1879 Spanish general election

1879 Spanish general election

←  1876 20 April 1879 (Congress) 3 May 1879 (Senate) 1881  →
All 431 seats in the Congress of Deputies and 180 (of 360) seats in the Senate 216 seats needed for a majority in the Congress of Deputies
Registered	952,000
Turnout	621,436 (65.3%)
First party Second party Third party   Leader Antonio Cánovas del Castillo Práxedes Mateo Sagasta Manuel Alonso Martínez Party Conservative Liberal Left Parliamentary Centre Leader since 1874 1872 1875 Leader's seat Madrid Zamora Castrojeriz Seats won 288 64 13 Popular vote 402,357 139,314 20,473 Percentage 64.7% 22.4% 3.3%   Fourth party   Leader Alejandro Pidal y Mon Party Moderate Leader since 1876 Leader's seat Villaviciosa Seats won 11 Popular vote 16,501 Percentage 2.7%
Prime Minister before election Arsenio Martínez Campos Conservative Prime Minister after election Arsenio Martínez Campos Conservative

A general election was held in Spain on Sunday, 20 April (for the Congress of Deputies) and on Saturday, 3 May 1879 (for the Senate), to elect the members of the 1st Cortes under the Spanish Constitution of 1876, during the Restoration period. All 431 seats in the Congress of Deputies were up for election, as well as 180 of 360 seats in the Senate.

This was the first election held following the promulgation of the 1876 Constitution and the new electoral law of 1878, which re-established censitary suffrage.

Background

Following the Bourbon Restoration in 1874, the Spanish Constitution of 1876 enshrined Spain as a semi-constitutional monarchy , awarding the monarch —under the royal prerogative —the 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 . ^{[1] [2]} 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. ^{[3] [4]}

Overview

Under the 1876 Constitution, the Spanish Cortes were conceived as "co-legislative bodies", forming a nearly perfect bicameral system. ^[5] 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)—whose first reading corresponded to Congress—and in impeachment processes against government ministers, where Congress handled indictment and the Senate the trial. ^{[6] [7]}

Electoral system

Voting for the Congress of Deputies was based on censitary suffrage, comprising Spanish national males over 25 years of age who met at least one of the following requirements: ^{[8] [9] [10] [11]}

• Being taxpayers with a minimum quota of Pts  25 in territorial contributions (paid one year in advance) or Pts 50 in industrial contributions (paid two years in advance);
• Holding specific positions (such as full academics in the royal academies, members of ecclesiastical councils including parish priests, active public employees with an annual salary of at least Pts 2,000, retired public employees, military officers, senior court officials and certified teachers);
• Being painters or sculptors awarded in national or international exhibitions;
• Or having at least two years of residence in a municipality and proving an educational or professional qualification.

In Cuba and Puerto Rico the taxpayer requirement was higher (Pts 125), while those not fully freed from servitude for at least three years were barred from voting in the Spanish West Indies. ^{[12] [13]} In the Basque Provinces and Navarre—where territorial contributions were not paid individually—voters had instead to prove a certain level of capital (Pts 2,400 in real estate, crops or livestock; or Pts 4,800 in industry, commerce, profession or trade). ^[14] Additional restrictions excluded those deprived of political rights or disqualification from public office by a final court ruling, under criminal penalties, legally incapacitated, bankrupt people, and debtors of public funds. ^{[8] [12]}

The Congress of Deputies had one seat per 50,000 inhabitants. Of these, 111 were elected in 31 multi-member constituencies using partial block voting: in constituencies electing eight seats, voters could choose up to six candidates; in those with seven seats, up to five; in those with six seats, up to four; and in those with four or five seats, up to three. The remaining 320 seats were elected in single-member districts by plurality voting and distributed among the provinces of Spain and the Spanish West Indies according to population. ^{[15] [16] [17] [18]} Up to ten additional members could also be elected through cumulative voting in several single-member districts if they obtained more than 10,000 votes overall. ^[19]

As a result of the aforementioned allocation, each Congress multi-member constituency was entitled the following seats: ^{[16] [20]}

