João Maurício Vanderlei, Baron of Cotegipe explained

Baron of Cotegipe
Office1:Prime Minister of Brazil
Term Start1:20 August 1885
Term End1:10 March 1888
Monarch1:Pedro II
Predecessor1:José Antônio Saraiva
Successor1:João Alfredo de Oliveira
Office2:Minister of Justice
Term Start2:27 January 1887
Term End2:8 February 1887
Predecessor2:Joaquim Ribeiro da Luz
Successor2:Samuel Wallace MacDowell
Birth Date:23 October 1815
Birth Place:Barra, Pernambuco, Kingdom of Brazil
Death Place:Rio de Janeiro, Empire of Brazil
Party:Conservative
Occupation:Politician

João Maurício Vanderlei or Wanderley, first and only baron of Cotegipe (October 23, 1815 – February 13, 1889), was a Brazilian magistrate and politician of the Conservative Party.

Born as the son of João Maurício Vanderlei, a Dutch descendant,[1] and Francisca Antónia do Livramento, of Portuguese ancestry.

He graduated from the University of Olinda in 1837 with a bachelor's degree in Law and was Marine Minister, Farm Minister, External Minister and Justice Minister of Brazil. He was also President of the Senate of Brazil from 1881 to 1885,[2] and President of the Council of Ministers from 1885 until 1888 and president of the Banco do Brasil.

Wanderley was responsible for the approvement of the Sexagenarians Law in 1885, which granted freedom to slaves who were older than 60 years old.

He was dismissed from his post by Princess Isabel during her third regency in 1888. Months later, as a senator, he was the only one to vote against the approval of the Golden Law, which abolished slavery. He is assigned the dialogue with the Princess where he says: "Your Highness released a race but lost the throne" to which the Princess promptly replied: "A thousand thrones I had, a thousand thrones I would give to liberate the slaves of Brazil"

References

  1. https://web.archive.org/web/20070514084619/http://br.geocities.com/bravagentebrasileira/epoca1.html Chico Buarque é de Holanda
  2. Web site: Império (1826-1889) - Senado Federal. www25.senado.leg.br.

External links