Sejm of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth
Sejm of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth Sejm Rzeczypospolitej Obojga Narodów | |
---|---|
Bicameral | |
Chambers | Senate Chamber of Deputies |
Term limits | 2 years |
History | |
Established | 1 July 1569 |
Disbanded | 24 October 1795 |
Preceded by | Sejm of the Kingdom of Poland King |
Chamber of Deputies voting system | MNTV with limited suffrage |
Last Chamber of Deputies election | 27 May 1793 |
Meeting place | |
Royal Castle, Warsaw |
The General Sejm (
The two chambers of a sejm were the Senate (senat) consisting of high ecclesiastical and secular officials, and the lower house, Chamber of Deputies (izba poselska), the sejm proper, of lower ranking officials and the representatives of all szlachta. Together with the king, the three were known as the sejming estates, or estates of the sejm (stany sejmujące, literally, "deliberating estates").[2]
Duration and frequencies of the sejms changed over time, with the six-week sejm session convened every two years being most common. Sejm locations changed throughout history, eventually with the Commonwealth capital of
In addition to the regular sessions of the general sejm, in the era of electable kings, beginning in 1573, three special types of sejms (convocation, election, and coronation sejms) handled the process of the royal election in the interregnum period. In total, 173 sejms met between 1569 and 1793.[3]
Etymology
The Polish word sejm is derived from old Czech sejmovat, which means to bring together or to summon.[4] In English, the terms general,[5] full,[6] or ordinary[7] sejm are used for the sejm walny.
Genesis
The Sejm of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth was established by the
The first traces of large nobility meetings in the
Political influence
Sejms, including their senate (the upper chamber), and sejmiks severely limited the king's powers.
Already the
Following the Constitution of May 3, 1791, the senate's competences were altered; in most cases, the senators could only vote together with the sejm, and the senate's veto powers were limited.[16] Legislative power was limited to the deputies of the sejm (not senators voting separately, except on the senate's privilege of veto, a suspension of a given legislation until the sejm votes on it again during the next session). The king, who nominated senators, ministers and other officials, presided over the senate, and could propose new laws together with the executive government, over which he also presided (the newly created Straż Praw or the Guardianship of Laws).[16] The sejm also had the supervisory role, as government ministers and other officials were to be responsible to it.[16]
Voting
Until the end of the 16th century,
Reforms of 1764–66 improved the proceedings the sejm.[23] They introduced majority voting for items declared as "non crucial" (most economic and tax matters) and outlawed binding instructions from sejmiks.[23] Reforms of 1767 and 1773–75 transferred some competences of the sejm to the commissions of elected delegates.[23] From 1768, hetmans were included among the senate members, and from 1775 also the Court Deputy Treasurer.[23]
In the senate there was no voting; after all the senators who wished had spoken on a given matter, the king or the chancellor formed a general opinion based on the majority.[18]
The Constitution of May 3, 1791 finally abolished the liberum veto, replacing it by majority voting, in most important matters requiring 75% of the votes.[16]
Composition and electoral ordinance
The sejm comprised two chambers, with varying numbers of deputies. After the 1569 Union of Lublin, the
The two chambers were:
- The royal council. The senate numbered over 140 bishops and Senatorial offices of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth ;[25] it grew from 149 around 1598–1633 to 153 around 1764–1768, and 157 during the era of the Great Sejm (1788–92).[26] The Constitution of May 3 set their number at 132.[16]
- The lower house, Constitution of May 3 set their number at 204, including 24 non-voting representatives from cities and towns.[16]
The Constitution of May 3 specified that the deputies were elected for two years, and did not require reelection in that period if any extraordinary sejms were to be called.[16] Senators, for the most part, were selected by the king from a number of candidates presented by the sejmiks.[16]
Due to population size differences between Lithuania and Poland, the Grand Duchy had three times less representatives than the Crown.
