Henrique de Barros Gomes
Encyclopedia
Henrique de Barros Gomes (Lisbon
, 14 September 1843 - Alcanhões, Santarém
, 15 November 1898), was a Portuguese
politician
, member of the Progressive Party
, who assumed the functions of director of the Bank of Portugal, Minister of various Ministries during Regeneration Era
politics and member of the Geographic Society of Lisbon
, as well as diverse national and international awards of merit. He was noted for his role during the colonial crisis associated with British Ultimatum
.
, to Bernardino António Gomes (physician and pioneer in the use of Chloroform
in Portugal) and his spouse, Maria Leocádia Fernandes Tavares de Barros Gomes. His paternal-grandfather was Bernardino António Gomes, a recognized medic and specialist in Brazil
ian botany
, that helped introduce vaccination
techniques into to Portugal. His brother was forest engineer and scientist Bernardino de Barros Gomes.
After his preparatory studies which were completed in Germany, he registered (at the age of 18 years) in the Escola Politécnica de Lisboa, where he completed with distinction, his studies in the military and civil engineering (1865): he obtained an award of merit in five studies and qualifications for awards in his remaining courses. During this part of his life, he became interested in the study of mathematics
and astronomy
, authoring several works these themes, including A Astronomia Moderna e a Questão das Paralaxes Siderais (English: Modern Astronomy and the Question of Celestial Parallaxes), which was published in the Jornal de Sciencias Mathematicas, Physicas e Naturaes (English: Journal of Sciences, Mathematics & Nature) at the Academia Real de Ciências
(English: Royal Academy of Sciences) in Lisbon. These interests also allowed him to be a founding member of the Sociedade de Geografia de Lisboa
(English: Lisbon Geographic Society) in 1875.
Barros Gomes married Rita Pessoa de Barros e Sá, daughter of António José de Barros e Sá, counsel, representative, minister and peer of the realm, who was responsible for assisting his son-in-law in entering politics. The couple had two children: a daughter and son.
(during the April 11, 1869 election) under the Reformist Party banner, initiating his political career during the 17th Legislature. After being sworn in on May 4, 1869, he immediately exercised the role of second-secretary for the government in the Chamber of Deputies. In his first intervention (on July 10, 1869), on land contributions, he caused a sensation for his knowledge and breadth of investigation: his discourse was important for launching a career that concentrated on fiscal matters and public finance, that would eventually place in the directorship at the Bank of Portugal. Although his tenure was short, he returned to office the following year for the district of Santarém
in the 1870-71 Legislature. During this session, he sat on the 1870-71 Comissão da Fazenda (English: Finance Commission) and the 1870 Comissão dos Expostos (English: Oversight Commission), developing that policies that would serve him later during debates on the question of contributions to house rentals, the discussions on the national budget (1870), reports on fiscal reform, including the abolition of exemptions to financial institutions and the accounts of the Junta de Crédito Público. Also discussed by these commissions were the controversial loan of 18,000$00 contos de réis that the government wanted to complete in 1870.
While member of parliament, he became involved in the management of the Sociedade das Casas de Asilo da Infância Desvalida de Lisboa (English: Society of Homes for the Asylum of Unprotected Infants of Lisbon), a charity that assisted abandoned children. He would continue to support the group throughout his life.
during a similar commercial crisis on the island in order to consolidate the Bank of Portugal's interests within the local business bureaus.
banner, and was elected attorney to the Junta Geral of Lisbon. Later, when the Progressive Party was called on by the King to form a government (on May 29, 1879) he was appointed Ministério dos Negócios da Fazenda (English: Minister of Finances and Public Administration) to the Cortes on June 1, 1879, ultimately resigning from the Bank of Portugal. In the October 19, 1879 general elections, he was returned to his seat in Santarém, but later, accepted the seat in Montalegre during the 23rd Legislature. He held the finance portfolio until March 23, 1881, when the Regenerator Party, captained by António Rodrigues Sampaio assumed power. During his time as Ministro da Fazenda, Barros Gomes reformed taxation policies, as well as creating the Caixa Económica Portuguesa (a banking services corporation for the lower- to middle-classes) within the structure of the Caixa Geral de Depósitos
(then the state savings bank). Generally, his policies were cautionary and technical, marked by reformist tendencies and he was able to keep the Portuguese finances in a state of relative equilibrium.
