實(shí)行地方自治是立憲派的要求。光緒三十二年(1906),政務(wù)處鑒于官員之請，提出由奉直兩省先行試辦。直隸總督袁世凱參與了立憲活動(dòng)，他遵照朝廷關(guān)于“預(yù)備立憲”的指令，命天津知府凌福彭和金邦平籌辦。
是年8月29日，“天津府自治局”開局。局設(shè)管理2員、參議3員；下置法制、調(diào)查、文書、庶務(wù)4課，每課用官、紳各半。首先選派曾學(xué)習(xí)法政的士紳為宣講員，至天津府屬城鄉(xiāng)宣講實(shí)行自治的法理和利益，每月編印法政官話報(bào)、白話講義各一冊，分發(fā)到各地學(xué)習(xí)和張貼。
爾后，又設(shè)立“地方自治研究所” ,研究自治的學(xué)理法則，刊印了《立憲綱要》等書； 由天津府所屬7個(gè)州縣選送士紳來所學(xué)習(xí)，4個(gè)月畢業(yè)，然后回原籍籌建“自治學(xué)會(huì)” ,宣傳、推動(dòng)地方自治。袁世凱從中選拔一些人，組成實(shí)情考察團(tuán)赴日本考察，為期4個(gè)月； 隨后組成執(zhí)行委員會(huì)，在政府的支持下，為改善民眾的財(cái)產(chǎn)、教育、衛(wèi)生、水利、稅收、公務(wù)勞動(dòng)、習(xí)俗等，進(jìn)行工作，并提出禁止鴉片。
天津的自治運(yùn)動(dòng)，還模仿日本，于同年9月成立“天津縣自治期成會(huì)” 。由當(dāng)?shù)厥考?、商?huì)和自治學(xué)會(huì)，分別推舉代表和省派4名官員組成。其主要任務(wù)是草擬、研究自治章程。
光緒三十三年(1907)五月六日，試辦天津縣議事會(huì)議員初選開始，城廂內(nèi)外和四鄉(xiāng)選民，依次投票，十八日終止。經(jīng)過初選和重選，選舉議員30名，組成“天津縣議事會(huì)”。七月十日，又選出議長、副議長，議事會(huì)并舉行成立儀式。大鹽商李士銘和候補(bǔ)知縣、北洋大學(xué)教務(wù)長王劭廉為正、副議長。議事會(huì)設(shè)董事會(huì)，執(zhí)行日常工作。
此后，袁世凱令各州縣以天津縣為 “模范” ,也搞地方自治，并“期以三年，一律告成” 。事實(shí)上，天津縣選舉，在13567名選舉人中，最初投票者只有1300人； 經(jīng)過報(bào)紙宣傳后，才增至8763人。袁世凱自己也不得不承認(rèn)，三年告成難以做到。自治選舉，被當(dāng)時(shí)老百姓嘲諷為“官辦自治” ,史籍也評論為“興民權(quán)是虛，而興官紳之權(quán)為實(shí)” 。但是，這卻是中國歷史上第一次地方選舉。

·1910年10月順直咨議局在天津河北公園成立

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.