1896 Spanish general election

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1896 Spanish general election
← 1893 12 April 1896 (Congress)[a]
26 April 1896 (Senate)		 1898 →
All 447 seats in the Congress of Deputies and 180 (of 360) seats in the Senate
224 seats needed for a majority in the Congress of Deputies
  First party Second party Third party
 
Leader Antonio Cánovas del Castillo Práxedes Mateo Sagasta Francisco Silvela
Party Conservative Liberal Silvelist
Leader since 1874 1880 1892
Leader's seat Hellín Logroño Piedrahíta
Last election 67 (C) · 35 (S) 298 (C) · 118 (S) 17 (C) · 4 (S)
Seats won 307 (C) · 117 (S) 111 (C) · 43 (S) 12 (C) · 2 (S)
Seat change Green arrow up240 (C) · Green arrow up82 (S) Red arrow down187 (C) · Red arrow down75 (S) Red arrow down5 (C) · Red arrow down2 (S)
  Fourth party Fifth party
 
Leader Enrique de Aguilera y Gamboa Ramón Nocedal
Party Carlist Integrist
Leader since 1891 1888
Leader's seat — Guipúzcoa (lost)
Last election 8 (C) · 2 (S) 2 (C) · 0 (S)
Seats won 10 (C) · 2 (S) 1 (C) · 0 (S)
Seat change Green arrow up2 (C) · Blue arrow right0 (S) Red arrow down1 (C) · Blue arrow right0 (S)
Map of Spain showcasing seat distribution by Congress of Deputies constituency
Map of Spain showcasing seat distribution by Senate constituency
Prime Minister before election

Antonio Cánovas del Castillo
Conservative

Prime Minister after election

Antonio Cánovas del Castillo
Conservative

A general election was held in Spain on Sunday, 12 April (for the Congress of Deputies)[a] and on Sunday, 26 April 1896 (for the Senate), to elect the members of the 7th Restoration Cortes. All 445 seats in the Congress of Deputies—plus two special districts—were up for election, as well as 180 of 360 seats in the Senate.

Since the Pact of El Pardo, an informal system known as turno or turnismo was operated by the monarchy and the country's two main parties—the Conservatives and the Liberals—to determine in advance the outcome of elections by means of electoral fraud, often achieved through the territorial clientelistic networks of local bosses (the caciques), ensuring that both parties would have rotating periods in power. As a result, elections were often neither truly free nor fair, though they could be more competitive in the country's urban centres where caciquism was weaker.

The previous Liberal government of Práxedes Mateo Sagasta had resigned in March 1895, following the outbreak of revolution in Cuba and a period dominated by social conflict and war in Morocco. Conservative leader Antonio Cánovas del Castillo was tasked to form a new government, but the general election was delayed by over a year until their feasibility in Cuba could be ensured. The election resulted in a large majority for the Conservatives amidst the boycott of most pro-republican parties.

This would be the last election to be contested by Cánovas, as he would be assassinated while in office in August 1897 by an anarchist, Michele Angiolillo.

Background

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Following the Bourbon Restoration in 1874, the Spanish Constitution of 1876 enshrined Spain as a semi-constitutional monarchy, awarding the monarch the right of legislative initiative together with the bicameral Cortes; the capacity to veto laws passed by the legislative body; the power to appoint senators and government members (including the prime minister); as well as the title of commander-in-chief of the armed forces.[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 Liberals—characterized as oligarchic, elite parties with loose structures dominated by internal factions, each led by powerful individuals—to 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 1892–1895 period of Liberal government under Práxedes Mateo Sagasta had been dominated by the situation in Cuba and Puerto Rico—with attempts from Overseas minister Antonio Maura to grant limited autonomy to the islands failing to materialize—as well as the First Melillan campaign against the Sultanate of Morocco and the persistence of social conflict (with notable incidents such as an attempted 1893 attack on Captain General of Catalonia Arsenio Martínez Campos leading to the approval of a Law of repression of anarchism in 1894).[7][8] This period also saw the Gamazada, a popular uproar in Navarre to a plan by finance minister Germán Gamazo to suppress the fueros—established in the Compromise Act of 1841—that was thwarted by Gamazo's resignation in 1894.[9]