In the Chamber of Peers, Barros Gomes turned his attentions again to fiscal questions and public finances, but now with further attention placed on colonial matters and foreign affairs, and specifically the question of maintaining Portuguese sovereignty in Africa. In addition to reorganizing the customs-houses and established policies on industrial contributions, he defended the Treaty of Zaire (1885) and the creation of a District of Congo, in Angola
. He sought to improve Portuguese administration in the colonies, especially in matters associated with natural resource extraction and the moral improvement of its population. Barro Gomes promoted the editing and sale of Portuguese pamphlets, in order to reduce the dependency on foreign publications, which were seen as contrary to the interests of Portugal. He was a defender of the Companhia de Moçambique and the maintenance of capital in the Mala Real Portuguesa in the hands of Portuguese, in order to eliminate the possibility of African links being lost to foreign merchants. Barros Gomes also opposed the alteration of the tobacco monopoly, a factor that would continue to spoil the Portuguese political system for decades to come, provoking the fall of many ministers and governments.
As Minister of Foreign Affairs, he had an important place in the affairs of the Portuguese African colonies. Already Africa was besieged by other European powers, especially Great Britain and Germany, wishing to "carve-up" territories on the continent. At the Berlin Conference
, which essentially discussed issues of European occupation, Barros Gomes was successful in deliberations with Germany, that would permit the establishment of "spheres of influence" of the signatory powers in the continent of Africa.
Barros Gomes was also able to sign an accord between the Vatican and Portugal, that would reduce tensions between the Roman Catholic Church and the Portuguese State, and improve the conditions of missionaries in Portuguese Africa.
As Minister of the Navy and Overseas Territories, he promoted expeditions into the continent in order to expand Portuguese territorial influences, and ensure effective occupation in lands that the state wished to annex. It was in this context that the Portuguese Pink Map
appeared, which delimited Portuguese aspirations in Africa, marking out an area that extended from Angola to present-day Mozambique. These pretensions, ironically, collided with Portugal's ally Britain, who had their own objectives of uniting an area that extended from Cairo to Capetown. Although Barros Gomes later denied the paternity of the map, he was always placed responsible for its appearance. The consequence of the Pink Map was a British Ultimatum
dispatched in 1890 demanding the end of Portuguese claims to territories in Africa, risking diplomatic consequences or military intervention on the part of Britain to settle their claims. Public reaction was exacerbated when King Carlos I of Portugal
was quick to succumb to the threats from Britain. For his part, Barros Gomes, although not responsible for the events, suffered multiple public manifestation of hostility.
He ultimately left this role on August 18, 1898 when he became sick. He died in the Quinta das Ladeiras, in Alcanhões, Santarém, on November 15, 1898.
Grand-Cross of the Order of Christ
and Order of Leopold, member of the Order of Pius IX
(Vatican), the Order of the Rose
(Brazil), the Order of Charles III (Spain), the Order of St. Gregory the Great
(Holy See), Order of Naval Merit (Spain), Order of the Rising Sun
(Japan), Order of the Crown of Italy
, the Legion of Honour (France), the Order of the Polar Star
(Sweden), the Order of the Red Eagle
(Prussia), the Order of the White Eagle (Poland) and the Ordem of São Maurício and Lázaro (Italy).
He was also named Counsel of State by Royal Charter on November 7, 1889.
Lisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
, 14 September 1843 - Alcanhões, Santarém
Santarém Municipality
Santarém Municipality is located in Santarém District and contains the city of Santarém.-Parishes:* Abitureiras* Abrã* Achete* Alcanede* Alcanhões* Almoster* Amiais de Baixo* Arneiro das Milhariças* Azoia de Baixo* Azoia de Cima* Casével...
