1914 Spanish general election

The 1914 Spanish general election was held on Sunday, 8 March (for the Congress of Deputies)^[a] and on Sunday, 22 March 1914 (for the Senate), to elect the 15th Cortes of the Kingdom of Spain in the Restoration period. All 408 seats in the Congress of Deputies were up for election, as well as 180 of 360 seats in the Senate.

1914 Spanish general election

← 1910 8 March 1914 (Congress)[a] 22 March 1914 (Senate) 1916 →
All 408 seats in the Congress of Deputies and 180 (of 360) seats in the Senate 205 seats needed for a majority in the Congress of Deputies
First party Second party Third party   Leader Eduardo Dato Count of Romanones Manuel García Prieto Party Conservative Liberal Liberal Democratic Leader since 1913 1912 1913 Leader's seat Vitoria Guadalajara Ponferrada Last election 109 (C) · 46 (S) 224 (C) · 104 (S)[b] Did not contest Seats won 225 (C) · 95 (S) 84 (C) · 41 (S) 33 (C) · 12 (S) Seat change 116 (C) · 49 (S) 140 (C) · 63 (S) 33 (C) · 12 (S)   Fourth party Fifth party Sixth party   Leader Enric Prat de la Riba Melquíades Álvarez Roberto Castrovido Party Regionalist Reformist Republican–Socialist Leader since 1902 1912 1914 Leader's seat — Castropol Madrid Last election 8 (C) · 5 (S) Did not contest 18 (C) · 3 (S)[c] Seats won 13 (C) · 6 (S) 12 (C) · 3 (S) 12 (C) · 2 (S) Seat change 5 (C) · 1 (S) 12 (C) · 3 (S) 6 (C) · 1 (S)
Prime Minister before election Eduardo Dato Conservative Prime Minister after election Eduardo Dato Conservative

While the election saw the Conservative bloc winning a majority of seats in both chambers, internal infighting between the factions led by Eduardo Dato, Antonio Maura and Juan de la Cierva resulted in an unstable government.

Overview

Electoral system

The Spanish Cortes were envisaged as "co-legislative bodies", based on a nearly perfect bicameral system. 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, where the Congress had preeminence.^[2][3] Voting for the Cortes was on the basis of compulsory, universal manhood suffrage, which 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. Those older than 70, the clergy, first instance judges and public notaries were exempt from this obligation.^[4][5]

For the Congress of Deputies, 98 seats were elected using a partial block voting system in 28 multi-member constituencies, with the remaining 310 being elected under a one-round first-past-the-post system in single-member districts. Candidates winning a plurality in each constituency were elected. In constituencies electing ten seats or more, electors could vote for no more than four candidates less than the number of seats to be allocated; in those with more than eight seats and up to ten, for no more than three less; in those with more than four seats and up to eight, for no more than two less; in those with more than one seat and up to four, for no more than one less; and for one candidate in single-member districts. Additionally, in those districts where the number of candidates was equal or less than the number of seats up for election, candidates were to be automatically elected. The Congress was entitled to one member per each 50,000 inhabitants, with each multi-member constituency being allocated a fixed number of seats. The law also provided for by-elections to fill seats vacated throughout the legislature.^[2][6][7][8]

As a result of the aforementioned allocation, each Congress multi-member constituency was entitled the following seats:^{[7][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16]}

Seats	Constituencies
8	Madrid
7	Barcelona
5	Palma, Seville
4	Cartagena
3	Alicante, Almería, Badajoz, Burgos, Cádiz, Córdoba, Gran Canaria, Granada, Huelva, Jaén, Jerez de la Frontera, La Coruña, Lugo, Málaga, Murcia, Oviedo, Pamplona, Santander, Tarragona, Tenerife, Valencia, Valladolid, Zaragoza

For the Senate, 180 seats were indirectly elected by the local councils and major taxpayers, with electors voting for delegates instead of senators. Elected delegates—equivalent in number to one-sixth of the councillors in each local council—would then vote for senators using a write-in, two-round majority voting system. The provinces of Barcelona, Madrid and Valencia were allocated four seats each, whereas each of the remaining provinces was allocated three seats, for a total of 150. The remaining 30 were allocated to special districts comprising a number of institutions, electing one seat each—the archdioceses of Burgos, Granada, Santiago de Compostela, Seville, Tarragona, Toledo, Valencia, Valladolid and Zaragoza; the Royal Spanish Academy; the royal academies of History, Fine Arts of San Fernando, Exact and Natural Sciences, Moral and Political Sciences and Medicine; the universities of Madrid, Barcelona, Granada, Oviedo, Salamanca, Santiago, Seville, Valencia, Valladolid and Zaragoza; and the economic societies of Friends of the Country from Madrid, Barcelona, León, Seville and Valencia. 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 of the first class; Captain Generals of the Army and the Navy Admiral; the Patriarch of the Indies and archbishops; and the presidents of the Council of State, the Supreme Court, the Court of Auditors, the Supreme War Council and the Supreme Council of the Navy, after two years of service—as well as senators for life (who were appointed by the Monarch).^[2][17][18]

