The Small Seimas: Why Lithuania needed such an institution 100 years ago and why you know

We invite you to familiarize yourself with this period in the history of Lithuania, which not everyone knows.

Seimas members come to the front: how to continue the work of Seimas, which cannot bring all the members together?

Seimas Constituyentes, 1920 May 15 having assumed the management of the country, he faced challenges.

Part of the Lithuanian territory with the capital Vilnius was occupied, the state of the Klaipeda region was unclear, the states of Entente had not yet recognized the Lithuanian state, the borders with neighboring states had not been harmonized and in the second half of 1920 relations with the neighboring Polish state intensified.

1920 August 26 The Lithuanian army entered the historic capital of Lithuania, Vilnius, and soon representatives of some ministries of the Republic of Lithuania moved to Vilnius. There was an armed conflict between Lithuania and Poland.

In an attempt to resolve the conflict, the 1920s. October 7 The Treaty of Suwalki was concluded in 1920, but soon the situation became even more complicated when in 1920. October 9 The soldiers led by the Polish general Lucian Zheligowski They captured Vilnius in violation of the treaty, and two days later, on October 12, they declared the Republic of Central Lithuania with the capital Vilnius.

During open struggles with the Polish army, fearing for the survival of the Lithuanian state, members of the Constitutional Seimas also stood up to defend the state, by weapon, organizing support for the Lithuanian army or mobilizing Lithuanian society for a job set.

As early as 1920. October 9 A protracted meeting of the Seimas Elders Conference and the Committees on Foreign Affairs, National Defense and Finance and Seimas Budget in Seimas was held, attended by representatives of the Cabinet of Ministers and the Committee of Defense of Lithuania.

The purpose of this meeting was to discuss Lithuania’s defense problems and assess possibilities of resistance in cooperation with the relevant ministries.

1920 October 15 Members of the Seimas Constituents Kazys Škirpa, Kazys Kupčiūnas and Antanas Tamošaitis asked the Seimas for permission not to participate in the Seimas sessions for a time in matters of national defense, as they considered it their duty to return to the army.

“I believe that in this difficult moment of struggle, as a soldier, I will bring more benefits to the Homeland than to being in the Seimas,” Captain Kazys Škirpa argued his request. Such a decision by colleagues was accompanied by applause from other Seimas members.

The situation changed rapidly, after dismissing several colleagues a few days after participating in the Seimas sessions, Seimas members soon began to consider the Small Seimas Bill.

The idea of ​​creating a smaller and more optimal management institute was introduced in the 1920s. At meetings of the Seimas Elders Conference, the Cabinet of Ministers, the Seimas factions and some representatives of the Seimas commissions held on October 20 and 21.

During these meetings, it was decided to form a smaller governing body at a critical time for the state, and soon a bill on the formation of the Small Seimas was prepared.

There was no shortage of disputes over the legitimacy and authority of Little Seimas a century ago

“An electric light will shine for another hour” are the words used in the 1920s. On October 22, after the approval of the draft Law on the Formation of Small Seimas, Antanas Tumėnas, member of the Seimas Constituent, spoke and He proposed to review the amendment to the Constitutional Seimas Statute that regulates the work of the Seimas commissions.

In a special situation, the Seimas members worked without counting the time, but had to take into account the general restriction of the electricity supply: after midnight, the city darkened.

Meeting of the day from 10 a.m. 35 min. in the morning, which took place with breaks, it ended almost at midnight – 11 p.m. 40 min. The next day, Little Seimas began his work.

The factions working at Seimas showed remarkable consensus and concentration. The bill on the formation of the Small Seimas was included in the agenda of the Seimas sessions the same day of its adoption, in 1920. on October 22

The bill was distributed to Seimas members in the morning of the same day, and its deliberations began in the late afternoon.

Members of the Seimas had to familiarize themselves with the bill and evaluate it for approximately six hours, and such interruption was made after the adoption of other laws that day, one of which was an “Extraordinary Loan from the State Treasury for the National defense”.