The outbreak of revolution in Cuba in February 1895 and the subsequent Tenientada—the assault and looting of two Madrid newspapers (El Resumen and El Globo) by groups of civilians and military personnel who were upset about published opinions on an alleged reluctancy from military officers to embark to Cuba—caused the downfall of Sagasta's cabinet.[10] In March 1895, Antonio Cánovas del Castillo of the Conservative Party was entrusted with the formation of a new government, but electoral preparations were delayed until newly-appointed Cuba governor Valeriano Weyler could ensure the feasibility of holding elections in the colony.[11]

Overview

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Electoral system

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The Spanish Cortes were envisaged as "co-legislative bodies", based on a nearly perfect bicameral system.[12] Both the Congress of Deputies and the Senate had legislative, control and budgetary functions, sharing equal powers except for laws on contributions or public credit, the first reading of which corresponded to Congress, and impeachment processes against government ministers, in which each chamber had separate powers of indictment (Congress) and trial (Senate).[13][14] Voting for each chamber of the Cortes was on the basis of universal manhood suffrage and censitary suffrage, respectively:

  • For the Congress, it comprised all national males over 25 years of age, having at least a two-year residency in a municipality and in full enjoyment of their civil rights.[15][16][17] In Cuba and Puerto Rico, voting was on the basis of censitary suffrage, comprising males of age fulfilling one of the following criteria: being taxpayers with a minimum quota of $5 in Cuba and $10 in Puerto Rico per territorial contribution or per industrial or trade subsidy (paid by the time of registering for voting); having a particular position (full academics in the royal academies; members of ecclesiastical councils, including parish priests; active public employees with a yearly salary of at least $100; unemployed and retired public employees; general officers of the Army and Navy exempt from service, and retired military and naval chiefs and officers; and reporters, chamber secretaries and court clerks of higher courts); painters and sculptors awarded in national or international exhibitions; or those meeting the two-year residency requirement, provided that an educational or professional capacity could be proven.[11][18][19]
Voters were required to not being sentenced—by a final court ruling—to perpetual disqualification from political rights or public offices, to afflictive penalties not legally rehabilitated at least two years in advance, nor to other criminal penalties that remained unserved at the time of the election; neither being legally incapacitated, bankrupt, insolvent, debtors of public funds, nor homeless.[15][18]

The Congress of Deputies was entitled to one member per each 50,000 inhabitants, distributed among the provinces of Spain.[21][22] 116 seats were distributed among 34 multi-member constituencies and elected using a partial block voting system: in constituencies electing eight seats or more, electors could vote for no more than three candidates less than the number of seats to be allocated; in those with more than four seats and up to eight, for no more than two less; and in those with more than one seat and up to four, for no more than one less.[23] The remaining seats—329 for the 1896 election—were allocated to single-member districts and elected using plurality voting.[24][25] Additionally, literary universities, economic societies of Friends of the Country and officially organized chambers of commerce, industry and agriculture were entitled to one seat per each 5,000 registered voters that they comprised, which resulted in two additional special districts.[26]

As a result of the aforementioned allocation, each Congress multi-member constituency was entitled the following seats:[24][27][28]

Seats Constituencies
8 Madrid
6 Havana
5 Barcelona, Palma
4 Santa Clara, Seville
3 Alicante, Almería, Badajoz, Burgos, Cádiz, Cartagena, Córdoba, Granada, Jaén, Jerez de la Frontera, La Coruña, Lugo, Málaga, Matanzas, Mayagüez, Murcia, Oviedo, Pamplona, Pinar del Río, Ponce, San Juan Bautista, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Santander, Santiago de Cuba, Tarragona, Valencia, Valladolid, Zaragoza