Sejm gatherings
Proceedings
A sejm began with a solemn
After 1543 the resolutions were written in Polish rather than
Location
The majority of the sejms were held at the
The sejms in Warsaw were held in the Warsaw Castle, within the Chamber of Deputies (Hall of Three Pillars), with the upper Senate Chamber located literally above it.[37] In the late 17th century, new quarters were constructed for the Chamber of Deputies, and were joined on the same level by the senate quarters in the mid-18th century.[37] The new Senate Chamber was the larger of the two, as it was intended to host both chambers during the opening and closing ceremonies.[37]
Duration and frequency
In the mid-15th century the
After the
It is estimated that between 1493 and 1793 sejms were held 240 times.
Special sessions
Royal elections
In addition to the regular sessions of the general sejm, three special types of sejms handled the process of the
- Convocation sejm (Sejm konwokacyjny). This sejm was called upon a death or abdication of a king by the Primate of Poland.[41] The deputies would focus on establishing the dates and any special rules for the election (in particular, preparation of pacta conventa, bills of nobility privileges to be sworn by the king), and screening the candidates.[41] This sejm was to last two weeks.[17]
- Election sejm (Sejm elekcyjny), during which the nobility voted for the candidate to the throne. This type of sejm was open to all members of the nobility who desired to attend it, and as such they often gathered much larger number of attendees than the regular sejms.[41][42] The exact numbers of attendees have never been recorded, and are estimated to vary from 10,000 to over 100,000; subsequently the voting could last for days (in 1573 it was recorded that it took four days).[43] To handle the increased numbers, those sejms would be held in Wola, then a village near Warsaw.[41] Royal candidates themselves were barred from attending this sejm, but were allowed to send representatives.[43] This sejm was to last six weeks.[17]
- Coronation sejm (Sejm koronacyjny). This sejm was held in Kraków, where the coronation ceremony was traditionally held by the primate, who relinquished his powers to the chosen king.[44] This sejm was to last two weeks.[17]
Other special sessions
Confederated sejm (Sejm skonfederowany) first appeared in 1573 (all convocation and election sejms were confederated), and became more popular in the 18th century as a counter to the disruption of liberum veto.[45] Seen as emergency or extraordinary sessions, they relied on majority voting to speed up the discussions and ensure a legislative outcome.[17][45] Many royal election sejms were confederated, as well as some of the normal sejm walny (general sejm) sessions.[41][45]
Jędruch, who classifies the regular general sejm session as ordinary, in addition to the convocation, election and coronation sessions, also distinguished the following additional types:
- Council of state
- Constitutional
- Delegation (ending with a formation of committees)
- Extraordinary
- General sejmik held instead of a sejm
- General council (rada walna) without the king present. That sejm would be convoked by the primate when the king could not attend and had no legislative powers. It was attended by deputies from the preceding sejm. Held three times (in 1576, 1710 and 1734).
- Inquest, debating the case of royal impeachment. Two such sejms were held (in 1592 and 1646).
- Pacification, to quell a potential civil war after a disputed election, to pacify the opponents through political concessions. Five such sejms were held (in 1598, 1673, 1698, 1699 and 1735).[7][17]
See also
References
- ^ "Pamiȩtnik dziejów Polskich: Z aktów urzȩdowych Lwowskich i z rȩkopismów". 1855.
- ^ "The king as the sejming estate", a Sejm webpage
- ^ "Seimas Abiejų Tautų Respublikoje (XVI–XVIII a.)" (in Lithuanian). Seimas. Retrieved 2015-12-30.
- ISBN 978-0-19-925339-5. Retrieved 23 February 2012.
- ISBN 978-83-04-01861-7. Retrieved 7 March 2012.
- ISBN 978-0-231-12817-9. Retrieved 7 March 2012.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-7818-0637-4. Retrieved 13 August 2011.
- ^ Juliusz Bardach, Boguslaw Lesnodorski, and Michal Pietrzak, Historia panstwa i prawa polskiego (Warsaw: Paristwowe Wydawnictwo Naukowe, 1987, p.20, 26-27
- ^ Juliusz Bardach, Boguslaw Lesnodorski, and Michal Pietrzak, Historia panstwa i prawa polskiego (Warsaw: Paristwowe Wydawnictwo Naukowe, 1987, p.62-63
- ^ ISBN 978-0-295-97291-6. Retrieved 29 February 2012.