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. The previous Congress and Senate elections were held on 8 May and 22 May 1910, which meant that the legislature's terms would have expired on 8 May and 22 May 1915, respectively. The monarch had the prerogative to dissolve both chambers at any given time—either jointly or separately—and call a snap election.^[2][7][17] There was no constitutional requirement for simultaneous elections for 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 2 January and 13 February 1914, with the Senate dissolution decree setting the election dates for 8 March (for the Congress) and 22 March 1914 (for the Senate) and scheduling for both chambers to reconvene on 2 April.^[19][20]

Background

The Spanish Constitution of 1876 enshrined Spain as a constitutional monarchy, awarding the monarch power to name senators and to revoke laws, as well as the title of commander-in-chief of the army. The monarch would also play a key role in the system of el turno pacífico (English: the Peaceful Turn) by appointing and dismissing governments and allowing the opposition to take power. Under this system, the major political parties of the time, the conservatives and the liberals—characterized as elite parties with loose structures and dominated by internal factions led by powerful individuals—alternated in power by means of election rigging, which they achieved through the encasillado, using the links between the Ministry of Governance, the provincial civil governors and the local bosses (caciques) to ensure victory and exclude minor parties from the power sharing.^[21][22]

Results

Congress of Deputies

← Summary of the 8 March 1914 Congress of Deputies election results →

Parties and alliances		Popular vote		Seats
		Votes	%	A.29	Cont.	Total
	Liberal Conservative Party (PLC)			48	177	225
	Liberal Party (PL)			22	62	84
	Liberal Democratic Party (PLD)			12	21	33
	Regionalist League (LR)			1	12	13
	Reformist Party (PRef)			3	9	12
	Republican–Socialist Conjunction (CRS)			1	11	12
	Republican Coalition (PRR–UFNR)			1	10	11
	Jaimist–Integrist Coalition (CT–PI)			2	6	8
	Social Defence Committee (CDS)			0	1	1
	Autonomist Republican Union Party (PURA)			0	1	1
	Independents (INDEP)			3	5	8
Total				93	315	408
Votes cast / turnout
Abstentions
Registered voters
Sources[a][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32]

Seats PLC   55.15% PL   20.59% PLD   8.09% LR   3.19% PRef   2.94% CRS   2.94% PRR–UFNR   2.70% CT–PI   1.96% CDS   0.25% PURA   0.25% INDEP   1.96%

Senate

← Summary of the 22 March 1914 Senate of Spain election results →

Parties and alliances		Seats
	Liberal Conservative Party (PLC)	95
	Liberal Party (PL)	41
	Liberal Democratic Party (PLD)	12
	Regionalist League (LR)	6
	Jaimist–Integrist Coalition (CT–PI)	4
	Reformist Party (PRef)	3
	Republican–Socialist Conjunction (CRS)	2
	Republican Coalition (PRR–UFNR)	1
	Social Defence Committee (CDS)	1
	Independents (INDEP)	6
	Archbishops (ARCH)	9
Total elective seats		180
Sources[33][34][35][36][37][38][39][40][41]

Seats PLC   52.78% PL   22.78% PLD   6.67% LR   3.33% CT–PI   2.22% PRef   1.67% CRS   1.11% PRR–UFNR   0.56% CDS   0.56% INDEP   3.33% ARCH   5.00%

Distribution by group

Summary of political group distribution in the 15th Restoration Cortes (1914–1916)

Group		Parties and alliances		C	S	Total
	PLC		Liberal Conservative Party (PLC)	224	94	320
			Monarchist Coalition (MON)	1	0
			Agrarian League (LA)	0	1
	PL		Liberal Party (PL)	83	41	125
			Monarchist Coalition (MON)	1	0
	PLD		Liberal Democratic Party (PLD)	33	12	45
	LR		Regionalist League (LR)	13	6	19
	PRef		Reformist Party (PRef)	12	3	15
	CRS		Republican Party (PRep)	10	2	14
			Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE)	1	0
			Independent Republicans (R.IND)	1	0
	PRR– UFNR		Republican Nationalist Federal Union (UFNR)	6	1	12
			Radical Republican Party (PRR)	5	0
	CT–PI		Traditionalist Communion (Jaimist) (CT)	5	2	12
			Integrist Party (PI)	3	2
	CDS		Monarchist Coalition (MON)	1	1	2
	PURA		Autonomist Republican Union Party (PURA)	1	0	1
	INDEP		Independents (INDEP)	4	3	14
			Basque Dynastics (Urquijist) (DV)	1	3
			Independent Catholics (CAT)	2	0
			Independent Liberals (L.IND)	1	0
	ARCH		Archbishops (ARCH)	0	9	9
Total				408	180	588