The members of the Seimas returned to the living room at night – 8 p.m. 15 minutes, this time the session was chaired by the President of the Constituent Assembly Aleksandras Stulginskis.

Introducing the idea of ​​the law, Mykolas Krupavičius said: “Today, our state has to live at a time when the coordination of the authorities and their good harmonization and resistance are especially necessary. To achieve this, it is planned to reduce St. The institution of Seimas was understood in such a way that, instead of the number of elected members of the society, a smaller number would remain and would grant to that smaller number the appropriate powers so that the Seimas could, If not, exercise all your rights and duties, at least those that are absolutely necessary at this time. […] it would be necessary to entrust the work of the Seventh Constituents to a certain part of it, and free the other part to the defense work of Lithuania. “

Kazimieras Venclauskis, speaking on behalf of the Social Democratic Group, pointed out that the Small Seimas would not have the same moral authority in society as the Constitutional Seimas, in his opinion, the Small Seimas were unnecessary,

Such a position was supported by his colleague Jeronimas Plečkaitis, who called the Little Seimas a “miniature of the Seimas”.

However, Vladas Lašas, who spoke on behalf of the peasant people, opposed this approach, claiming that in this way the Seimas Elders Conference would acquire a disproportionate amount of powers and be a larger governing body than the planned Small Seimas.

Antanas Tumėnas, representing the Christian Democrats, recalled that “the task of the Seventh Constituents is the Constitution and the agrarian reform; meanwhile, the Constituent Seimas has to put small patches in the regulation of the problems of operation ”.

According to him, by adopting the Small Seimas Formation Law, the Constitutional Seimas will not give up their rights or authority, and it is the Small Seimas who will be able to handle current affairs.

He was supported by his faction colleague Vytautas Bičiūnas: “The authority of the Seimas will not be able to suffer, because the country knows that the break at work is caused by war.” Finally, almost at midnight, the Seimas approved the Law on the formation of Small Seimas.

Therefore, it was decided not to convene Seimas sessions for some time, but to concentrate work on the most important Seimas Constituent commissions, such as the Territorial Reform, Constitution, National Defense and Foreign Affairs Commissions.

Parliament continued to be the most important institution in the country, reporting to the Cabinet of Ministers and the State Audit Office.

The Small Seimas consisted of representatives of all parliamentary factions.

The Small Seimas Formation Law proclaimed that “The Small Seimas consist of the President of the Constitutional Seimas and six members elected by the Constitutional Seimas. Note. 6 candidates will be elected from among the members of the Constitutional Seimas to replace the members of the Little Seimas “.

1922 October 22 In the session of the Constitutional Seimas, when electing the members of this institution, it was emphasized: “The candidates chosen for the Small Seimas to replace those representatives are also elected. Candidates must enter Small Seimas when one or the other withdraws from it for any reason. “

The members of Small Seimas were elected by party. In general, the Small Seimas was formed in such a way that it represented all parties, as well as national minorities.

The following were elected members of the Small Seimas:

• Aleksandras STULGINSKIS, President of the Seventh Constituents, Acting President of the Republic;
• Mykolas KRUPAVIČIUS, representative of the Christian Democratic Bloc;
• Antanas TUMĖNAS, representative of the Christian Democratic Block;
• Mykolas SLEŽEVIČIUS, Representative of the Peasant People’s Block;
• Vladas LAŠAS, Representative of the Peasant People’s Block;
• Kazimieras VENCLAUSKIS, Representative of the Social Democratic Group;
• Naphthal FRIDMAN, Representative of the Jewish Group.

The following candidates were elected as members (deputies) of Small Seimas:

• Ladas NATKEVIČIUS, Representative of the Peasant People’s Block;
• Jonas KRIŠČIŪNAS, Representative of the Peasant People’s Block;
• Juozas VAILOKAITIS, Representative of the Christian Democratic Bloc;
• Eliziejus DRAUGELIS, representative of the Christian Democratic Bloc;
• Steponas KAIRYS, Representative of the Socialist Group;
• Maksas SOLOVEIČIKAS, Representative of the Jewish Group

At the first Small Seimas session, in 1920. On October 23, Ladas Natkevičius was elected temporary secretary of Small Seimas, and was also appointed to act as vice president of Small Seimas.

