Factio Liberalis hispana introducit in sua causa quaestionem religiosam anno 1899. Probabiliter sibi est unica subsistendi possibilitas impulsui Factionis Conservatoris, propinqui traditionalismo alphonsino a Leone XIII alito. Quapropter proponit legislationem quae praesertim privatae docentiae, fere exclusive rellgiosae, . vegilantiam statalem refert, ac maxime et vigilantiam institutorum perfectionis evangelicae. Haec omnia faciunt quaestionem iuridicam interpretationis articuli 29 in Concordato anno 1851 facto, qui ad litterum statum ad sustinendus institutos tres masculinos determinatos cogit, non ceterorum futuro constituto. Disputatio, primum inter liberales et traditionalistas, pervenit deinde diplomatica septembre anni 1901. Prosequitur non confecta post annos nunc examinatos. Pero hos annos novissima res publica, Sagasta praeside, ad vigilandos institutos quasdam promulgat cautiones, praesertim dispositionem regiam septembre anni 1901. Aplicatione autem ulteriori monstrat intentionem duntaxat politicam. Sunt cautiones quae ad opinionem destinantur, secreto autem cum Vaticano negotiatae. Ad hoc auctor consultavit fundos Archivi Generalis Ministerii Rerum Exteriorum, quod includit partem Archivi Legationis hispanae apud Vaticanum. Consultavit etiam documenta Archivi Aedis Regiae Matritensis, et litteras cottidianas varie intentionis, et annales rerum gestarum at que recentem bibliographiam.---------------------------------
The Spanish Liberal Party introduced the religious question to its program in 1899. This measure was probably considered necessary for subsistence, given the strenght of the Conservative Party, which favoured to Sorne extent, the Alphonsine traditionalism fostered by Leo XIII. Consequently it proposed legislation affecting, aboye aH,. state supervision of private teaching -almost exclusively religious- and especiaHy the control of Institutes of christian perfection, aH of this gave rise to the juridical problem of the interpretation of Article 29 of the Spanish Concordat which literaHy obliges the State to defend three specüicaHy-named male Institutes without special mention of other cases. Discussion between the Liberals and Traditionalists at a diplomatic level first occurred in September 1901 and still continued, without definite conclusions having been reached, at the end of the period which is studied here. In this period, the last I..iberal Government with Sagasta as President, promulgated sorne measures relating to the control of the Institutes, and, especially, the Royal Decree of 19-9-1901. But the manner of its posterior application
clearly shows that it was merely intended as apurely political measure. It was intended to placate public opinion and had, in fact, been secretly negotiated with the Holy See. The following sources were consulted for purposes of thls present study: the General Archives of the Spanish Foreign Office, the documents of the Spanish Embassy to the Holy See,. the Archives of the Royal Palace in Madrid, the daily press of various tendencies, historiography and recent bibliography.