See also

• Encasillado

Notes

1. Congress candidates elected automatically under Article 29 of the Electoral Law were proclaimed on 1 March 1914.^[1]
2. Results for PDM–PL in the 1910 election.
3. Results for PUR (14 deputies and 2 senators), PRF (3 deputies and 1 senator) and PSOE (1 deputy and 0 senators) in the 1910 election.

References

1. "Marzo de 1914. Día 1. Elecciones de Diputados a Cortes. Diputados proclamados por el art. 29". National Library of Spain (in Spanish). El Año Político. 1 January 1915. Retrieved 25 February 2023.
2. Constitución de la Monarquía Española (PDF) (Constitution) (in Spanish). 30 June 1876. Retrieved 19 August 2022.
3. "El Senado en la historia constitucional española". Senate of Spain (in Spanish). Retrieved 26 December 2016.
4. García Muñoz 2002, pp. 107–108.
5. Carreras de Odriozola & Tafunell Sambola 2005, p. 1077.
6. Ley electoral de los Diputados a Cortes (PDF) (Law) (in Spanish). 28 December 1878. Retrieved 19 August 2022.
7. Ley reformando la Electoral vigente (PDF) (Law) (in Spanish). 8 August 1907. Retrieved 28 November 2022.
8. Ley mandando que los distritos para las elecciones de Diputados á Córtes sean los que se expresan en la división adjunta (PDF) (Law) (in Spanish). 1 January 1871. Retrieved 21 August 2022.
9. Ley dividiendo la provincia de Guipúzcoa en distritos para la elección de Diputados a Cortes (PDF) (Law) (in Spanish). 23 June 1885. Retrieved 6 May 2023.
10. Ley dividiendo el distrito electoral de Tarrasa en dos, que se denominarán de Tarrasa y de Sabadell (PDF) (Law) (in Spanish). 18 January 1887. Retrieved 6 May 2023.
11. Ley fijando la división de la provincia de Alava en distritos electorales para Diputados á Cortes (PDF) (Law) (in Spanish). 10 July 1888. Retrieved 6 May 2023.
12. Leyes aprobando la división electoral de las provincias de León y Vizcaya (PDF) (Law) (in Spanish). 2 August 1895. Retrieved 6 May 2023.
13. Leyes aprobando la división electoral en las provincias de Sevilla y de Barcelona (PDF) (Law) (in Spanish). 5 July 1898. Retrieved 22 September 2022.
14. Ley mandando que en lo sucesivo sean cuatro los Diputados á Cortes que elegirá la circunscripción electoral de Cartagena (PDF) (Law) (in Spanish). 7 August 1899. Retrieved 10 October 2022.
15. Ley estableciendo una circunscripción para elegir tres Diputados á cortes, que la constituirán los cuatro partidos judiciales de Ayamonte, Hueva, Moguer y la Palma, con todas las poblaciones que de ellos forman parte (PDF) (Law) (in Spanish). 24 March 1902. Retrieved 30 October 2022.
16. Ley disponiendo que el territorio de la Nación española que constituye el Archipiélago canario, cuya capitalidad reside en Santa Cruz de Tenerife, conserve su unidad, ateniéndose los servicios públicos en el modo y forma que se determina en esta ley (PDF) (Law) (in Spanish). 11 July 1912. Retrieved 29 November 2022.
17. Ley electoral de Senadores (PDF) (Law) (in Spanish). 8 February 1877. Retrieved 19 August 2022.
18. "Real decreto disponiendo el número de Senadores que han de elegir las provincias que se citan" (PDF). Gaceta de Madrid (in Spanish) (76). Agencia Estatal Boletín Oficial del Estado: 1021. 16 March 1899.
19. "Real decreto declarando disuelto el Congreso de los Diputados" (PDF). Gaceta de Madrid (in Spanish) (3). Agencia Estatal Boletín Oficial del Estado: 30. 3 January 1914.
20. "Real decreto declarando disuelta la parte electiva del Senado; que las Cortes se reunan en Madrid el día 2 de Abril próximo, y que las elecciones de Diputados a Cortes se verifiquen en todas las provincias el día 8 de Marzo del año actual y las de Senadores el día 22 de dicho mes" (PDF). Gaceta de Madrid (in Spanish) (46). Agencia Estatal Boletín Oficial del Estado: 417. 15 February 1914.