Lawyers Antanas Tumėnas and Naftalis Fridmanas were instructed to prepare the Statute of Small Seimas, but in the end it was decided to work in accordance with the Statute of Constitutional Seimas.

Already in mid-November, Mykolas Krupavičius and Vladas Lašas were delegates to the Military Council, so Steponas Kairys and Eliziejus Draugelis took their place.

In general, there was considerable rotation between the members of Small Seimas and their deputies. Such as the 1920s. In late November, after the health of Mykolas Krupavičius, a member of the Small Seimas, he was replaced by one of the candidate members, a representative of the Christian Democratic Bloc.

Mykolas Sleževičius, who went abroad with a delegation from the Seventh Constituents, was replaced by a representative of the peasants.

Ladas Natkevičius, Jonas Krikščiūnas, Juozas Vailokaitis, Eliziejus Draugelis, Steponas Kairys and Maksas Soloveičikas participated in the Small Seimas meetings as full members. They provided inquiries, suggestions, and interpretations; they did their normal parliamentary work.

The Little Seimas addressed the most delicate issues of the young state.

In accordance with the 1920 October 22 The law on the formation of the Small Seimas, adopted in 2006, entrusted to this institution the main functions of the Constitutional Seimas: issuing the necessary laws, approving credits to the executive branch, supervising the implementation of the laws.

The Cabinet of Ministers and the State Comptroller remained responsible to the Small Seimas and had to resign if they expressed a vote of no confidence.

The members of the Constitutional Seimas stressed that the Small Seimas does not have the competence to consider and adopt basic laws, such as the Constitution or the Land Reform Law.

The next day, in 1920. On October 23, 2006, a meeting of representatives of the Seimas Constitutional factions and the Lithuanian Defense Committee took place, where it was decided to share more specific tasks.

It was decided that the members of the Seimas will not sit in Kaunas, but will go to the depths of the country, where they will encourage Lithuanian citizens to form rifle squads, organize support meetings, some will help state institutions, some will stay in Kaunas and will help members of Small Seimas bills.

On the same day, the subsequent work of the commissions of the Constitutional Seimas was also discussed.

The members of the Presidium of the Constitutional Seimas, the members of the Small Seimas and the presidents of the Seimas commissions have decided that the most important commissions, such as the Territorial Reform, Constitution, National Defense and Foreign Affairs Commissions, will continue their work. that is, bills to be considered and approved by the members of the Small Seimas. .

The first session of the Small Seimas took place the same day. He reaffirmed that the commissions of the Constitutional Seimas would function as provided in the Statute of the Constitutional Seimas, but a greater initiative was given to the presidents of the commissions, and the Small Seimas would cooperate directly with the Cabinet of Ministers.

In addition, the Small Seimas were planned to meet every day except Sundays, and sessions were scheduled to begin at 9 am. in the morning

Such an intensive work schedule was followed, at least initially, with some public meetings, admission to the press and some on camera.

Life dictated the conditions, and at the end of the activities of the Little Seimas, the sessions became less frequent. Topics discussed by Small Seimas covered several areas of public life: military supply, military wages and benefits for their families, restrictions on trade on the Lithuanian border, Lithuanian customs tariffs, as well as amendments to the Criminal Statute, such as higher penalties for exhaustion of state property, medical practice and other matters.

As the President of the Seimas Constituent Aleksandras Stulginskis summarized the work of this Seimas, “The laws adopted by the Small Seimas refer to several areas of our state life. This is how we see the laws that govern our state, the military, the reconstruction of the country, etc. t “.

Several members of the Constitutional Seimas were delegates to London, Paris and Rome, where they met with British, French and Italian politicians and opinion leaders and attempted to neutralize Polish anti-Lithuanian propaganda and accelerate international recognition of Lithuania.