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

Voting for the elective part of the Senate was also based on censitary suffrage, comprising archbishops and bishops (in the ecclesiastical councils); full academics (in the royal academies); university authorities and professors (in the universities); members with at least three years of seniority (in the economic societies of Friends of the Country); major taxpayers and Spanish citizens of legal age, resident householders with full political and civil rights (for delegates in the local councils); and provincial deputies. ^[21]

180 Senate seats were elected using indirect, write-in, two-round majority voting. Delegates chosen by economic societies, local councils and major taxpayers—and together with other qualified electors—voted for senators. The provinces of Álava, Albacete, Ávila, Biscay, Canaries, Cuenca, Guadalajara, Guipúzcoa, Huelva, Logroño, Matanzas, Palencia, Pinar del Río, Puerto Príncipe, Santa Clara, Santander, Santiago de Cuba, Segovia, Soria, Teruel and Valladolid were allocated two seats each, and the rest three each, for a total of 147. The remaining 33 seats were allocated to special institutional districts (one each), including major archdioceses, royal academies, universities and economic societies of Friends of the Country. ^{[22] [23] [24] [25]} Another 180 seats consisted of senators in their own right (such as the monarch's offspring and the heir apparent once of age, grandees of Spain with sufficient income, senior military officers, archbishops, and the heads of major state courts and institutions after two years of service), as well as life senators appointed directly by the monarch. ^[22]

The law provided for by-elections to fill vacant seats in both chambers during the legislative term. ^{[26] [27]}

Eligibility

For the Congress, secular Spanish citizens of legal age, with full civil rights and the right to vote could run for election. Causes of ineligibility applied to contractors of public works or services within the relevant territory in the year prior to the election; and to holders of certain government-appointed posts, provincial deputation members, mayors or similar officials, presidents of polling stations, or certain technical officials (civil, mining and forest engineers), during their term of office and for one year afterwards. ^{[28] [29]} In the Spanish West Indies, those not fully freed from servitude for at least ten years were also barred from running. ^[30]

For the Senate, eligibility was limited to Spanish citizens over 35 years of age who were not under criminal prosecution, disfranchisement nor asset seizure, and who either qualified to be senators in their own right or belonged (or had belonged) to certain categories: ^{[31] [32]}

• Having served as senators before the promulgation of the 1876 Constitution; or as deputies in at least three different congresses or eight terms;
• Holders of a wide range of senior public or institutional posts, including the 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;
• Senior officials after two years of service, including certain military officers (lieutenant generals and vice admirals); and members or prosecutors in major state courts and institutions;
• Heads of diplomatic missions abroad, after a minimum period of service (two years for ambassadors and four for plenipotentiaries);
• Certain individuals meeting specific income or tax requirements. With an annual income of at least Pts 7,500: Full academics in the relevant corporations; senior civil, mining and forest engineers; and full professors with a four-year seniority. With an annual income of at least Pts 20,000 or being taxpayers with a minimum quota of Pts 4,000 in direct contributions: Spanish nobility; and former deputies, provincial deputies or mayors in provincial capitals or towns over 20,000.

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 for up to three months afterwards; contractors of public works or services; tax collectors and their guarantors; debtors of public funds; deputies; local councillors (except those in Madrid); and provincial deputies within their respective provinces. ^[33]

Election date

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. ^[34] The previous elections were held on 23 January 1876 for the Congress and on 5 April 1877 for the Senate, which meant that the chambers' terms would have expired on 23 January 1881 and 5 April 1882, respectively.

The monarch had the prerogative to dissolve both chambers at any given time—either jointly or separately—and call a snap election. ^{[35] [36]} 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 10 March 1879, with the dissolution decree setting election day for 20 April (Congress) and 3 May 1881 (Senate) and scheduling for both chambers to reconvene on 1 June. ^[37]

