The Canova System: Spanish Restoration Politics
CANOVA SYSTEM
Over 1874, Cánovas del Castillo worked to restore the constitutional monarchy. With this objective, Alfonsino created the game and pressed the queen to abdicate in favor of his son. He published the Manifesto of Sandhurst, with the future king promising to establish in Spain a genuine constitutional rule.
General Martínez Campos at Sagunto ruled in favor of Alfonso XII, and Cánovas seized power, constituting the Ministry-Regency.
Three problems threatened the nation: the internal pacification of the country, the Carlist uprising in the north, and the war in Cuba.
Solved the problems of war, it remained to endow the state with a stable political system.
Features and Operation of the Canovist System
Cánovas was aware of the problems that the moderates had in illuminating and strengthening constitutional rule in Spain. He therefore proposed to create a political system integrator, which allowed both moderate and liberal governance.
More worried about the politician, the army should return to barracks and meet the constitutional mandate. The huge military intervention in politics during the reign of Isabella II was one of the causes of the instability of governments.
With all this, Cánovas devised a new regime. This was based on the alternation in power of two parties: conservative and liberal. This would give their leaders the right to dissolve the courts in order to achieve a majority in them. The elections thus represented a mere formality with which the decision was intended to give the king a certain popular legitimacy.
The Conservative party had its origin in the party and joined Alfonsino of former moderate unionists. The Liberal Party was more fragmented and heterogeneous. It would integrate different personalities on the left, some radical, moderate Republicans, and so on. Thus arose the merged party which eventually became the Liberal Party, whose leader was Sagasta.
The system tended to over-restraint but was supported by the majority of the population, especially the four dominant social groups: big business, landowners, the army, and the Church.
The 1876 Constitution
The process of drafting the constitution was made outside the courts, to which Cánovas called an assembly of notables.
The title setting out the rights and duties of the Spanish. The Bill of Rights was characterized by its simplicity and also its regulation was referred to the ordinary laws.
As regards the division of powers, the text takes a true constitutional balance, but with effective dominance of the king. This, the head of the executive, appointing ministers.
As the legislative power resided in the King and the Cortes. The king also had the right to veto any legislative initiative. The courts were bicameral: Congress and the Senate held scope on tax matters.
Members of congress of the deputies were elected through the model developed in the constitution of 1845. The country was divided then, in single-member districts. In the early years of restoration, the franchise remained restricted. The judicial power resided in the courts.
For the Constitution to enter into force, it should be subject to popular vote. The electoral law in force at the time contemplated universal suffrage, and Cánovas chose courts to hold elections in accordance with this legislation. The result of the elections did not disappoint the expectations of the courts Cánovas and approved without any problem the Constitution that he himself had designed.
Chieftaincy
It is the most characteristic feature of the new political regime. It was in a relationship of power and domination that is established between the chiefs, mostly large landowners, and peasants.
On this structure type clientelist electoral system was established. The local bosses were the tools used by political parties to organize elections and monitor their performance. The chief was a character representative of the rural oligarchy to power over those who hold it.
The Minister of the Interior was the box, and the civil rulers and mayors acted to ensure that every one of them was elected. The pact between the dynastic parties ensured their turn in the exercise of power without a real fight.
Thus, the change of government was by the King’s decision to hand over power to an alternate party, then hold elections and ensured his majority. This distortion of the elections could both vote based on census and with universal suffrage.