This delegation of the members of the Constitutional Seimas was led by the Vice President of the Staimasitis Seimas Justinas, and the members were Mykolas Sleževičius, Vincas Čepinskis and Maksas Soloveičikas. When they returned from abroad, they submitted a report on the trip to Small Seimas.

During the activity of the Small Seimas, in 1920. At the end of 2007, a delegation of members of the Constituent Seimas, led by the Vice President of the Constituent Assembly Jonas Staugaitis, and members of the Constituent Seimas Vladas Jurgutis and Zigmas Žemaitis were sent to Warsaw to negotiate the conclusion of a peace treaty and the establishment of the Lithuanian-Polish border. There were also delegations in Latvia and Estonia, whose member was Ladas Natkevičius, member of Small Seimas.

Lithuanian Defense Committee in the Seimas building room no. eleven

Several employees of the Seimas Chancellery and officials work in the offices of the current Chamber of Seimas (Houses I, II and III) marked with the number 11.

A hundred years ago, “Cabinet no. 11 ”acquired a much more important meaning and significance for the state: the Lithuanian Defense Committee was established there, which had to bring together the entire society for national defense and not leave this work only to emerging authorities and institutions.

1920 At the end of September, less than a month before the start of the Small Seimas work, the Lithuanian Defense Committee resumed its activities. The new committee arose from the need to unite society for a common goal, to promote the formation of volunteers and rifle squads, to strengthen the defense of the country.

It was the activities of this committee that in principle determined the emergence of the Little Seimas. The initiators, founders and members of the Committee were prominent parliamentarians, members of the Constitutional Seimas, who were able to demonstrate a high political culture, the ability to negotiate and agree and work for the welfare of the state.

The establishment of the Committee was initiated and directed by the following members of the Seventh Constituents. September 29 The distribution of responsibilities is as follows:

• Committee President – Mykolas SLEŽEVIČIUS (Representative of the People of the Peasant People);
• Vice President – Priest Mykolas KRUPAVIČIUS (representative of Christian Democrats);
• Treasurer: Oscar BIUCHLER (Büchler) (German);
• Secretary – Petras RUSECKAS (representative of the peasants);
• member with casting vote: priest Juozas VAILOKAITIS (representative of the Christian Democrats);
• deciding member – Ozeris FINKELŠTEINAS (Jewish representative).

In addition to them, the commander of the Union of Lithuanian Riflemen, Vladas Putvinskis, and the representative of the Ministry of National Defense, Major Jonas Motiejūnas-Valevičius, were delegates to this public committee.

Even three members of this committee, Mykolas Sleževičius, Mykolas Krupavičius and Juozas Vailokaitis, later became members of Small Seimas.

It is likely that the very idea of ​​Small Seimas was born in the minds of the members of this committee. It is no coincidence that Mykolas Krupavičius referred to the Law of Formation of the Small Seimas in the session of the Constitutional Seimas.

Many meetings of this committee and representatives of the Constitutional Seimas and the Cabinet of Ministers took place before the formation of the Small Seimas, and the activities of both institutions, the state and the public, were closely coordinated during the work of the Small Seimas . The committee worked closely with the Lithuanian Rifle Union.

After the Small Seimas began to sit down, the headquarters of the Lithuanian Defense Committee moved to the Seimas Constituent building and was installed in room no. 11. Items, clothing and food sent to the committee were stored in the old warehouses near the Seimas building.

Seimas members donated gold watches, silver spoons, and even personal awards to national defense.

Members of the Constitutional Seimas, soldiers Jonas Galvydis-Bykauskas, Ladas Natkevičius, Kazys Škirpa, Antanas Matulatis (killed in battles), Vincas Šmulkštys, Pulgis Lumbis, Dr. Klemensas Vaitekūnas and others began to form new units.

Captain Kazys Škirpa went to the province to supervise the recruitment of volunteers. Captain Ladas Natkevičius went to organize a hundred “Iron Wolf” volunteer riders.