For the Senate, 180 seats were elected using an indirect, write-in, two-round majority voting system.[29][30] Voters in the economic societies, the local councils and major taxpayers elected delegates—equivalent in number to one per each 50 members (in each economic society) or to one-sixth of the councillors (in each local council), with an initial minimum of one—who, together with other voting-able electors, would in turn vote for senators.[31] The provinces of Álava, Albacete, Ávila, Biscay, Cuenca, Guadalajara, Guipúzcoa, Huelva, Logroño, Matanzas, Palencia, Pinar del Río, Puerto Príncipe, Santa Clara, Santander, Santiago de Cuba, Segovia, Soria, Teruel, Valladolid and Zamora were allocated two seats each, whereas each of the remaining provinces was allocated three seats, for a total of 147.[32][33][34] The remaining 33 were allocated to special districts comprising a number of institutions, electing one seat each—the archdioceses of Burgos, Granada, Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Cuba, Seville, Tarragona, Toledo, Valencia, Valladolid and Zaragoza; the six oldest royal academies (the Royal Spanish; History; Fine Arts of San Fernando; Exact, Physical and Natural Sciences; Moral and Political Sciences and Medicine); the universities of Madrid, Barcelona, Granada, Havana, Oviedo, Salamanca, Santiago, Seville, Valencia, Valladolid and Zaragoza; and the economic societies of Friends of the Country from Madrid, Barcelona, Havana–Puerto Rico, León, Seville and Valencia.[33][35]

An additional 180 seats comprised senators in their own right—the monarch's offspring and the heir apparent once coming of age; grandees of Spain with an annual income of at least 60,000 Pt (from their own real estate or from rights that enjoy the same legal consideration); captain generals of the Army and admirals of the Navy; the Patriarch of the Indies and archbishops; and the presidents of the Council of State, the Supreme Court, the Court of Auditors, the Supreme Council of War and Navy, after two years of service—as well as senators for life appointed directly by the monarch.[36]

The law provided for by-elections to fill seats vacated in both the Congress and Senate throughout the legislature's term.[37][38]

Eligibility

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For the Congress, Spanish citizens of age, of secular status, in full enjoyment of their civil rights and with the legal capacity to vote could run for election, provided that they were not contractors of public works or services, within the territorial scope of their contracts; nor holders of government-appointed offices and presidents or members of provincial deputations—during their tenure of office and up to one year after their dismissal—in constituencies within the whole or part of their respective area of jurisdiction, except for government ministers and civil servants in the Central Administration.[39][40][41] A number of other positions were exempt from ineligibility, provided that no more than 40 deputies benefitted from these:[42][43]

  • Civil, military and judicial positions with a permanent residence in Madrid and a yearly public salary of at least 12,500 Pt;
  • The holders of a number of positions: the president, prosecutors and chamber presidents of the territorial court of Madrid; the rector and full professors of the Central University of Madrid; inspectors of engineers; and general officers of the Army and Navy based in Madrid.

For the Senate, eligibility was limited to Spanish citizens over 35 years of age and not subject to criminal prosecution, disfranchisement nor asset seizure, provided that they were entitled to be appointed as senators in their own right or belonged or had belonged to one of the following categories:[44][45]