- ^ a b c d e f g Juliusz Bardach, Boguslaw Lesnodorski, and Michal Pietrzak, Historia panstwa i prawa polskiego (Warsaw: Paristwowe Wydawnictwo Naukowe, 1987, p.104-106
- ISBN 978-0-7818-0637-4. Retrieved 13 August 2011.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-7818-0637-4. Retrieved 13 August 2011.
- ^ "Lietuvos Didžiosios Kunigaikštystės parlamentas (XV-XVIIIa.)" (in Lithuanian). Seimas. Retrieved 2008-09-02.
- ^ a b c d e Juliusz Bardach, Boguslaw Lesnodorski, and Michal Pietrzak, Historia panstwa i prawa polskiego (Warsaw: Paristwowe Wydawnictwo Naukowe, 1987, p.221-222
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Juliusz Bardach, Boguslaw Lesnodorski, and Michal Pietrzak, Historia panstwa i prawa polskiego (Warsaw: Paristwowe Wydawnictwo Naukowe, 1987, p.310-312
- ^ ISBN 978-0-7818-0637-4. Retrieved 13 August 2011.
- ^ a b c d e f Juliusz Bardach, Boguslaw Lesnodorski, and Michal Pietrzak, Historia panstwa i prawa polskiego (Warsaw: Paristwowe Wydawnictwo Naukowe, 1987, p.220-221
- ISBN 0-631-20513-6.
- ^ Barbara Markiewicz, "Liberum veto albo o granicach społeczeństwa obywatelskiego" [w:] Obywatel: odrodzenie pojęcia, Warszawa 1993.
- ^ Juliusz Bardach, Boguslaw Lesnodorski, and Michal Pietrzak, Historia panstwa i prawa polskiego (Warsaw: Paristwowe Wydawnictwo Naukowe, 1987, p.223
- ISBN 978-0-333-77475-5. Retrieved 5 July 2011.
- ^ a b c d Juliusz Bardach, Boguslaw Lesnodorski, and Michal Pietrzak, Historia panstwa i prawa polskiego (Warsaw: Paristwowe Wydawnictwo Naukowe, 1987, p.293-294
- ^ ISBN 0-8020-7820-6.
- ^ a b c d Juliusz Bardach, Boguslaw Lesnodorski, and Michal Pietrzak, Historia panstwa i prawa polskiego (Warsaw: Paristwowe Wydawnictwo Naukowe, 1987, p.219-220
- ^ ISBN 978-0-7818-0637-4. Retrieved 13 August 2011.
- ^ a b c Juliusz Bardach, Boguslaw Lesnodorski, and Michal Pietrzak, Historia panstwa i prawa polskiego (Warsaw: Paristwowe Wydawnictwo Naukowe, 1987, p.219
- ISBN 9781137573643.
- ISBN 83-87809-20-9.
- ISBN 978-83-7059-009-3. Retrieved 24 February 2012.
- ISBN 978-0-7818-0637-4. Retrieved 13 August 2011.
- ^ a b Karol Rawer (1899). Dzieje ojczyste dla mlodziezy. p. 86. Retrieved 7 March 2012.
- ISBN 978-0-00-728275-3. Retrieved 2 March 2012.
- Encyklopedia Polski, pp. 306–7.
- Państwowe Wydawnictwo Naukowe, 1974, p. 543.
- ISBN 978-0-7818-0637-4. Retrieved 13 August 2011.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-7818-0637-4. Retrieved 13 August 2011.
- ^ Przegląd humanistyczny. Państwowe Wydawn. Naukowe. 2002. p. 24. Retrieved 2 March 2012.
- ISBN 978-0-7818-0637-4. Retrieved 13 August 2011.
- ISBN 978-0-231-12817-9. Retrieved 11 March 2012.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-7818-0637-4. Retrieved 13 August 2011.
- ISBN 978-0-7818-0637-4. Retrieved 13 August 2011.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-7818-0637-4. Retrieved 13 August 2011.
- ISBN 978-0-7818-0637-4. Retrieved 13 August 2011.
- ^ a b c Juliusz Bardach, Boguslaw Lesnodorski, and Michal Pietrzak, Historia panstwa i prawa polskiego (Warsaw: Paristwowe Wydawnictwo Naukowe, 1987, p.226