The fact that up to five members of the Constitutional Seimas were members of the Iron Wolf increased confidence in the military organization.

Other members of the Constitutional Seimas informed the population about the difficult situation in the state in their constituencies, invited them to join the Lithuanian Armed Forces as volunteers, and organized the collection of support for Lithuanian soldiers with money, food, shoes and clothing. .

For this purpose, some forty members of the Constitutional Seimas went to the counties indicated to them, where they established a branch of the committee and obtained support.

It is well known to many that it was in 1990. The Blockade Foundation was created in April 1920, but few have heard of a similar 1920. formed the fund of the Lithuanian Defense Committee.

This last fund has accumulated an impressive amount of money, as well as a large amount of food, footwear, clothing and jewelry.

The Lithuanian Defense Committee Foundation was self-supported by individuals, public organizations, commercial companies and employees of state institutions, with an impressive amount of support from Lithuanians abroad, especially from the United States.

The members of the Constitutional Seimas were also absent. Some of them organized fundraising in the province, and some members of the Constitutional Seimas supported the fund with monetary or material donations.

The Lithuanian Defense Committee collected around ten million marks in one year, of which Lithuanians in the United States obtained five and a half million marks.

Lithuanian Defense Committee 1920 October 1 circulated a retreat urging: “But those who defend our land need food, clothing, weapons. Men, pour the dungeon into the warriors. Send a woman to her brother, son, gloves, socks, shirts, fur, warm clothes. All citizens, take your gold rings off your hands, take off your jewelry, give your all to defend our country. “

The funds and donated items that made up the Lithuanian Defense Committee fund were kept in the State Treasury. These funds were used to finance the supply of weapons, food and clothing to volunteers and shooters.

Among the first donors were members of Seimas Constituyentes, who zealously showed the importance of sacrifice and support.

They donated money and valuables, some of them personal: prizes, medical badges and other jewelry:

• The President of the Seimas Constituent, Acting President of the Republic of Lithuania, Aleksandras STULGINSKIS donated 20,000 gold coins;
• Member of the Seimas Juozas VAILOKAITIS Constituent – monthly salary – 2,000 gold coins;
• Vice President of the Constituent Seimas Jonas STAUGAITIS – 1,000 gold coins, a gold watch, a gilded silver badge, a silver doctor’s badge, a silver ruble, half a silver mark, later donated pants, shoes, and a Frenchman;
• Member of the Constituent Seimas Eliziejus DRAUGELIS – 1,000 gold coins;
• Member of the Seimas Mykolas KRUPAVIČIUS Constituent – 1,000 gold coins;
• Member of the Seimas Kazys RALYS Constituent – 300 gold coins;
• Member of the Seimas Juozas BUZELIS Constituent – 10 gold rubles, Golden Cross of the Order of George II degree;
• Member of the Constituent Seimas Jonas VALICKIS – 5 silver francs, 2 silver thalers (German), 2 silver dollars, 1 silver medal, 1 silver bracelet;
• Member of the Constituent Seimas Petras RUSECKAS – 6 silver spoons;
• Member of the Constituent Seimas Feliksas LESAUSKAS – 10 gold rubles;
• Member of the Seimas Antanas TAMOŠAITIS Constituent – 7 silver rubles, 7 German silver marks.

Donors included commercial institutions, such as the Vailokaičiai Brothers and the Company Bank in Kaunas, whose shareholders were members of the Constituent Seimas Jonas and Juozas Vailokaičiai, donated 50,000 gold, and the Bank of Lithuania, whose main shareholders were also Jonas and Juozas Vailokaičiai, The founders of the Bank in 1919 were the future members of the Constituent Seimas Kazys Bizauskas and Aleksandras Stulginskis, and donated 100,000 gold coins.

Among the donors was the block of the factions of the Democratic and Peasant Socialist Union of Lithuania, which donated 1,000 gold coins, as well as the President of the Central Electoral Commission of the Constituent Assembly, Petras Leonas, who also donated 1,000 gold coins. .

