1907 Spanish general election
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A general election was held in Spain on 21 April 1907 (for the Congress of Deputies), and on 5 May 1907 (for the Senate),[a] to elect the members of the 13th Cortes under the Spanish Constitution of 1876, during the Restoration period. All 404 seats in the Congress of Deputies were up for election, as well as 180 of 360 seats in the Senate.
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21 April 1907 (Congress)
5 May 1907 (Senate)[a] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
All 404 seats in the Congress of Deputies and 180 (of 360) seats in the Senate 203 seats needed for a majority in the Congress of Deputies | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The informal turno system had allowed the country's two main partiesâthe Conservatives and the Liberalsâto alternate in power by determining in advance the outcome of elections through electoral fraud, often facilitated by the territorial clientelistic networks of local bosses (the caciques). The absence of politically authoritative figureheads since the deaths of Cánovas and Sagasta, together with the national trauma from the SpanishâAmerican War, weakened the internal unity of both parties and allowed faction leaders and local caciques to strengthen their positions as power brokers.
Eugenio Montero RÃos had resigned as prime minister in the wake of the ¡Cu-Cut! incident in November 1905.[2] The Liberal Party then entered a period of internal turmoil during which various leadersâSegismundo Moret and José López DomÃnguezâsucceeded themselves in office. The strong rivalry between Moret and José Canalejas saw the "crisis of the letter" (crisis del papelito)âwhich saw Moret returning to the premiership for a few daysâand a transitional government being formed by the Marquis of Vega de Armijo, until the Conservartive Party under Antonio Maura was tasked with the formation of a new government and the calling of a general election by King Alfonso XIII.
The election resulted in a large majority for Mauraâwho used the system's own mechanisms to secure a disproportionate amount of seats at the expense of the Liberals, breaching a tacit pact between the elites of the two partiesâand a huge success for the Catalan Solidarity coalition, formed as a consequence of the political fallout in Catalonia resulting from the ¡Cu-Cut! incident and the approval of the 1906 Law of Jurisdictions.
Background
Following the Bourbon Restoration in 1874, the Spanish Constitution of 1876 enshrined Spain as a semi-constitutional monarchy, awarding the monarchâunder the royal prerogativeâthe right of legislative initiative together with the bicameral Cortes; the capacity to veto laws passed by the legislative body; the power to appoint government members (including the prime minister); the ability to grant or deny parliamentary dissolution, the adjournment of legislative sessions and the signature of royal decrees; as well as the title of commander-in-chief of the armed forces.[3][4] The monarch would play a key role in the turno system by appointing and dismissing governments, which would then organize elections to provide themselves with a parliamentary majority. This informal system allowed the two major "dynastic" political parties at the time, the Conservatives and the Liberalsâcharacterized as oligarchic, elite parties with loose structures dominated by internal factions, each led by powerful individualsâto alternate in power by means of electoral fraud (pucherazo). This was achieved by assigning candidates to districts before the elections were held (encasillado), then arrange their victory through the links between the Ministry of Governance and the territorial clientelistic networks of provincial governors and local bosses (the caciques), excluding minor parties from the power sharing.[5][6]
The Restoration system had entered a phase of decline following the national trauma from the SpanishâAmerican War (the "1898 disaster") and the absence of politically authoritative figureheads since the deaths of Antonio Cánovas del Castillo (1897) and Práxedes Mateo Sagasta (1903),[7] weakening the internal unity of both dynastic parties and strengthening the position of faction leaders and local caciques as power brokers.[8][9] Concurrently, the anti-monarchist opposition became increasingly competitive in urban and some rural districts, partly due to the introduction of universal suffrage since 1890, partly due to the progressive weakening of the pro-government electoral apparatus.[10][11][12]
Overview
Under the 1876 Constitution, the Spanish Cortes were conceived as "co-legislative bodies", forming a nearly perfect bicameral system.[13] Both the Congress of Deputies and the Senate exercised legislative, oversight and budgetary functions, sharing almost equal powers, except in budget laws (taxation and public credit)âwhose first reading corresponded to Congressâand in impeachment processes against government ministers, where Congress handled indictment and the Senate the trial.[14][15]
Date
The term of each chamber of the Cortesâthe Congress and one-half of the elective part of the Senateâexpired five years from the date of their previous election, unless they were dissolved earlier.[16] The previous elections were held on 10 September 1905 for the Congress and on 24 September 1905 for the Senate, which meant that the chambers' terms would have expired on 10 and 24 September 1910, respectively.
The monarch had the prerogative to dissolve both chambers at any given timeâeither jointly or separatelyâand call a snap election.[17] There was no constitutional requirement for concurrent elections to the Congress and the Senate, nor for the elective part of the Senate to be renewed in its entirety except in the case that a full dissolution was agreed by the monarch. Still, there was only one case of a separate election (for the Senate in 1877) and no half-Senate elections taking place under the 1876 Constitution.