  • Those who had ever served as senators before the promulgation of the 1876 Constitution; and deputies having served in at least three different congresses or eight terms;
  • The holders of a number of positions: presidents of the Senate and the Congress; government ministers; bishops; grandees of Spain not eligible as senators in their own right; and presidents and directors of the royal academies;
  • Provided an annual income of at least 7,500 Pt from either their own property, salaries from jobs that cannot be lost except for legally proven cause, or from retirement, withdrawal or termination: full academics of the aforementioned corporations on the first half of the seniority scale in their corps; first-class inspectors general of the corps of civil, mining and forest engineers; and full professors with at least four years of seniority in their category and practice;
  • Provided two prior years of service: Army's lieutenant generals and Navy's vice admirals; and other members and prosecutors of the Council of State, the Supreme Court, the Court of Auditors, the Supreme Council of War and Navy, and the dean of the Court of Military Orders;
  • Ambassadors after two years of service and plenipotentiaries after four;
  • Those with an annual income of 20,000 Pt or were taxpayers with a minimum quota of 4,000 Pt in direct contributions at least two years in advance, provided that they either belonged to the Spanish nobility, had been previously deputies, provincial deputies or mayors in provincial capitals or towns over 20,000 inhabitants.

Other causes of ineligibility for the Senate were imposed on territorial-level officers in government bodies and institutions—during their tenure of office and up to three months after their dismissal—in constituencies within the whole or part of their respective area of jurisdiction; contractors of public works or services; tax collectors and their guarantors; debtors of the State; deputies; local councillors (except those in Madrid); and provincial deputies for their respective provinces.[46]

Election date

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The term of each chamber of the Cortes—the Congress and one-half of the elective part of the Senate—expired five years from the date of their previous election, unless they were dissolved earlier.[47] The previous Congress and Senate elections were held on 5 and 19 March 1893, which meant that the legislature's terms would have expired on 5 and 19 March 1898, respectively. The monarch had the prerogative to dissolve both chambers at any given time—either jointly or separately—and call a snap election.[48][49] 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 28 February 1896, with the dissolution decree setting the election dates for 12 April (for the Congress) and 26 April 1893 (for the Senate) and scheduling for both chambers to reconvene on 11 May.[50]

Results

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Congress of Deputies

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← Summary of the 12 April 1896 Congress of Deputies election results →
Parties and alliances Popular vote Seats
Votes %
Liberal Conservative Party (PLC) 307
Liberal Party (PL) 111
Silvelist Party (PS) 12
Traditionalist Communion (Carlist) (CT) 10
Integrist Party (PI) 1
Independents (INDEP) 6
Total 447
Votes cast / turnout
Abstentions
Registered voters
Sources[a][51][52][53][54][55][56][57][58][59][60]
Seats
PLC
 
 68.68%
PL
 
 24.83%
PS
 
 2.68%
CT
 
 2.24%
PI
 
 0.22%
INDEP
 
 1.34%

Senate

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← Summary of the 26 April 1896 Senate of Spain election results →
Parties and alliances Seats
Liberal Conservative Party (PLC) 117
Liberal Party (PL) 43
Silvelist Party (PS) 2
Traditionalist Communion (Carlist) (CT) 2
Independents (INDEP) 6
Archbishops (ARCH) 10
Total elective seats 180
Sources[61][62][63][64][65][66][67][68]
Seats
PLC
 
 65.00%
PL
 
 23.89%
PS
 
 1.11%
CT
 
 1.11%
INDEP
 
 3.33%
ARCH
 
 5.56%

Maps

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  • Election results by constituency (Congress).
    Election results by constituency (Congress).
  • Election results by constituency (Senate).
    Election results by constituency (Senate).

Distribution by group

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Summary of political group distribution in the 7th Restoration Cortes (1896–1898)
Group Parties and alliances C S Total
PLC Liberal Conservative Party (PLC) 278 104 424
Constitutional Union of Cuba (UCC) 17 10
Unconditional Spanish Party (PIE) 10 2
Basque Dynastics (Urquijist) (DV) 1 1
Independents (INDEP) 1 0
PL Liberal Party (PL) 95 39 154
Constitutional Union of Cuba (UCC) 11 3
Unconditional Spanish Party (PIE) 5 1
PS Silvelist Party (PS) 11 2 14
Constitutional Union of Cuba (UCC) 1 0
CT Traditionalist Communion (Carlist) (CT) 10 2 12
PI Integrist Party (PI) 1 0 1
INDEP Independent Possibilists (P.IND) 3 1 12
Independents (INDEP) 1 2
Autonomist Liberal Party (PLA) 0 2
Constitutional Union of Cuba (UCC) 1 0
Independent Catholics (CAT) 1 0
Basque Dynastics (Urquijist) (DV) 0 1
ARCH Archbishops (ARCH) 0 10 10
Total 447 180 627