, 15 November 1898), was a Portuguese
Portuguese people
The Portuguese are a nation and ethnic group native to the country of Portugal, in the west of the Iberian peninsula of south-west Europe. Their language is Portuguese, and Roman Catholicism is the predominant religion....
politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
, member of the Progressive Party
Progressive Party (Portugal)
The Progressive Party , along with the their opponent the Partido Regenerador, was a political party in Portugal during the constitutional monarchy at the end of the 19th century.-Ideology:...
, who assumed the functions of director of the Bank of Portugal, Minister of various Ministries during Regeneration Era
Regeneration (Portugal)
In the history of Portugal, the Regeneration is the name given to the period of the Portuguese Constitutional Monarchy following the military insurrection of 1 May 1851 that caused to the fall of Costa Cabral and of the Septembrist government...
politics and member of the Geographic Society of Lisbon
Lisbon Geographic Society
The Lisbon Geographic Society is a Portuguese scientific society created in Lisbon in the year of 1875, aiming to "promote and assist the study and progress of geography and related sciences in Portugal."...
, as well as diverse national and international awards of merit. He was noted for his role during the colonial crisis associated with British Ultimatum
British Ultimatum
The 1890 British Ultimatum was an ultimatum by the British government delivered on 11 January 1890 to Portugal in breach of the Treaty of Windsor of 1386...
.
Biography
Henrique de Barros Gomes was born is LisbonLisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
, to Bernardino António Gomes (physician and pioneer in the use of Chloroform
Chloroform
Chloroform is an organic compound with formula CHCl3. It is one of the four chloromethanes. The colorless, sweet-smelling, dense liquid is a trihalomethane, and is considered somewhat hazardous...
in Portugal) and his spouse, Maria Leocádia Fernandes Tavares de Barros Gomes. His paternal-grandfather was Bernardino António Gomes, a recognized medic and specialist in Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
ian botany
Botany
Botany, plant science, or plant biology is a branch of biology that involves the scientific study of plant life. Traditionally, botany also included the study of fungi, algae and viruses...
, that helped introduce vaccination
Vaccination
Vaccination is the administration of antigenic material to stimulate the immune system of an individual to develop adaptive immunity to a disease. Vaccines can prevent or ameliorate the effects of infection by many pathogens...
techniques into to Portugal. His brother was forest engineer and scientist Bernardino de Barros Gomes.
After his preparatory studies which were completed in Germany, he registered (at the age of 18 years) in the Escola Politécnica de Lisboa, where he completed with distinction, his studies in the military and civil engineering (1865): he obtained an award of merit in five studies and qualifications for awards in his remaining courses. During this part of his life, he became interested in the study of mathematics
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
and astronomy
Astronomy
Astronomy is a natural science that deals with the study of celestial objects and phenomena that originate outside the atmosphere of Earth...
, authoring several works these themes, including A Astronomia Moderna e a Questão das Paralaxes Siderais (English: Modern Astronomy and the Question of Celestial Parallaxes), which was published in the Jornal de Sciencias Mathematicas, Physicas e Naturaes (English: Journal of Sciences, Mathematics & Nature) at the Academia Real de Ciências
Sciences Academy of Lisbon
The Sciences Academy of Lisbon ' was created in 1779 in Lisbon, Portugal, as an institution dedicated to the advancement of science and learning with the goal of promoting academic progress and prosperity to the country...
(English: Royal Academy of Sciences) in Lisbon. These interests also allowed him to be a founding member of the Sociedade de Geografia de Lisboa
Lisbon Geographic Society
The Lisbon Geographic Society is a Portuguese scientific society created in Lisbon in the year of 1875, aiming to "promote and assist the study and progress of geography and related sciences in Portugal."...
(English: Lisbon Geographic Society) in 1875.