Results

Congress of Deputies

← Summary of the 20 April 1879 Congress of Deputies election results →

Parties and alliances		Popular vote		Seats
		Votes [a]	%
	Liberal Conservative Party (Conservadores)	402,357	64.75	288
	Liberal Left Coalition (Izquierda Liberal)	139,314	22.42	64
	Constitutional Party (PC)			49
	Democratic Progressive Party (PPD)			9
	Democratic Party (PD)			6
	Parliamentary Centre (Centro Parlamentario)	20,473	3.29	13
	Moderate Party (Moderados)	16,501	2.66	11
	Ultramontanists (Ultramontanos)	7,965	1.28	7
	Fuerist Party of the Basque Union (PFUV)	3,861	0.62	1
	Independents (Independientes)	22,729	3.66	6
	Other candidates/blank ballots	8,236	1.33	0
	Vacants	—	—	2
Total		621,436		392
Votes cast / turnout		621,436	65.28
Abstentions		330,564	34.72
Registered voters		952,000
Sources [38] [39] [40] [41]

Popular vote

Conservative			64.75%
Liberal Left			22.42%
Centre			3.29%
Moderate			2.66%
Ultramontanist			1.28%
PFUV			0.62%
Independent			3.66%
Others			1.33%

Seats

Conservative			73.47%
Liberal Left			16.33%
Centre			3.32%
Moderate			2.81%
Ultramontanist			1.79%
PFUV			0.26%
Independent			1.53%

Cuba

← Summary of the 20 April 1879 Congress of Deputies election results in Cuba →

Parties and alliances		Popular vote		Seats
		Votes	%
	Constitutional Union Party (Unión Constitucional)			17
	Liberal Party (Liberal)			7
Total		17,734		24
Votes cast / turnout		17,734	56.16
Abstentions		13,844	43.84
Registered voters		31,578
Sources [42]

Seats

Const. Union			70.33%
Liberal			29.17%

See also

• Encasillado

Notes

1. In multi-member constituencies, votes have been allocated by calculating the arithmetic average of each candidacy and adding it to the votes of single-member constituencies.

References

1. Calero 1987, p. 275.
2. Constitution (1876), arts. 18, 22, 32, 41, 44 & 51–54.
3. Martorell Linares 1997, pp. 139–143.
4. Martínez Relanzón 2017, pp. 147–148.
5. Constitution (1876) , arts. 18–19 & 41.
6. Constitution (1876) , arts. 38, 42 & 45.
7. "Conocer el Senado. Temas clave. El Senado en la historia constitucional española" (in Spanish). Senate of Spain . Retrieved 11 October 2025.
8. Law of 28 December (1878) , arts. 14–20.
9. Ortega Álvarez & Santaolaya Machetti 1996, p. 87.
10. García Muñoz 2002, pp. 105–106.
11. Carreras de Odriozola & Tafunell Sambola 2005, p. 1077.
12. Law of 28 December (1878) , arts. 142–143.
13. Roldán de Montaud 1999, p. 249.
14. Law of 28 December (1878) , trans. art. 1.
15. Constitution (1876) , arts. 27–28.
16. Law of 28 December (1878) , arts. 1–3 & 84, applying Law of 1 January (1871) , art. 1.
17. Decree of 1 April (1871) , arts. 2–3.
18. Ortega Álvarez & Santaolaya Machetti 1996, p. 88.
19. Law of 28 December (1878) , art. 115.
20. Roldán de Montaud 1999, pp. 250.
21. Law of 8 February (1877) , arts. 1–3, 12–13 & 25.
22. Constitution (1876) , arts. 20–21.
23. Law of 8 February (1877) , arts. 1–2, 21–22, 30–31 & 53.
24. Law of 9 January (1879) , arts. 1–3.
25. Carreras de Odriozola & Tafunell Sambola 2005, p. 1083.
26. Law of 8 February (1877) , arts. 56–59.
27. Law of 28 December (1878) , arts. 110–113.
28. Constitution (1876) , arts. 29 & 31.
29. Law of 28 December (1878) , arts. 7–10.
30. Law of 28 December (1878) , art. 141.
31. Constitution (1876) , arts. 22 & 26.
32. Law of 8 February (1877) , art. 4.
33. Law of 8 February (1877) , arts. 5–9.
34. Constitution (1876) , arts. 24 & 30.
35. Constitution (1876) , art. 32.
36. Law of 8 February (1877) , art. 11.
37. Real decreto declarando disueltos el Congreso de los Diputados y la parte electiva del Senado y convocando nuevas elecciones (PDF) (Royal Decree). Madrid Gazette (in Spanish). 10 March 1879. Retrieved 18 August 2025.
38. Villa García 2013, pp. 129–138.
39. Caballero Domínguez 1999, p. 50.
40. Carreras de Odriozola & Tafunell Sambola 2005, p. 1093.
41. "Elecciones a Cortes 20 de abril de 1879". Historia Electoral.com (in Spanish). Retrieved 12 December 2020.
42. Roldán de Montaud 1999, pp. 251–254.

