The third Cortes of 1834-37 were called after the death of Fernando
VII, which occurred September 29, 1833, when the liberals again
demanded concessions and a constitutional government. [177] The ship
"Santa Ana" sailing from Cádiz, August 28, 1834, reached Manila with
official orders and the summons to the Cortes; [178] which having
been called for July 24, 1834 (by decree of May 10), had already
convened. The election for the Philippine representatives (March 1,
1835) [179] resulted in the choice of Brigadier Andrés García Camba,
[180] and Licentiate Juan Francisco Lecaros (or Lecaroz) [181]--the
first a resident of Manila (formerly a resident in Nueva España),
and the second the Madrid agent for the Manila Ayuntamiento. Camba
sailed for Cádiz on the "Santa Ana" on March 21, and arrived in
Spain August 20, 1835, after the end of the first session of the
Cortes. That session imposed a special tax on certain classes of
financial documents, which affected all the Spanish domains; and
which was sanctioned by the regent, May, 1835, and communicated to
the Philippines on June 2.
The new session was set in a meeting of the Consejo de Ministros
(September 28, 1835) for November 16, 1835. The first preliminary
meeting was held on November 12, at which the Philippine
representatives presented their credentials, being duly confirmed on
the meeting of the fourteenth, although Camba was contested by one
Manuel Cacho of Manila. The formal opening of the session occurred on
the sixteenth, and on the twenty-fourth, Camba and Lecaros took the
oath, the former being placed on the committee on Etiquette. On the
occasion of the vote of confidence in the government, the Philippine
representatives spoke on the rumors of the transfer of the Philippines
to a foreign government, stating that such rumors had already been
reported in foreign newspapers, as well as the power to whom the
transfer was to be made and the sum to be paid. Such a sale they
could not believe would be the reward of so many years of loyalty
to the Spanish government. In the discussion of the election law
for the Cortes, the government and the Cortes came to a deadlock,
and the Cortes were dissolved by the government. Hence nothing was
accomplished during this session. [182]
A royal decree of the date when the Cortes were dissolved, ordered
the new Cortes to assemble at Madrid, March 22, article 5 of the
decree specifying that elections should be held in the provinces of
Ultramar on receipt of the decree. Consequently, at this session,
which lasted from March 22 until May 23, when it was again dissolved,
the Philippines had no representation.
A decree of May 24 ordered a new session for August 20, at which the
Philippines were to have four representatives, the officials evidently
not taking into account the distance of the Philippines from Spain,
for it would be manifestly impossible for any representative to arrive
from the Philippines for that session or even for the one of March,
1837. The election at Manila held in 1836 resulted in the reelection
of Camba and Lecaros. On August 13, a royal decree (in consequence of
the mutiny of La Granja) ordered the publication of the Constitution of
1812 until the Cortes clearly manifested their will or drew up a new
constitution. Another decree of August 21 called the general Cortes
for October 24, in accordance with the rules of the Constitution of
1812; and one of September 28 suppressed the Real Consejo de España
é Indias. At the secret session of the Cortes on January 16, 1837, a
proposition for special laws to govern Ultramar was made, being passed
to the proper committee. On February 10 the committee having in charge
the drafting of a new constitution, presented a plan for the provinces
to be ruled by special laws, in accordance with which their delegates
were not to sit in the Cortes. On March 9, 1837, the elections at
Manila resulted in Camba and Luis Prudencio Alvarez y Tejero, [183]
formerly of the Manila Audiencia, and a resident of Manila for thirteen
years, being elected. The latter arrived in Spain after the passing
of the law excluding the Philippine representation from the Cortes. A
royal order of May 31, 1837, presented the method to be observed
in the provision of alcaldes-mayor for the Philippines. On June 18,
the new constitution was promulgated in Madrid, article 2 of which
decreed that Ultramar should be governed by special laws. [184] Since
that time the Philippines have had no representation in Cortes. [185]