Barros Gomes married Rita Pessoa de Barros e Sá, daughter of António José de Barros e Sá, counsel, representative, minister and peer of the realm, who was responsible for assisting his son-in-law in entering politics. The couple had two children: a daughter and son.
Career
At the age of 25, he was the elected representative for Torres NovasTorres Novas
Torres Novas is a municipality in Portugal with a total area of 270.0 km² and a total population of 37,155 inhabitants.The municipality is composed of 17 parishes, and is located in the district of Santarém. The city of Torres Novas has about 15,000 inhabitants. This city has a castle...
(during the April 11, 1869 election) under the Reformist Party banner, initiating his political career during the 17th Legislature. After being sworn in on May 4, 1869, he immediately exercised the role of second-secretary for the government in the Chamber of Deputies. In his first intervention (on July 10, 1869), on land contributions, he caused a sensation for his knowledge and breadth of investigation: his discourse was important for launching a career that concentrated on fiscal matters and public finance, that would eventually place in the directorship at the Bank of Portugal. Although his tenure was short, he returned to office the following year for the district of Santarém
Santarém Municipality
Santarém Municipality is located in Santarém District and contains the city of Santarém.-Parishes:* Abitureiras* Abrã* Achete* Alcanede* Alcanhões* Almoster* Amiais de Baixo* Arneiro das Milhariças* Azoia de Baixo* Azoia de Cima* Casével...
in the 1870-71 Legislature. During this session, he sat on the 1870-71 Comissão da Fazenda (English: Finance Commission) and the 1870 Comissão dos Expostos (English: Oversight Commission), developing that policies that would serve him later during debates on the question of contributions to house rentals, the discussions on the national budget (1870), reports on fiscal reform, including the abolition of exemptions to financial institutions and the accounts of the Junta de Crédito Público. Also discussed by these commissions were the controversial loan of 18,000$00 contos de réis that the government wanted to complete in 1870.
While member of parliament, he became involved in the management of the Sociedade das Casas de Asilo da Infância Desvalida de Lisboa (English: Society of Homes for the Asylum of Unprotected Infants of Lisbon), a charity that assisted abandoned children. He would continue to support the group throughout his life.
Bank of Portugal
In 1873 he was elected to the directorship of the Bank of Portugal, a position that he would retain (with a few interruptions) until 1898. By 1887, he had become President of directorate, holding the position during the monetary crisis of 1891 (as Vice-Governor of the institution). He returned to this position again in 1897. During his early tenure, he was pivotal in renegotiating the contracts between the Government and Bank (in 1874), while simultaneously council member in the Lisbon City Hall (where he participated in the finance department) and President of the Associação Comercial de Lisboa (English: Commercial Association of Lisbon). His report to the Bank of Portugal, during the 1876 banking crisis, was instrumental in clarifying the Bank's position and set a direction for resolving outstanding issues. Consequently, he was sent to FunchalFunchal
Funchal is the largest city, the municipal seat and the capital of Portugal's Autonomous Region of Madeira. The city has a population of 112,015 and has been the capital of Madeira for more than five centuries.-Etymology:...
during a similar commercial crisis on the island in order to consolidate the Bank of Portugal's interests within the local business bureaus.
Party politics
In 1876 he returned to politics under the Progressive PartyProgressive Party (Portugal)
The Progressive Party , along with the their opponent the Partido Regenerador, was a political party in Portugal during the constitutional monarchy at the end of the 19th century.-Ideology:...
banner, and was elected attorney to the Junta Geral of Lisbon. Later, when the Progressive Party was called on by the King to form a government (on May 29, 1879) he was appointed Ministério dos Negócios da Fazenda (English: Minister of Finances and Public Administration) to the Cortes on June 1, 1879, ultimately resigning from the Bank of Portugal. In the October 19, 1879 general elections, he was returned to his seat in Santarém, but later, accepted the seat in Montalegre during the 23rd Legislature. He held the finance portfolio until March 23, 1881, when the Regenerator Party, captained by António Rodrigues Sampaio assumed power. During his time as Ministro da Fazenda, Barros Gomes reformed taxation policies, as well as creating the Caixa Económica Portuguesa (a banking services corporation for the lower- to middle-classes) within the structure of the Caixa Geral de Depósitos
Caixa Geral de Depósitos
Caixa Geral de Depósitos is a Portuguese state-owned banking corporation and the largest bank in Portugal.- History :*1876 — Caixa Geral de Depósitos was founded under the aegis of the Junta de Crédito Público....
