | ||
| Reccared II. | 620–621 | ||
| Swintella | 621–631 | Associated his family with him on the throne. They were all deposed by the nobles. | |
| Reccimer | 621–631 | ||
| Sisinand | 631–636 | These kings were mainly supported by the clergy, and were engaged in endeavouring to make the crown hereditary, by associating their kinsmen with themselves. | |
| Chintila | 636–640 | ||
| Tulga | 640–641 | ||
| Chindaswinth | 641–652 | ||
| Recceswinth | 649–672 | ||
| Wamba | 672–680 | Unrelated to his predecessor and elected by the nobles—was deposed and tonsured. | |
| Erwic | 680–687 | The most obscure of the Visigoth kings. Egica and Witiza appear to have continued the struggle with the nobles, by whom Roderic was tumultuously elected, in opposition to Witiza’s son Actula. | |
| Egica | 687–701 | ||
| Witiza | 697–710 | ||
| Roderic | 710–711 | ||
Early kings of the Christian north-west of Spain, of uncertain chronology and relationship:—
| Pelayo | 718–737 | Elected as “king of the Goths.” |
| Favila | 737–739 | Brother of Pelayo. |
| Alphonso I. | 739–757 | Son-in-law of Pelayo. |
| Froila . . | 757–768 | Son of Alphonso I. Murdered by his brother. |
| Aurelio . | 768–774 | Brother or cousin. |
| Silon | 774–785 | Brother-in-law of Aurelio. |
| Maurecat | 785–789 | Bastard son of Alphonso I. |
| Bermudo | 789–792 | Called the Deacon, descendant of Alphonso I., reigned for a very short time, and retired to a religious house. |
| Alphonso II. | 792–842 | Called the Chaste, son of Froila. Was perhaps chosen in opposition to Bermudo. |
| Ramiro I. | 842–850 | Son of Bermudo the Deacon. |
| Ordono I. | 850–866 | Son of Ramiro. |
| Alphonso III. | 866–914 | Son of Ordono. |
