April, 1834, she issued a
royal statute (_Estatuto Real_), whereby there was established a new
type of Cortes, comprising two chambers instead of one. The upper
house, or Estamento de Proceres, was essentially a senate; the lower,
or Estamento de Procuradores, was a chamber of deputies. Members of
the Procuradores were to be elected by taxpayers for a term of three
years. Upon the Cortes was conferred power of taxation and of
legislation; but the Government alone might propose laws, and the
Cortes, like its ancient predecessor, was allowed no initiative save
that of petitioning the Government to submit measures upon particular
subjects. A minimum of one legislative session annually was
stipulated; but the sovereign was left free otherwise to convoke and
to dissolve the chambers at will. Ministers were recognized to be
responsible solely to the crown.

[Footnote 839: In the mediaeval states of Spain
there was no discrimination against female
succession. The Spanish Salic Law was enacted by a
decree of Philip V. in 1713, at the close of the
War of the Spanish Succession. Its original object
was to prevent the union of the crowns of France
and Spain. In view of the change which had come in
the international situation, Charles IV., supported
by the Cortes, in 1789 abrogated the act of 1713
and re-established the law of _Siete Partidas_
which permitted the succession of women. This
measure was recorded in the archives, but was not
published at the time; so that what Ferdinand VII.
did was simply to publish, May 19, 1830, at the
instigation of the Queen, this _pragmatica_, or
law, of 1789. The birth of Isabella occurred the
following October 10.]

*671. The Constitution of 1837.*--Toward the establishment of
constitutional government the Statute of 1834 marked some, albeit
small, advance. The Moderados, or moderate liberals, were disposed to
accept it as the largest concession that, for the present, could be
expected. But the Progressistas, or progressives, insisted upon a
revival of the more democratic constitution of 1812, and in 1836 the
regent was compelled by a widespread military revolt to sign a decr