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Gumersindo Azcarate

1911 Encyclopedia Britannica

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"GUMERSINDO AZCARATE (1840-1917), Spanish politician and lawyer, was born at Leon, Spain, Jan. 13 1840, and was educated at the university of Oviedo, whence in 1858 he went to Madrid and graduated in law, science and philosophy (1861). After obtaining a post as assistant in a public office he returned in 1868 to Madrid as assistant professor of comparative jurisprudence and in 1872 was appointed professor. He was of the little band of Liberals who preferred to resign in 1875 rather than submit to the famous Orovio decree limiting the liberty of the chair. He was, however, reinstated six years later and became one of the central figures of the group headed by Don Francisco Giner, to which Spain owes most of its up-to-date educational institutions. He sat as deputy for Leon from 1886 to 1890, from 1891 to 1895, and for later periods. In 1892 he became professor of private law at Madrid. In politics he was a moderate republican. He was a keen student of English institutions and an admirer of English political life. In later years he accepted a share in official administration, notably as the head of the Instituto de Reformas Sociales, which he had invested with his incomparable moral authority. He had also approved of the Reformist evolution of Senor Melquiades Alvarez. The austerity of his political views was such that on being defeated at the last general election he fought, he refused a seat as senator for life, which was offered him by the Government. He died at Madrid Dec. 14 1917.