In 1836 a
coup by sergeants of the
Spanish Royal Guard at
La Granja de San Ildefonso (
Province of Segovia) obliged the
regent Maria Christina of the Two Sicilies to name a government dominated by the
Progressive Party. That government initially superseded the
Royal Statute of 1834 by reinstating the
Constitution of 1812 (the "Cádiz Constitution"), and called a Constituent Cortes that was also dominated by Progressives, to develop the new Constitution of 1837. Despite this Progressive influence during its creation, the resulting constitution reflected a compromise between the Cádiz Constitution and the Royal Statute of 1834, in hopes of gaining support from the
Moderate Party as well. Some of the similarities to the Cádiz Constitution were the principle of
national sovereignty, the recognition of a range of
rights for
citizens,
division of powers, an increased role for the Cortes (legislature) and limitations on royal power. On the other hand, the parliament (the Cortes) was similar in structure to that of
France or
Belgium at the time, with a broad electorate choosing a
lower house (the Chamber of Deputies), while the
upper house (the Senate) was appointed by the monarch. The monarch had the power to convoke and dissolve the Cortes. Rather than
universal suffrage, a system of
censitary suffrage limited the franchise to those who paid taxes of at least 200
reales, which is to say about five percent of the population. In 1845, under the Moderates, Spain replaced the Constitution of 1837 with a new constitution; one of the main differences was that the
Constitution of 1845 narrowed the franchise to a much smaller portion of the population. This change resulted in a more centralized system of government, with political participation limited to a smaller portion of the population. Compared to the Constitution of 1837, which attempted to balance progressive and moderate ideas, the 1845 Constitution reduced political participation and strengthened the authority of the monarchy. == Response and popular reaction ==