coalition, which all the best public men
refused to join, Sagasta was once more recalled to power, the
constitutional guarantees were restored, and the sharp crisis passed.
But the attention of the nation had been attracted to what it considered
the machinations of the Jesuits; order was indeed restored in Madrid and
the provinces, but the "clerical question" had come to the front, and
there was no possibility of allowing it to slumber again. It was
discovered that not only had many of the religious orders, whose return
had been allowed by convention after the Restoration, under certain
limitations, largely increased their numbers beyond the limits allowed
them, but that others had established themselves without any
authorisation from the Government; also that considerable properties
were being acquired in the country by the orders, though, of course,
held under other names. The Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Madrid
petitioned the Government to order an inquiry into the affairs of these
religious bodies, pointing out that they were establishing manufactories
of shoes, chocolate, fancy post-cards, and other objects of commerce,
interfering with the ordinary trades, and underselling them, because,
under the plea of being charitable institutions, they evaded duty. The
heads of colleges and the Society of Public Teachers also asked for
Government interference and the reassertion of the laws of 1881 and
1895, guaranteeing perfect liberty of instruction, because they affirmed
that the Fathers, Jesuit and others, undermined the teaching of science
in the schools by means of tracts distributed to the pupils, and also by
using the power they obtained in the confessional to set aside the
lessons in science given in the colleges.

The action of the Government was prompt and judicious. Strict inquiries
were at once made into the question of the manufacturing orders, and
those not paying the duty were reminded of the immediate necessity of
doing so, and of furnishing to the Ministry of Fomento full particulars
of the trades carried on by them. Houses that were permitted by
convention were warned to reduce their numbers to those allowed by law,
and all unauthorised orders were warned at once to leave the country.
The Press took a dignified and moderate position in the matter. It
pointed out that perfect religious liberty existed, and that all that
was needful was to see that the religious orders obeyed the law of the
country as