Bibliography

• Ley mandando que los distritos para las elecciones de Diputados a Cortes sean los que se expresan en la división adjunta (PDF) (Law). Madrid Gazette (in Spanish). 1 January 1871. Retrieved 21 August 2022.
• Decreto mandando se verifiquen en Puerto Rico las elecciones ordinarias de Senadores y Diputados a Cortes (PDF) (Decree). Madrid Gazette (in Spanish). 1 April 1871. Retrieved 19 August 2022.
• Constitución de la Monarquía Española (PDF) (Constitution). Madrid Gazette (in Spanish). 30 June 1876. Retrieved 19 August 2022.
• Ley electoral de Senadores (PDF) (Law). Madrid Gazette (in Spanish). 8 February 1877. Retrieved 19 August 2022.
• Ley electoral de los Diputados a Cortes (PDF) (Law). Madrid Gazette (in Spanish). 28 December 1878. Retrieved 19 August 2022.
• Ley dictando reglas para la elección de Senadores en las islas de Cuba y Puerto Rico (PDF) (Law). Madrid Gazette (in Spanish). 9 January 1879. Retrieved 19 August 2022.
• Calero, Antonio María (1987). "La prerrogativa regia en la Restauración: teoría y práctica (1875-1902)" (PDF). Revista de Estudios Políticos (in Spanish) (55). Madrid: Centre for Political and Constitutional Studies: 273–315. ISSN   0048-7694.
• Ortega Álvarez, Luis; Santaolaya Machetti, Pablo (1996). "Evolución histórica del sistema electoral español". Revista de las Cortes Generales (in Spanish). 37. Cortes Generales: 65–107. doi: 10.33426/rcg/1996/37/784 . ISSN   0213-0130.
• Martorell Linares, Miguel Ángel (1997). "La crisis parlamentaria de 1913-1917. La quiebra del sistema de relaciones parlamentarias de la Restauración" (PDF). Revista de Estudios Políticos (in Spanish) (96). Madrid: Centre for Political and Constitutional Studies: 137–161. ISSN   0048-7694.
• Roldán de Montaud, Inés (1999). "Política y elecciones en Cuba durante la restauración". Revista de Estudios Políticos (in Spanish) (104): 245–287. Retrieved 19 December 2020.
• Caballero Domínguez, Margarita (1999). "El derecho de representación: sufragio y leyes electorales" (PDF). Ayer (in Spanish) (34): 41–63. Retrieved 12 December 2020.
• García Muñoz, Montserrat (2002). "La documentación electoral y el fichero histórico de diputados". Revista General de Información y Documentación (in Spanish). 12 (1): 93–137. ISSN   1132-1873 . Retrieved 13 September 2020.
• Carreras de Odriozola, Albert; Tafunell Sambola, Xavier (2005) [1989]. Estadísticas históricas de España, siglos XIX-XX (PDF) (in Spanish). Vol. 1 (II ed.). Bilbao: Fundación BBVA. pp. 1072–1097. ISBN   84-96515-00-1. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 September 2015.
• Martínez Relanzón, Alejandro (2017). "Political Modernization in Spain Between 1876 and 1923". Annales Universitatis Mariae Curie-Skłodowska, Sectio K. 24 (1). Madrid: Maria Curie-Skłodowska University: 145–154. doi: 10.17951/k.2017.24.1.145 .
• Villa García, Roberto (2013). "Elecciones sin Turno: los comicios a diputado de 1879". Historia Contemporánea (in Spanish) (46): 111–142. doi:10.1387/hc.12773. hdl: 10810/38196 . ISSN   1130-2402 . Retrieved 12 December 2020.

External links

• Historical archive of deputies (1810–1977). Congress of Deputies (in Spanish).
• Elections in the Revolutionary Sexennium and the Restoration. Historia Electoral.com (in Spanish).