Segismundo Moret

Moret was born in Cádiz on 2 June 1833. His mother's family, the Prendergasts, were of Irish descent. He studied at the Universidad Central in Madrid, where, in 1858, he became professor of political economy while he continued his studies in jurisprudence.

In 1863, Moret was elected representative to parliament as an independent representing the town of Almadén in the province of Ciudad Real. He was re-elected in 1868 after the Revolution of 1868 and took part in the writing of the new Spanish Constitution of 1869. He was noted for his eloquence.

As Minister of Overseas in the government presided by General Prim in 1870, Moret, himself a member of the Spanish Abolitionist Society,{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3qS1DwAAQBAJ&pg=PT1079|first=Josep Maria|last=Fradera|author-link=Josep Maria Fradera|title=La nación imperial (1750-1918)|year=2015|publisher=Edhasa|location=Barcelona|isbn=978-84-350-4655-8}} pushed for the abolition of slavery and the creation of a constitution for Puerto Rico. In 1871, he was Minister of the Treasury (hacienda) in the first government of King Amadeo I, and in 1872, he was appointed ambassador in London but resigned months later months and accepted a directorship in a large British bank.

With the restoration of the Bourbon dynasty to the Spanish throne in 1875, Moret returned to Spain, where he founded the Partido Democrático-Monárquico party. He was again elected deputy for Ciudad Real in 1879 and rallied to the monarchy in 1882. In 1883, he was appointed Minister of the Interior (Gobernación), and after 1885, he joined the Liberal Party in which he cooperated with Práxedes Mateo Sagasta as Minister of State (estado, foreign affairs, 1885–1888), Interior (Gobernación, 1888, 1901, 1902), Development (Fomento) (1892), State (Estado, foreign affairs, 1892, 1894) and Overseas Colonies (Ultramar, 1897–1898). When Sagasta died, he participated in the quarrels for the control of the party.

In 1897, as Minister for Overseas Colonies (Ultramar), Moret decreed the autonomy for Cuba and Puerto Rico. He opposed the war against the United States in 1898.{{cite EB1922|wstitle=Moret y Prendergast, Segismundo}} In 1902, he collaborated in the creation of the Institute of Social Reform, which was a precursor of the future Ministry of Labour.

In 1905, after the resignation of Montero Rios, Moret became prime minister but was forced to resign in July 1906 after he had lost his majority in the parliament (Cortes Generales) although he became again prime minister briefly the same year (30 November – 4 December).

After the bloody confrontations of the "Tragic Week" in 1909 in Barcelona, Moret was again appointed prime minister after the resignation of Antonio Maura while he was also Minister of the Interior. He was forced to resign in February 1910 when he was replaced by José Canalejas. He denounced the Canalejas Ministry as "a democratic flag being used to cover reactionary merchandise".Professor J. C J. Metford: The Spanish Anarchist Movement, 1908-75, Mastermind Quiz Book, 1984

In 1912, after the assassination of Prime Minister Canalejas and the appointment of a new prime minister, Álvaro Figueroa Torres, Count of Romanones, Moret was elected as the 155th president of the Congress of Deputies, which he was until his death, on 28 January 1913. It was his second term as speaker of the Spanish lower house; from July 15, 1901 to April 3, 1902, he had served as the 147th speaker.

• List of prime ministers of Spain
• Monument to Moret (Cádiz)
• Reign of Alfonso XIII of Spain

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{{succession box | before = |title = Representative for Almadén | years = 1863–1868 | after = }}

{{succession box | before = Manuel Becerra Bermúdez |title = Minister of Overseas | years = 1870 | after = Adelardo López de Ayala }}

{{succession box | before = Laureano Figuerola|title = Minister of Finance | years = 1870–1871 | after = Servando Ruiz Gómez }}

{{succession box | before ={{Interlanguage link multi|Manuel Rancés y Villanueva|es}} |title = Ambassador to London | years = 1872–1875 | after ={{Interlanguage link multi|Manuel Rancés y Villanueva|es}} }}

{{succession box | before = Pío Gullón e Iglesias |title = Minister of the Governation | years = 1883–1884 | after = Francisco Romero Robledo }}

{{succession box | before = José de Elduayen |title = Minister of State| years = 27 November 1885 – 14 June 1888| after = Marquis of Vega de Armijo}}

{{succession box | before = {{ill|José Luis Albareda|es}} |title = Minister of the Governation | years = 1888 | after = {{ill|Trinitario Ruiz Capdepón|es}} }}

{{succession box | before = {{ill|Aureliano Linares Rivas|es}} |title = Minister of Development | years = 1892 | after = Alejandro Groizard }}

{{succession box | before = Marquis of Vega de Armijo |title = Minister of State | years = 5 April 1893 – 4 November 1894| after = Alejandro Groizard}}

{{succession box | before = {{ill|Tomás Castellano y Villarroya|es}} |title = Minister of Overseas | years = 1897–1898 | after = {{ill|Vicente Romero Girón|es}} }}

{{succession box | before ={{ill|Francisco Javier Ugarte Pagés|es}} |title = Minister of the Governation | years = 1901–1902 | after = {{ill|Alfonso González Lozano|es}} }}

{{succession box | before = Eugenio Montero Ríos |title = Prime Minister | years = 1905 | after = José López Domínguez }}

{{succession box | before = José López Domínguez |title = Prime Minister | years = 1906 | after = Antonio Aguilar Correa }}

{{succession box | before = Antonio Maura y Montaner |title = Prime Minister | years = 1909–1910 | after = José Canalejas }}

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{{succession box | before = Antonio Cánovas del Castillo |title = President of the Ateneo de Madrid | years = 1884–1886 | after = Gaspar Núñez de Arce }}

{{succession box | before = Gumersindo de Azcárate |title = President of the Ateneo de Madrid | years = 1894–1898 | after = José Echegaray }}

{{succession box | before = José Echegaray |title = President of the Ateneo de Madrid | years = 1899–1913 | after = Rafael María de Labra }}

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Category:1833 births

Category:1913 deaths

Category:Politicians from Cádiz

Category:Prime ministers of Spain

Category:Members of the Royal Spanish Academy

Category:Economy and finance ministers of Spain

Category:Foreign ministers of Spain

Category:19th-century Spanish politicians

Category:Presidents of the Congress of Deputies (Spain)

Category:Liberal Party (Spain, 1880) politicians

Category:Leaders of political parties in Spain

Category:Spanish people of British descent

Category:Complutense University of Madrid alumni

Category:Presidents of the Ateneo de Madrid

Category:Interior ministers of Spain

Category:Overseas ministers of Spain

Category:Spanish abolitionists

Category:Honorary Knights Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order

Category:Ambassadors of Spain to the United Kingdom