(then the state savings bank). Generally, his policies were cautionary and technical, marked by reformist tendencies and he was able to keep the Portuguese finances in a state of relative equilibrium.
Peer-of-the-Realm
During the 25th Legislature, in the government of José Luciano de Castro, he was, once again, elected to the seat in Montalegre (March 6, 1887). But, he was appointed Peer of the Realm by royal decree on March 31, and did not begin the session.In the Chamber of Peers, Barros Gomes turned his attentions again to fiscal questions and public finances, but now with further attention placed on colonial matters and foreign affairs, and specifically the question of maintaining Portuguese sovereignty in Africa. In addition to reorganizing the customs-houses and established policies on industrial contributions, he defended the Treaty of Zaire (1885) and the creation of a District of Congo, in Angola
Angola
Angola, officially the Republic of Angola , is a country in south-central Africa bordered by Namibia on the south, the Democratic Republic of the Congo on the north, and Zambia on the east; its west coast is on the Atlantic Ocean with Luanda as its capital city...
. He sought to improve Portuguese administration in the colonies, especially in matters associated with natural resource extraction and the moral improvement of its population. Barro Gomes promoted the editing and sale of Portuguese pamphlets, in order to reduce the dependency on foreign publications, which were seen as contrary to the interests of Portugal. He was a defender of the Companhia de Moçambique and the maintenance of capital in the Mala Real Portuguesa in the hands of Portuguese, in order to eliminate the possibility of African links being lost to foreign merchants. Barros Gomes also opposed the alteration of the tobacco monopoly, a factor that would continue to spoil the Portuguese political system for decades to come, provoking the fall of many ministers and governments.
British Ulitmatum
During the government of José Luciano de Castro, Barros Gomes assumed the portfolio of the Ministério dos Negócios Estrangeiros (English: Ministry of Foreign Affairs) between February 20, 1886 and January 14, 1890, then later the Ministério da Marinha e Ultramar (English: Ministry of the Navy and Overseas Territories) between May 8 and September 15, 1887, and finally returning to the finance portfolio as Minister of Finance and Public Administration between February 23 and November 9, 1889.As Minister of Foreign Affairs, he had an important place in the affairs of the Portuguese African colonies. Already Africa was besieged by other European powers, especially Great Britain and Germany, wishing to "carve-up" territories on the continent. At the Berlin Conference
Berlin Conference
The Berlin Conference of 1884–85 regulated European colonization and trade in Africa during the New Imperialism period, and coincided with Germany's sudden emergence as an imperial power...
, which essentially discussed issues of European occupation, Barros Gomes was successful in deliberations with Germany, that would permit the establishment of "spheres of influence" of the signatory powers in the continent of Africa.
Barros Gomes was also able to sign an accord between the Vatican and Portugal, that would reduce tensions between the Roman Catholic Church and the Portuguese State, and improve the conditions of missionaries in Portuguese Africa.
