In the election of June 1876, Știrbei was one only two conservatives winning seats in the 1st College, again at Dolj—all other seats were taken by a consolidated National Liberal Party. The outgoing "Liberal Conservative" Prime Minister, Lascăr Catargiu, had reportedly undercut Știrbei's ability to win elections without resorting to fraud. The claim was voiced by the National Liberal Anastase Stolojan, who argued that Catargiu had graduated 300 tenant farmers, which he viewed as more malleable, into Dolj's 1st College. This legislature saw Romania entering the Russo-Turkish War, and declaring her independence. In this context, Știrbei, Pantazi Ghica, Petru Grădișteanu, Pache Protopopescu, Dimitrie Sturdza and other deputies advanced moderate backing for the Foreign Minister, Mihail Kogălniceanu, who was drafting a declaration of war on the Ottoman Empire. As the war ended, Știrbei tried to oppose Romania's cession of Southern Bessarabia to Russia, seeing it as an act of betrayal.