The Spanish Restoration: Political System and 1876 Constitution

The Spanish Restoration (1875-1923)

In 1874, General Pavía conducted a coup d’état. The Republican Courts were dissolved, and the provisional governor, General Serrano, suspended the 1869 Constitution.

Although the republican regime continued for a year under Serrano’s dictatorship, it was merely a temporary measure until the Bourbons were restored. The restoration was accelerated by the military coup d’état of General Martínez Campos in December 1874. Finally, Isabella II’s son, Alphonse XII, was proclaimed king, marking the beginning of the Restoration and the establishment of a moderate liberal government.

The Cánovas System

Cánovas del Castillo was the key figure in the return of the Bourbon Dynasty. Conscious of the need for reform, his proposal included:

• Alphonse XII as the King.
• A two-party system consisting of the Conservative Party and the Liberal Party (led by Sagasta).

The peaceful alternation of these parties, known as turnismo, was facilitated by rigged elections that allowed the parties to manipulate results. As a result:

• Military interventions in politics ended.
• The Carlist War was brought to an end.
• The Church regained its privileges and economic support.
• Opposition newspapers were suppressed.

The 1876 Constitution

The Restoration regime drafted a new Constitution that inherited characteristics from the 1845 Moderate Constitution. The 1876 Constitution was defined by:

• Shared Sovereignty: Power was divided between the King and the Courts.
• Bicameral Courts: The Congress was elected by citizens, while the Senate consisted of members appointed by the King and the wealthiest citizens.
• Separation of Powers: Legislative power belonged to the Bicameral Courts and the King; the King held executive power; and the judiciary belonged to the tribunals.
• Confessional State: Catholicism was established as the official religion.
• Civil Liberties: The Constitution guaranteed freedom of opinion and the press, without censorship.

Because the Constitution did not specify electoral details, an Electoral Law was subsequently enacted to define suffrage and the length of legislative terms.