The Cortes were officially dissolved on 30 March 1907, with the corresponding decree setting election day for 21 April (Congress) and 5 May 1907 (Senate) and scheduling for both chambers to reconvene on 13 May.[18]
Electoral system
Voting for the Congress of Deputies was based on universal manhood suffrage, comprising all Spanish national males over 25 years of age with full civil rights, provided they had two years of residence in a Spanish municipality and were not enlisted ranks in active duty.[19][20][21][22] Additional restrictions excluded those deprived of political rights or barred from public office by a final sentence, criminally imprisoned or convicted, legally incapacitated, bankrupt, public debtors, and homeless.[23]
The Congress of Deputies had one seat per 50,000 inhabitants. Of these, those corresponding to larger urban areas were elected in multi-member constituencies using partial block voting: voters in constituencies electing eight seats or more could choose up to three candidates less that seats at stake; in those with between four and eight seats, up to two less; and in those with between one and four seats, up to one less. The remaining seats were elected in single-member districts by plurality voting and distributed among the provinces of Spain according to population.[24][25] Additionally, universities, economic societies of Friends of the Country and officially organized chambers of commerce, industry and agriculture, had one seat per 5,000 registered voters.[26]
As a result of the aforementioned allocation, 306 single-member districts were established, and each Congress multi-member constituency (a total of 28, electing 98 seats) was entitled the following seats:[27]
| Seats | Constituencies |
|---|---|
| 8 | Madrid |
| 7 | Barcelona |
| 5 | Palma, Seville |
| 4 | Cartagena |
| 3 | Alicante, AlmerÃa, Badajoz, Burgos, Cádiz, Córdoba, Granada, Huelva, Jaén, Jerez de la Frontera, La Coruña, Las Palmas, Lugo, Málaga, Murcia, Oviedo, Pamplona, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Santander, Tarragona, Valencia, Valladolid, Zaragoza |
Voting for the elective part of the Senate was based on censitary suffrage, comprising Spanish male householders of voting age, residing in a Spanish municipality, with full political and civil rights, who met either of the following:[28]
- Being qualified electors (such as archbishops, bishops and cathedral chapter members, in the archdioceses; full academics, in the royal academies; university authorities and professors, in the universities; or provincial deputies);
- Being elected as delegates (either by members with three years of seniority (in the economic societies of Friends of the Country; or by major taxpayers for direct taxes and local authorities, in the local councils).
180 Senate seats were elected using indirect, two-round majority voting. Delegates chosen by local councilsâeach of which was assigned an initial minimum of one delegate, with one additional delegate for every six councillorsâvoted for senators together with provincial deputies. The provinces of Barcelona, Madrid and Valencia were allocated four seats each, and the rest three each, for a total of 150. The remaining 30 seats were allocated to special institutional districts (one each), including major archdioceses, royal academies, universities, and economic societies,[e] each elected by their own qualified electors or delegates.[29][30] Another 180 seats consisted of senators in their own right (such as the monarch's offspring and the heir apparent once coming of age (16), grandees of Spain with an income of Pts 60,000, certain general officersâcaptain generals and admiralsâthe Patriarch of the Indies and archbishops, and the heads of higher courts and state institutions[f] after two years of service), as well as senators for life directly appointed by the monarch.[31]
The law provided for by-elections to fill vacant seats during the legislative term. At least two vacancies were required to trigger a by-election in Congress multi-member constituencies.[32]
Candidates
Nomination rules
For the Congress, secular Spanish males of voting age, with full civil rights, could run for election. Causes of ineligibility applied to those excluded from voting or meeting any of the incompatibility rules for deputies, as well as to:[33]
- Public contractors, within their relevant territories;
- Holders of a number of territorial posts (such as government-appointed positions, not including government ministers and Central Administration employees; local and provincial employees; and provincial deputation members), within their areas of jurisdiction, during their term of office and up to one year afterwards.
For the Senate, eligibility was limited to Spanish males over 35 years of age not under criminal prosecution, disfranchisement nor asset seizure, and who either qualified as senators in their own right or belonged (or had belonged) to certain categories:[34]
- Provided an income of Pts 7,500: the presidents of the Senate and the Congress; deputies serving in three different congresses or eight terms; government ministers; bishops; grandees of Spain not eligible as senators in their own right; and various senior officials after two years of service (such as certain general officersâlieutenant generals and vice admiralsâand members of higher courts and state institutions);[f] heads of diplomatic missions abroad (ambassadors after two years, and plenipotentiaries after four); heads and full academics in the royal academies; chief engineers; and full professors with four years of service;
- Provided an income of Pts 20,000 or being taxpayers with a minimum quota of Pts 4,000 in direct taxes (paid two years in advance): Spanish nobility; and former deputies, provincial deputies or mayors in provincial capitals or towns over 20,000;
- Having served as senators before the promulgation of the 1876 Constitution.
