SPAIN OF TO-DAY ii 



to his followers Canalejas spoke so forcibly and roused them 

 up so thoroughly that at the conclusion they tore up the seats 

 of the amphitheatre and threw them into the ring. 



While undertaking to enter into negotiations with the Holy 

 See for a revision of the Concordat, Senor Canalejas, during 

 the pendency of negotiations at Rome, promulgated a Royal 

 Order, which completely changed the interpretation of the 

 Constitution in regard to non-Catholic bodies, and introduced 

 into the Cortes two measures, nicknamed the "lock-out" (can- 

 dado) in the Spanish papers, looking towards the diminution 

 or suppression of religious orders and houses in Spain. The 

 Holy See replied that it was scarcely the proper way to carry 

 on negotiations for one party to put his purpose into execu- 

 tion and talk revision afterwards. A few words upon the 

 Constitution and the Concordat will explain the situation. 



There have been several Concordats between Spain and the 

 Holy See, later ones superseding the others. The present 

 Concordat was entered into on March i6, 1851, and a supple- 

 ment was added on August 25, 1859. There have also been a 

 number of Constitutions adopted in Spain. The present Con- 

 stitution was adopted June 30, 1876, whose general provisions 

 have already been described. The portion of the Constitution 

 principally bearing on the present situation reads as follows : 



Article XI. The Apostolic Roman Catholic religion is the 

 religion of the State. The nation binds itself to maintain this 

 religion and its ministers. 



No one shall be molested in Spanish territory on account of 

 his religious opinions, or for the exercise of his particular form 

 of worship, provided he show the respect due to Christian mor- 

 ality. 



Ceremonies and public manifestations other than those of the 

 State religion, however, shall not be permitted. 



The first and the last clauses of this article are the ones 

 creating such a stir just now. Spain is almost entirely Cath- 

 olic, and as I have said, there are only about 7,500 Protestants 

 (including many foreigners) and some 4,500 Jews in Spain. 

 They were an insignificant minority, and in so far as they are 

 foreigners, Spaniards have never deemed that they should 

 enjoy privileges to which the Spanish native-born were en- 

 titled. They are not given the privilege of using the outward 

 and visible signs of a church upon their houses of worship, 