As Minister of the Navy and Overseas Territories, he promoted expeditions into the continent in order to expand Portuguese territorial influences, and ensure effective occupation in lands that the state wished to annex. It was in this context that the Portuguese Pink Map
Pink Map
The Pink Map was a document representing Portugal's claim of sovereignty over the land between Angola and Mozambique, which today is currently Zambia, Zimbabwe and Malawi.The Pink Map collided with Sir Cecil Rhodes' "Cape to Cairo Red Line"...
appeared, which delimited Portuguese aspirations in Africa, marking out an area that extended from Angola to present-day Mozambique. These pretensions, ironically, collided with Portugal's ally Britain, who had their own objectives of uniting an area that extended from Cairo to Capetown. Although Barros Gomes later denied the paternity of the map, he was always placed responsible for its appearance. The consequence of the Pink Map was a British Ultimatum
British Ultimatum
The 1890 British Ultimatum was an ultimatum by the British government delivered on 11 January 1890 to Portugal in breach of the Treaty of Windsor of 1386...
dispatched in 1890 demanding the end of Portuguese claims to territories in Africa, risking diplomatic consequences or military intervention on the part of Britain to settle their claims. Public reaction was exacerbated when King Carlos I of Portugal
Carlos I of Portugal
-Assassination:On 1 February 1908 the royal family returned from the palace of Vila Viçosa to Lisbon. They travelled by train to Barreiro and, from there, they took a steamer to cross the Tagus River and disembarked at Cais do Sodré in central Lisbon. On their way to the royal palace, the open...
was quick to succumb to the threats from Britain. For his part, Barros Gomes, although not responsible for the events, suffered multiple public manifestation of hostility.
Later life
When José Luciano de Castro's Party returned to power, Barros Gomes was returned to the Ministry of the Navy and Overseas Territories (February 5, 1897), and remained in this role until November 9, when he was moved to the Foreign Affairs portfolio (a role he held intermittently held between February 7 and March 10 of the same year).He ultimately left this role on August 18, 1898 when he became sick. He died in the Quinta das Ladeiras, in Alcanhões, Santarém, on November 15, 1898.
Awards
During the course of his career Henrique de Barros Gomes was awarded several prestigious and honorific titles:Grand-Cross of the Order of Christ
Order of Christ
Order of Christ may refer to:* Order of Christ – former Knights Templar Order awarded initially by the kings of Portugal, now by the Portuguese state...
and Order of Leopold, member of the Order of Pius IX
Order of Pius IX
The Order of Pius IX , also referred as the Pian Order , is a Papal order of knighthood founded on 17 June 1847 by Pope Pius IX.-Classes:The Order comprises five classes:...
(Vatican), the Order of the Rose
Order of the Rose
The Imperial Order of the Rose is an Brazilian order of chivalry, instituted by Emperor Pedro I of Brazil on 17 October 1829 to commemorate his marriage to Amélie of Leuchtenberg....
(Brazil), the Order of Charles III (Spain), the Order of St. Gregory the Great
Order of St. Gregory the Great
The Pontifical Equestrian Order of St. Gregory the Great , was established on September 1, 1831, by Pope Gregory XVI, seven months after his election.It is one of the five orders of knighthood of the Holy See...
(Holy See), Order of Naval Merit (Spain), Order of the Rising Sun
Order of the Rising Sun
The is a Japanese order, established in 1875 by Emperor Meiji of Japan. The Order was the first national decoration awarded by the Japanese Government, created on April 10, 1875 by decree of the Council of State. The badge features rays of sunlight from the rising sun...
(Japan), Order of the Crown of Italy
Order of the Crown of Italy
The Order of the Crown of Italy was founded as a national order in 1868 by King Vittorio Emanuele II, to commemorate the unification of Italy in 1861...
, the Legion of Honour (France), the Order of the Polar Star
Order of the Polar Star
The Order of the Polar Star is a Swedish order of chivalry created by King Frederick I of Sweden on 23 February 1748, together with the Order of the Sword and the Order of the Seraphim....
(Sweden), the Order of the Red Eagle
Order of the Red Eagle
The Order of the Red Eagle was an order of chivalry of the Kingdom of Prussia. It was awarded to both military personnel and civilians, to recognize valor in combat, excellence in military leadership, long and faithful service to the kingdom, or other achievements...
(Prussia), the Order of the White Eagle (Poland) and the Ordem of São Maurício and Lázaro (Italy).
He was also named Counsel of State by Royal Charter on November 7, 1889.