At that time, it was customary to donate only a few or several dozen gold coins, therefore the sacrifices of the Seimas members differed in size.

Ozeris Finkelstein, a member of the Constitutional Seimas, together with the Jewish Council raised funds and organized food and support points for Lithuanian soldiers returning from captivity.

Thanks to the efforts of the Council of the Jewish People, such points were opened in Kaišiadorys and Jonava.

The Seimas building also became a sewing store.

During the Small Seimas period, the Seimas building did not remain empty. They organized not only the usual parliamentary activities: meetings of the Small Seimas and Seimas commissions, meetings with members of the Cabinet of Ministers, army representatives, diplomats, but also somewhat unusual activities for parliament.

1920 In November, a large sewing shop was installed in the Seimas building, where clothing for military volunteers was sewn. Work in the sewing room boiled starting at 9 p.m. in the morning until 9 p.m. in the afternoon The sewing house itself was established and supervised by the Lithuanian Women’s Committee for the Protection of the Fatherland.

Ona Stulginskienė, the wife of well-known parliamentarians, Domicelė Sleževičienė, Aleksandra Vailokaitienė, who had held positions on the committee, were especially active in the activities of this committee.

However, the committee itself, which brought together representatives of various women’s organizations, was formed at the party level, and representatives of national minorities, including members of the Seimas Emilija Spudytė-Gvildienė and Salomėja Stakauskaitė Constituents, as well as the future parliamentarian Stefanija Ladigienė, also participated in their activities. Birutė Grigaitytė, an employee of the Chancellery of the Seventh Constituents.

Basically, the purpose of this women’s committee was to help organize the work of the Lithuanian Defense Committee, take care of the collection of warm clothes, shoes and food and their supply to the front, as well as take care of the wounded soldiers.

The return to regular Seimas work became an important event

In early 1921, as the situation on the front improved and life in the country returned to normal, the decision was made to return to normal Seimas work. The Constitutional Seimas met in plenary in 1921. January 17 10 a.m. in the morning

This meeting received a lot of public attention. In addition to Seimas members, members of the Cabinet of Ministers, the diplomatic corps of foreign countries, including Col. Pierre Chardigny, Chairman of the League of Nations Control Commission, attended the meeting.

The Seimas was full of visitors, and the Chamber could barely accommodate those who wished to enter. The transparent mood of those gathered was overshadowed by a reminder of the victims, including the death of Antanas Matulaitis, an officer of the Seventh Constituents.

Opening the session and congratulating the members of the Constituent Seimas, Aleksandras Stulginskis recalled the work done by the temporary Seimas institution: “After the events at the front, the situation in the country and abroad had 45 sessions during the current period three-month transition, considered 51 bills. passed 25 laws. The laws adopted by Small Seimas refer to diverse and diverse areas of our state life. This is how we see the laws that govern our state, the military, the reconstruction of the country, etc. t “.

He also emphasized the importance of unity, coherence and concentration: “We have won these difficult battles against the enemy of unequal forces alone, this time alone, squeezing all our forces to defend the country; […] Once again, we are convinced that power is our unity and that in a difficult hour we can only trust ourselves. ”

La reunión se extendió por el informe del Primer Ministro Kazys Grinius sobre la situación en el país, después de lo cual se retomó el trabajo parlamentario habitual: la legislación.

El testigo de esta sesión escribió sobre los presentes en la Cámara de Seimas ese día: “[…] reunió una gran audiencia. Después de todo, hubo un anuncio del gobierno en la agenda, que muchos esperaban escuchar una discusión “interesante”. Es una pena que nuestra audiencia solo esté interesada en cómo los “líderes” de las facciones “pesan” al gobierno. Cuando quedó claro que no habría “desplume”, la audiencia cayó repentinamente y ella buscó lugares más interesantes “.

Preparado por Vilma Akmenytė-Ruzgienė.

El texto fue publicado por primera vez en el sitio web de Seimas de la República de Lituania.