THE SITUATION IN PORTUGAL 'jj 



tendered to all citizens. A law was passed thirty years ago 

 making primary education compulsory, but the law could not 

 be enforced because the government could not provide the 

 schools. It is said that in 1900 the illiteracy of the Portu- 

 guese ran as high as 70 per cent, but in the cities they are 

 fairly well versed in elementary knowledge, chiefly owing to 

 the excellent church schools. There were then some 4,500 

 public and some 1,200 private primary schools, with an attend- 

 ance of 240,000 pupils, besides a number of special primary 

 schools for adults, with some 7,000 pupils. Secondary schools 

 are maintained in the chief towns and had an attendance of 

 5,860 pupils in 1904. Besides law, professional and technical 

 schools, there is the University of Coimbra, with an attendance 

 in 1904 of 1,056 students. Every attempt to enter as students 

 of theology is handicapped by all imaginable obstacles ; but, 

 on the other hand, the study and graduation in law is all the 

 rage. Portugal suffers from an over-abundance of penniless 

 advocates and clientless lawyers. 



As to the government of Portugal, it is hard to say just 

 what its form now is. Of course, up to last October it was 

 a monarchy under a liberal Constitution, at least on paper, 

 modelled much after English institutions. It would be useless 

 to describe that now, since it is practically abrogated. It, how- 

 ever, provided that every man of 21 years of age, with an an- 

 nual income of $100, should be entitled to vote (Title IV, 

 Chapter 5, Article 5), that all religions may be permitted 

 (Title I, Art. 6), and that no one shall be prosecuted because 

 of his religion, provided he respects the religion of the State 

 and does not offend pubHc morals (Title VIII, Article 145). 

 Just what the future constitution or future government of 

 Portugal will be no one can tell. They call it a republic ; but 

 so far a committee of seven men comprise the whole govern- 

 ment. No one elected or appointed them; they have no man- 

 date from the people that they should take and hold office, nor 

 have they any Constitution, rules or form of government to 

 define their powers and to limit their acts. No minister of the 

 fallen government has ever dared to do things which they 

 have done in the name of liberty and democracy. Even 

 Franco, who suspended a section of the Constitution tempo- 

 rarily, acted uprightly for the most part, and respected prop- 

 erty and individual rights. 



