ABSTRACT
As in the mythological legend about the torture of Tantalus, it is possible to perceive in the Brazilian parliamentary debates, between 1845 and 1866, the anxiety and frustration produced by the formulation of economic plans and stability projects. Discussions on reformist projects are important records of how the Brazilian political elite tried to cope with an unstable international scenario due to the breakdown of Overend & Gurnay and the foreshadowing of the Austro-Prussian War combined with the Brazilian crisis of 1864 and the War of Paraguay. Parliamentarians discussed necessary measures to strengthen the national economy by preventing the fall in the value of the currency while taking into account our peculiarities. They sought, as far as possible, to keep Brazilian economy active and the banking system functional despite the fluctuations of a slave trading economy.
Keywords:
economic policy; parliamentary debates; Crisis of 1864; Second Empire