Other ineligibility provisions for the Senate also applied to a number of territorial officials within their areas of jurisdiction, during their term of office and up to three months afterwards; public contractors; tax collectors; and public debtors.[35]
Incompatibility rules barred representing multiple constituencies simultaneously, as well as combining:[36]
- The role of senator with other legislative roles (deputy, senator and local councillor, except those in Madrid; and provincial deputies within their respective provinces); or with any public post not explicitly permitted under Senate eligibility requirements;
- The role of deputy with any other civil, military or judicial post, with exceptionsâand as many as 40 deputies allowed to simultaneously benefit from theseâincluding a number of specific posts based in Madrid, such as any of the aforementioned ones (provided a public salary of Pts 12,500); senior court officials; university authorities and professors; chief engineers; and general officers.
Results
Congress of Deputies
 | ||||
| Parties and alliances | Popular vote | Seats | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Votes | % | |||
| Conservative Party (PC) | 256 | |||
| Liberal Party (PL) | 72 | |||
| Catalan Solidarity (SC) | 38 | |||
| Republican Union (UR) | 15 | |||
| Traditionalist Communion (Carlist) (CT) | 8 | |||
| Monarchist Democratic Party (PDM) | 7 | |||
| Integrist Party (PI) | 3 | |||
| Anti-Solidarity Republicans (RAS) | 2 | |||
| Independents (INDEP) | 3 | |||
| Total | 404 | |||
| Votes cast / turnout | ||||
| Abstentions | ||||
| Registered voters | ||||
| Sources[37][38][39][40][41][42][43][44][45][46][47][48] | ||||
Senate
 | ||
| Parties and alliances | Seats | |
|---|---|---|
| Conservative Party (PC) | 113 | |
| Liberal Party (PL) | 25 | |
| Catalan Solidarity (SC) | 14 | |
| Monarchist Democratic Party (PDM) | 6 | |
| Traditionalist Communion (Carlist) (CT) | 3 | |
| Integrist Party (PI) | 3 | |
| Republican Union (UR) | 1 | |
| Anti-Solidarity Republicans (RAS) | 1 | |
| Independents (INDEP) | 5 | |
| Archbishops (ARCH) | 9 | |
| Total elective seats | 180 | |
| Sources[a][49][50][51][52][53][54][55][56] | ||
Distribution by group
| Group | Parties and alliances | C | S | Total | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PC | Conservative Party (PC) | 254 | 110 | 369 | ||
| Basque Dynastics (Urquijist) (DV) | 1 | 2 | ||||
| Anti-Liberal Catholic Alliance (ACA) | 1 | 1 | ||||
| PL | Liberal Party (PL) | 72 | 25 | 97 | ||
| SC | Regionalist League (LR) | 13 | 5 | 52 | ||
| Federal Republican Party (PRF) | 9 | 3 | ||||
| Traditionalist Communion (Carlist) (CT) | 6 | 3 | ||||
| Republican Union (UR) | 5 | 2 | ||||
| Republican Nationalist Centre (CNR) | 4 | 0 | ||||
| Independents (INDEP) | 1 | 0 | ||||
| Integrist Party (PI) | 0 | 1 | ||||
| UR | Republican Union (UR) | 15 | 1 | 16 | ||
| PDM | Monarchist Democratic Party (PDM) | 7 | 6 | 13 | ||
| CT | Anti-Liberal Catholic Alliance (ACA) | 5 | 1 | 11 | ||
| Traditionalist Communion (Carlist) (CT) | 3 | 2 | ||||
| PI | Integrist Party (PI) | 2 | 1 | 6 | ||
| Anti-Liberal Catholic Alliance (ACA) | 1 | 1 | ||||
| Catholic League (LC) | 0 | 1 | ||||
| RAS | Republican Union (UR) | 2 | 1 | 3 | ||
| INDEP | Independents (INDEP) | 2 | 4 | 8 | ||
| Independent Catholics (CAT) | 1 | 1 | ||||
| ARCH | Archbishops (ARCH) | 0 | 9 | 9 | ||
| Total | 404 | 180 | 584 | |||
Notes
- Results in the 1905 election, not including Catalonia.
- The following were considered as the major districts in each category:
- Archdioceses: Burgos, Granada, Santiago de Compostela, Seville, Tarragona, Toledo, Valencia, Valladolid, and Zaragoza.
- Royal academies: Spanish; History; Fine Arts of San Fernando; Exact, Physical and Natural Sciences; Moral and Political Sciences; and Medicine.
- Universities: Madrid, Barcelona, Granada, Oviedo, Salamanca, Santiago, Seville, Valencia, Valladolid, and Zaragoza.
- Economic societies of Friends of the Country: Madrid, Barcelona, León, Seville, and Valencia.
- These comprised the Council of State, the Supreme Court, the Court of Auditors and the Supreme Council of War and Navy.