Década moderada
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In thehistory of Spain,thedécada moderada(Spanish pronunciation:[ˈdekaðamoðeˈɾaða],"moderatedecade ") was the period from May 1844 to July 1854, during which theModerate Partycontinuously held power.
Rise to power[edit]
The Moderate Party, like theProgressive Partyit displaced, identified itself asliberal,but it was considerably moreconservativethan the Progressives. Whereas the Progressives had little ground for compromise withCarlism,the Moderate Party was in more of a position to cooperate with moderate elements from among the losing side of theFirst Carlist War,and theConvention of Vergarahad allowed many of the latter to return to participation in government and politics.
When the Moderate Party under GeneralRamón María Narváezfirst took power in May 1844, they inherited the progressiveSpanish Constitution of 1837,and promptly set about revising it to be more in line with their principals. They wished to have a system that allowed certain liberties, but above all they wished to establish acentralized governmentandeconomic liberalismthat they believed would lead to transformation and economic growth.
Policy[edit]
At the beginning of thedécada moderada,QueenIsabella IIwas only 13 years old;Maria Christina of the Two Sicilieswasregent.Narváez began a series of reforms to strengthen the monarchy and centralize the state. He curtailed freedom of expression, put an end to thepopular electionofmunicipalofficials, and eliminated theNational Militia.In October 1844, to replace the National Militia, he created theCivil Guard(Spanish:Guardia Civil), a security force that has continued down to the present day under various Spanish regimes. The system of education was reorganized along lines proposed byClaudio Moyano.
The Moderates inherited the organization of Spain intoprovincesandmunicipalities,established byJavier de Burgosin the1833 territorial divisionof the country. Each province was given a centrally appointed Civil Governor, and he, in turn, named the heads of the municipalities. In practice, this gave the Moderates a monopoly of power at all levels and control of all institutions of governance and administration. Their desire for order required a certain respect for thefuerosthat granted special rights to some of the provinces. Nevertheless, some of the provinces were disgruntled with the increased centralism, as shown by events such as theSolís Uprisingof 1846.
Constitution of 1845[edit]
The Moderate Party established theSpanish Constitution of 1845,under whichsovereigntyandlegislative powerwere both shared between theSpanish monarchyand theCortes.The Cortes consisted of aCongress of Deputiesand aSenate.The Congress was elected undercensus suffrage;the wealth requirements limited the franchise to less than one percent of the population. The Senate, whose size was not fixed, was appointed by the Queen. Although the constitution declared rights such as freedom of expression, these rights were subject to laws passed by the Cortes: wealthy men who intended to maintain a monopoly of power that excluded even the leaders of the Progressive Party, let alone the average citizen.
Religion[edit]
The Moderates set out to resolve the conflict with theCatholic Churchthat had been created by thedisentailmentof church properties. Many Spanish Catholics were of the opinion that theclergyhad suffered an inappropriate attack on their means of gaining a living; in this matter, theHoly Seehad a great deal of support among the populace against the government. The government ofBravo Murilloultimately achieved theConcordat of 1851,under which thePopeaccepted the disentailments and the state committed itself to the maintenance of the Church. The Government was confirmed in the right to present names of proposed bishops, inherited from the royalConcordat of 1753.Thus, the government was guaranteed an ecclesiastical hierarchy appointed at its pleasure, as well.
This process of improved relations with the Church established a basis for general tranquility in religious matters, which was fundamental to establish any general civil peace.
Economy[edit]
The Moderates attempted a major reform of taxation along more rational lines. They eliminated innumerable old, narrow taxes and attempted to make those that remained more just and controllable. Finance ministerAlejandro Monand his collaboratorRamón de Santillánattempted to establish a balanced budget under theSpanish tax reform of 1845,also known as theLey Mon-Santillán( "Mon-Santillán Law" ).
The original intent of the new system of taxation was adirectincome taxon all citizens. It was difficult to apply such a system, though, because there were no reliable statistics, and much fraud. Instead, they changed to a system ofindirect taxationthat affected all consumers independent of their incomes. These new taxes lowered the standard of living of the general populace, resulting in many popular protests, and ultimately triggering the 1854 revolution known as theVicalvarada,ushering in a brief return to power by the Progressive Party, thebienio progresista( "Progressive Biennium" ).
See also[edit]
Sources[edit]
- José Luis Comellas García-Llera,Los moderados en el poder, 1844-1854,Madrid: Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, 1970.ISBN84-00-01958-X.
- Carlos Seco Serrano, "La década moderada", inLa ingeniería del agua en España en el siglo XIX: ciclo de conferencias,Fundación Canal de Isabel II, 2002, p. 19-38.