Towards the history of the convocation of the Constituent Cortes in Portugal in 1820: the António de Almeida’s “corporatist” proposal

Abstract

From October 1, 1820, onwards, the unification of the Provisional Government of Oporto, established with the revolution of August 24, with the Interim Government of Lisbon, set up on September 15, the idea of a “political regeneration” of the Country based on the convening of the Cortes for the adoption of a Constitution was definitly consolidated. However, since the traditional Portuguese Cortes had not been covened for more than a century, the question arose as to what would be the best national representation system, suited to the conditions of the nineteenth century. In order to reach an answer, the Junta Preparatória of the Cortes promoted an extensive external consultation procedure on October 6, 1820. More than two thousand invitations were issued requesting the opinion of knowlegeable and enlightened individuals, as well as of the two mais scientific institutions, the University of Coimbra and the Academy of Sciences of Lisbon, on the best way to convene the future Constituent Cortes. This article brings to light the unpublished opinion of doctor António de Almeida, who proposed an original political representation scheme of a corporatist nature. Regardless of the repercussion it may have had at that time, today it is another unique fragment of the constituent procedure of 1820, wich illustrates a remarkable, yet unknown, page of the history of political representation in Portugal.

Fecha de envío / Submission date: 4/10/2019

Fecha de aceptación / Acceptance date: 7/12/2019