Unelected Officials, Discretionary Appointments, and the Replacement of Provincial Governors in a Province of the Brazilian Empire: The Dismissal of Francisco Ferreira Correia from the Office of Governor of Espírito Santo (1872)

Abstract

This article analyzes the reasons for the dismissal of Francisco Ferreira Correia (1834-1876), a graduate from Paraná, from the position of president of the Province of Espírito Santo in 1872. In a broad sense, the purpose of this work is to advance the understanding of the nature of the impasses in the relations between members of the regional elites and the newcomers appointed by the Imperial Government of Brazil to hold the position of provincial president. Two arguments are supported in this work. First, it is demonstrated that a factor that led to Correia's removal from the aforementioned position was the opposition from local leaders of the Conservative Party, who remained aloof from the policies of appointments to temporary positions in the administration of Espírito Santo during the period in which Correia governed the province. Second, it is highlighted that, to a large extent, Correia's main allies in Espírito Santo were affiliated with the Liberal Party. A portion of these party members obtained positions in public administration through appointments made by that graduate. The sources used in preparing this study consist of local newspapers, which contain abundant information about the factors and consequences of the political conflicts that arose in Espírito Santo in the early 1870s.