21. Martorell Linares 1997, pp. 139–143.
22. Martínez Relanzón 2017, pp. 147–148.
23. "Las elecciones de ayer". National Library of Spain (in Spanish). El Heraldo de Madrid. 9 March 1914. Retrieved 26 February 2023.
24. "Los escrutinios". National Library of Spain (in Spanish). La Correspondencia de España. 9 March 1914. Retrieved 26 February 2023.
25. "Datos oficiales". National Library of Spain (in Spanish). El Liberal. 10 March 1914. Retrieved 26 February 2023.
26. "El resultado de las elecciones". National Library of Spain (in Spanish). La Mañana. 10 March 1914. Retrieved 26 February 2023.
27. "Después de las elecciones". National Library of Spain (in Spanish). El Imparcial. 10 March 1914. Retrieved 26 February 2023.
28. "Los nuevos diputados". National Library of Spain (in Spanish). La Correspondencia Militar. 10 March 1914. Retrieved 26 February 2023.
29. "Después del escrutinio. Las elecciones". National Library of Spain (in Spanish). El Globo. 10 March 1914. Retrieved 26 February 2023.
30. "El futuro Congreso. Después de las elecciones". National Library of Spain (in Spanish). La Correspondencia de España. 10 March 1914. Retrieved 26 February 2023.
31. "El futuro Congreso". National Library of Spain (in Spanish). El Imparcial. 11 March 1914. Retrieved 26 February 2023.
32. "Marzo de 1914. Día 8. Elecciones generales de Diputados a Cortes". National Library of Spain (in Spanish). El Año Político. 1 January 1915. Retrieved 25 February 2023.
33. "La elección de senadores". National Library of Spain (in Spanish). El Imparcial. 23 March 1914. Retrieved 9 March 2023.
34. "Datos oficiales". National Library of Spain (in Spanish). El Liberal. 23 March 1914. Retrieved 9 March 2023.
35. "Después de la elección". National Library of Spain (in Spanish). El Heraldo de Madrid. 23 March 1914. Retrieved 9 March 2023.
36. "Elecciones de senadores". National Library of Spain (in Spanish). El País. 23 March 1914. Retrieved 9 March 2023.
37. "Las elecciones de senadores". National Library of Spain (in Spanish). La Correspondencia Militar. 23 March 1914. Retrieved 9 March 2023.
38. "Las elecciones de senadores". National Library of Spain (in Spanish). El Globo. 23 March 1914. Retrieved 9 March 2023.
39. "Resultado de la elección de senadores". National Library of Spain (in Spanish). La Correspondencia de España. 23 March 1914. Retrieved 9 March 2023.
40. "Las elecciones de senadores". National Library of Spain (in Spanish). El Siglo Futuro. 23 March 1914. Retrieved 9 March 2023.
41. "Marzo de 1914. Día 22. Elecciones de Senadores". National Library of Spain (in Spanish). El Año Político. 1 January 1915. Retrieved 9 March 2023.

Bibliography

• Fernández Almagro, Melchor (1943). "Las Cortes del siglo XIX y la práctica electoral". Revista de Estudios Políticos (in Spanish) (9–10): 383–419. ISSN 0048-7694. Retrieved 16 December 2020.
• Martorell Linares, Miguel Ángel (1997). "La crisis parlamentaria de 1913-1917. La quiebra del sistema de relaciones parlamentarias de la Restauración". Revista de Estudios Políticos (in Spanish) (96). Madrid: Centro de Estudios Constitucionales: 137–161.
• Martínez Ruiz, Enrique; Maqueda Abreu, Consuelo; De Diego, Emilio (1999). Atlas histórico de España (in Spanish). Vol. 2. Bilbao: Ediciones KAL. pp. 109–120. ISBN 9788470903502.
• Armengol i Segú, Josep; Varela Ortega, José (2001). El poder de la influencia: geografía del caciquismo en España (1875-1923) (in Spanish). Madrid: Marcial Pons Historia. pp. 655–776. ISBN 9788425911521.
• 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-Sklodowska, sectio K. 24 (1). Madrid: Maria Curie-Skłodowska University: 145–154. doi:10.17951/k.2017.24.1.145. S2CID 159328027.