Abstract
After restoration of Bourbons in 1875 and the ending of the Carlist War, Canovas del Castillo believed that the time had come to address the special relationship of the Basque provinces with the State. Because of the situation these provinces had been enjoying, they were free from paying tax and from military service, protecting this particular condition through the «fueros». Canovas promoted the law of July 1876 with the object of changing that state of affairs. This law caused a strong reaction in the Basque Country, which experienced tense moments as the result of the rejection that it met in some sectors of Basque society, led by the foral institutions. In any case, there was no unanimous position in the Basque Country in regard to Canovas' initiaves, being delimited, broadly speaking, to two factions: one supporting negotiation with the government and other resisting this avenue. The object of this article is to explore the critical phase 1876-1877', and to analyse some facts that have marked later history in the Basque Country.
Highlights
After restoration of Bourbons in 1875 and the ending of the Carlist War, Cánovas del Castillo believed that the time had come to address the special relationship of the Basque provinces with the State
Because of the situation these provinces had been enjoying, they were free from paying tax and from military service, protecting this particular condition through the «fueros»
1876 with the object of changing that state of affairs. This law caused a strong reaction in the Basque Country, which experienced tense moments as the result of the rejection that it met in some sectors of Basque society, led by the foral institutions
Summary
Las Provincias Vascongadas hubieron de pagar en 1876 la cuenta de tres errores. Luego del Convenio de Vergara, las Cortes por Ley de 25-10-1839 habían confirmado los Fueros de las Provincias Vascongadas y de Navarra «sin perjuicio de la unidad constitucional de la monarquía» La intransigencia fuerista sellaba así lo que iba a suceder, aunque habrían de pasar todavía un año y dos meses de nuevos e infructuosos contactos para que, efectivamente, perdida toda esperanza de una conciliación, el Presidente del Gobierno procediera a fines de 1877 a resolver la cuestión suprimiendo las Juntas Generales y Diputaciones Forales tradicionales, que, dada su negativa a cumplir la Ley de 21-7-1876, no juzgaría ya merecedoras de continuidad en el régimen de Conciertos Económicos nacido en 1878. Durante la discusión de la Ley de julio en el Congreso, en momentos de una intensa efervescencia antifuerista fuera del territorio vasco, Cánovas expuso con claridad que él pretendía, sí, establecer la «unidad constitucional» y, por tanto, la obligatoriedad de los vascos de contribuir como los demás habitantes del reino, pero también cómo había que «mantener en aquellas provincias el espíritu administrativo en que indudablemente han sido superiores hasta ahora a otras de la Nación»58. Reunión de las Diputaciones, 1 de febrero de 1877, en AGIRREAZKUENAGA, J. (éd.): op.cit., vol I, p. 812
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