Notes

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  1. ^ a b c The Congress election in the province of Canaries was postponed to 19 April 1896.[1][2][3]

References

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  1. ^ "Real decreto aplazando las elecciones de Diputados en Canarias hasta el 19 del corriente" (PDF). Madrid Gazette (in Spanish) (103). Agencia Estatal Boletín Oficial del Estado: 113. 12 April 1896.
  2. ^ "Las elecciones en Canarias". National Library of Spain (in Spanish). La Época. 20 April 1896. Retrieved 31 August 2022.
  3. ^ "Elecciones en Canarias". National Library of Spain (in Spanish). El Movimiento Católico. 21 April 1896. Retrieved 31 August 2022.
  4. ^ Constitution (1876), arts. 18, 22, 41, 44 & 51–54.
  5. ^ Martorell Linares 1997, pp. 139–143.
  6. ^ Martínez Relanzón 2017, pp. 147–148.
  7. ^ "Práxedes Mateo-Sagasta Escolar" (in Spanish). Royal Academy of History. Retrieved 6 September 2022.
  8. ^ Tone 2006, p. 230.
  9. ^ "Gamazada". Gran Enciclopedia de Navarra (in Spanish). Retrieved 4 May 2023.
  10. ^ Núñez Florencio 1993, pp. 545–546.
  11. ^ a b Roldán de Montaud 1999, pp. 280–281.
  12. ^ Constitution (1876), arts. 18–19 & 41.
  13. ^ Constitution (1876), arts. 38, 42 & 45.
  14. ^ "El Senado en la historia constitucional española". Senate of Spain (in Spanish). Retrieved 26 December 2016.
  15. ^ a b Law of 26 June (1890), arts. 1–2.
  16. ^ García Muñoz 2002, pp. 106–107.
  17. ^ Carreras de Odriozola & Tafunell Sambola 2005, p. 1077.
  18. ^ a b Royal Decree of 27 December (I) (1892), tit. III, art. 12–18.
  19. ^ García Muñoz 2002, p. 107.
  20. ^ Law of 8 February (1877), arts. 1–3, 12–13 & 25.
  21. ^ Constitution (1876), arts. 27–28.
  22. ^ Royal Decree of 27 December (I) (1892), tit. I, arts. 1–4.
  23. ^ Law of 26 June (1890), art. 22.
  24. ^ a b Law of 26 June (1890), trans. prov. 1, applying Law of 28 December (1878), art. 2, applying Law of 1 January (1871), art. 1.
  25. ^ Decree of 1 April (1871), arts. 2–3.
  26. ^ Law of 26 June (1890), art. 24.
  27. ^ Royal Decree of 27 December (II) (1892), arts. 1–2, applying Royal Decree of 18 December (1890), art. 1.
  28. ^ Rules modifying constituency boundaries:
  29. ^ Constitution (1876), art. 20.
  30. ^ Law of 8 February (1877), arts. 21–22 & 53.
  31. ^ Law of 8 February (1877), arts. 1 & 30–31.
  32. ^ Law of 8 February (1877), art. 2.
  33. ^ a b Law of 9 January (1879), arts. 1–3.
  34. ^ "Real decreto determinando el número de Senadores que habrán de elegirse en cada una de las provincias con motivo de las próximas elecciones" (PDF). Gaceta de Madrid (in Spanish) (184). Agencia Estatal Boletín Oficial del Estado: 23. 3 July 1881.
  35. ^ Law of 8 February (1877), art. 1.
  36. ^ Constitution (1876), arts. 20–21.
  37. ^ Law of 8 February (1877), arts. 56–59.
  38. ^ Law of 26 June (1890), arts. 73–76.
  39. ^ Constitution (1876), arts. 29 & 31.
  40. ^ Law of 26 June (1890), arts. 3–5.
  41. ^ Royal Decree of 27 December (I) (1892), arts. 5–8.
