实行地方自治是立宪派的要求。光绪三十二年(1906),政务处鉴于官员之请,提出由奉直两省先行试办。直隶总督袁世凯参与了立宪活动,他遵照朝廷关于“预备立宪”的指令,命天津知府凌福彭和金邦平筹办。
        是年8月29日,“天津府自治局”开局。局设管理2员、参议3员;下置法制、调查、文书、庶务4课,每课用官、绅各半。首先选派曾学习法政的士绅为宣讲员,至天津府属城乡宣讲实行自治的法理和利益,每月编印法政官话报、白话讲义各一册,分发到各地学习和张贴。
        尔后,又设立“地方自治研究所” ,研究自治的学理法则,刊印了《立宪纲要》等书; 由天津府所属7个州县选送士绅来所学习,4个月毕业,然后回原籍筹建“自治学会” ,宣传、推动地方自治。袁世凯从中选拔一些人,组成实情考察团赴日本考察,为期4个月; 随后组成执行委员会,在政府的支持下,为改善民众的财产、教育、卫生、水利、税收、公务劳动、习俗等,进行工作,并提出禁止鸦片。
        天津的自治运动,还模仿日本,于同年9月成立“天津县自治期成会” 。由当地士绅、商会和自治学会,分别推举代表和省派4名官员组成。其主要任务是草拟、研究自治章程。
        光绪三十三年(1907)五月六日,试办天津县议事会议员初选开始,城厢内外和四乡选民,依次投票,十八日终止。经过初选和重选,选举议员30名,组成“天津县议事会”。七月十日,又选出议长、副议长,议事会并举行成立仪式。大盐商李士铭和候补知县、北洋大学教务长王劭廉为正、副议长。议事会设董事会,执行日常工作。
        此后,袁世凯令各州县以天津县为 “模范” ,也搞地方自治,并“期以三年,一律告成” 。事实上,天津县选举,在13567名选举人中,最初投票者只有1300人; 经过报纸宣传后,才增至8763人。袁世凯自己也不得不承认,三年告成难以做到。自治选举,被当时老百姓嘲讽为“官办自治” ,史籍也评论为“兴民权是虚,而兴官绅之权为实” 。但是,这却是中国历史上第一次地方选举。

        

·1910年10月顺直咨议局在天津河北公园成立

        Local autonomy is the pursuit of constitutionalists. In1906 (the 32nd year of Emperor Guangxu),upon requestof officials,the government administration sectionput forward that local autonomy was first tried out inFengtian and Zhili Provinces. The chief governor ofZhili Yuan Shikai also participated in the ConstitutionalMonarchy movement. He ordered the prefect of TianjinLing Fupeng and Jin Bangping to prepare for thetrying out according to the instructions "to prepare forconstitutionalism" he got from the royal government.
        In August 29,1906,Autonomy Bureau of thePrefecture of Tianjin was founded. The autonomybureau had two managers and three senators. It had foursections,Legal Section,Investigation Section,DocumentSection and General Matters Section. Each sectionemployed half government officials and half civilians.The bureau first sent those who had studied law andpolitics to preach the meaning and benefit of autonomyin the towns and counties of Tianjin. They compiled Lawand Politics Paper and brochures both in official and incolloquial language to post in various places for study.
        After that,they founded the Local AutonomyResearch Center to do research on meaning and rules of theautonomy. They published books such as ConstitutionalismCompendium. The seven counties of Tianjin sent gentriesto study autonomy in the research center. Graduating afterfour months,the gentries returned to their counties toset up autonomy academies to publicize and to promotelocal autonomy. Yuan Shikai selected some from thegraduates and sent them to Japan for a four-month studyand investigation. These people then formed an executivecommittee to work for improving people`s property,education,sanitation,irrigation works,tax revenue,publicaffairs and customs. The committee had also put forwardthe banning of opium.
        The autonomy movement in Tianjin also followedthe example of Japan to set up Tianjin AutonomyCommittee in September 1906. The autonomy committeewas composed of representatives from local gentries,Trade Union and autonomy academies as well as fourprovincial officials. Its duty was to draw up and doresearch about autonomy rules.
        In May 6,1907 (the 33rd year of EmperorGuangxu),preliminary election of senators for theGeneral Assembly of Tianjin county was tried out.Voters from the city,the suburb and towns gave theirvotes sequentially. The voting lasted until May 18. Afterthe preliminary and secondary election,thirty senatorswere elected to be members of the General Assemblyof Tianjin County. In July 10th,salt businessman LiShiming and the alternate county magistrate and Deanof Studies of Beiyang University Wang Shaolian wereelected as the chairman and vice chairman for theGeneral Assembly,and the founding ceremony of theassembly was also held. The Board of the GeneralAssembly was responsible for daily operation.
        After that,Yuan Shikai ordered other counties tofollow the model of Tianjin County to carry out localautonomy within three years. In fact,only 1300 personsparticipated in the voting among 13567 qualified votersat the beginning. The number increased to 8763 afterreport and publicizing of newspapers. Even Yuan Shikaihimself also admitted that it was difficult to carry outlocal autonomy within three years. Local mass called theelection as "official autonomy" and historic books alsostated that promoting democratic rights for the mass wasfalse and reinforcing the power of officials and the richwas the fact. However,this was the first local election inthe history of China.