  42. ^ Law of 7 March (1880), arts. 1–4.
  43. ^ Law of 31 July (1887).
  44. ^ Constitution (1876), arts. 22 & 26.
  45. ^ Law of 8 February (1877), art. 4.
  46. ^ Law of 8 February (1877), arts. 5–9.
  47. ^ Constitution (1876), arts. 24 & 30.
  48. ^ Constitution (1876), art. 32.
  49. ^ Law of 8 February (1877), art. 11.
  50. ^ Real decreto declarando disueltos el Congreso de los Diputados y la parte electiva del Senado; disponiendo que las Cortes se reúnan en Madrid el 11 de Mayo próximo, y que las elecciones de Diputados se verifiquen el 12 de Abril y las de Senadores el 26 del mismo (PDF) (Royal Decree). Madrid Gazette (in Spanish). Regent of the Kingdom p.p King of Spain. 28 February 1896. Retrieved 18 August 2025.
  51. ^ López Domínguez 1976, pp. 508–536.
  52. ^ Armengol i Segú & Varela Ortega 2001, pp. 655–776.
  53. ^ "Las elecciones". National Library of Spain (in Spanish). La Iberia. 13 April 1896. Retrieved 15 April 2022.
  54. ^ "Lucha electoral". National Library of Spain (in Spanish). La Unión Católica. 13 April 1896. Retrieved 30 August 2022.
  55. ^ "Elecciones de diputados". National Library of Spain (in Spanish). La Época. 13 April 1896. Retrieved 30 August 2022.
  56. ^ "Elecciones de diputados en provincias". National Library of Spain (in Spanish). El Movimiento Católico. 14 April 1896. Retrieved 15 April 2022.
  57. ^ "Las elecciones". National Library of Spain (in Spanish). El Siglo Futuro. 14 April 1896. Retrieved 31 August 2022.
  58. ^ "Elecciones de diputados. Por provincias". National Library of Spain (in Spanish). La Correspondencia de España. 14 April 1896. Retrieved 9 August 2025.
  59. ^ "Los diputados electos". National Library of Spain (in Spanish). El Movimiento Católico. 17 April 1896. Retrieved 15 April 2022.
  60. ^ "Proclamación de diputados electos". National Library of Spain (in Spanish). La Época. 17 April 1896. Retrieved 1 September 2022.
  61. ^ "Elecciones de senadores". National Library of Spain (in Spanish). La Correspondencia de España. 27 April 1896. Retrieved 15 April 2022.
  62. ^ "Elecciones de senadores". National Library of Spain (in Spanish). El Liberal. 27 April 1896. Retrieved 15 April 2022.
  63. ^ "Elección de senadores". National Library of Spain (in Spanish). El Imparcial. 27 April 1896. Retrieved 15 April 2022.
  64. ^ "Elecciones de senadores". National Library of Spain (in Spanish). La Unión Católica. 27 April 1896. Retrieved 15 April 2022.
  65. ^ "Los resultados de Puerto Rico". National Library of Spain (in Spanish). La Unión Católica. 27 April 1896. Retrieved 8 September 2022.
  66. ^ "Senadores de Ultramar". National Library of Spain (in Spanish). La Correspondencia de España. 28 April 1896. Retrieved 15 April 2022.
  67. ^ "Senadores por Cuba". National Library of Spain (in Spanish). La Iberia. 28 April 1896. Retrieved 9 September 2022.
  68. ^ "Elección de senadores". National Library of Spain (in Spanish). La Dinastía. 29 April 1896. Retrieved 15 April 2022.

Bibliography

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