The government of José López Domínguez was formed on 6 July 1906, following the latter's appointment as prime minister of Spain by King Alfonso XIII on 5 July and his swearing-in the next day, as a result of Segismundo Moret being dismissed from the post on 5 July over the "dissolution crisis" (): the King's rejection to grant him a dissolution decree to call a snap election. It succeeded the first Moret government and was the government of Spain from 6 July to 30 November 1906, a total of days, or .

The cabinet comprised members of the Liberal–Democratic alliance and one military officer (López Domínguez himself). The government was disestablished following internal divisions within the Liberals over a new Law of Associations—promoted by José Canalejas and criticized by the Catholic Church as "anti-clerical"—intending to address the problem of religious orders. In what came to be known as the "slip paper" crisis (), Moret had sent a letter to the King surreptitiously warning him against the Law's perceived dangers, displeasing the monarch and prompting López Domínguez's resignation.

Formation Overview The Spanish Constitution of 1876 enshrined Spain as a semi-constitutional monarchy during the Restoration period, awarding the monarch—under the royal prerogative—the power to appoint government members (including the prime minister); the ability to grant or deny the decree of dissolution of the , or the adjournment of legislative sessions, to the incumbent or aspiring government that requested it; and the capacity to inform, inspect and ultimately control executive acts by granting or denying the signature of royal decrees; among others..

The monarch would play a key role in the system by appointing and dismissing governments, which would then organize elections to provide themselves with a parliamentary majority. As a result, governments during this period were dependent on royal confidence, which was frequently secured or lost based on the leaders' ability to guarantee the internal unity and parliamentary cohesion of their parties.: "... according to the political practice of the Restoration, since voters did not determine majorities due to electoral manipulation, the requirement demanded of any leader to retain power was to guarantee the unity of the Party. []" In practice, the royal prerogative was not exercised freely by the monarch, but was carried out through the opening of a round of consultations—with the presidents of the chambers, the leaders of the main parties, the potential candidates and other notable figures—prior to government formation, or when prime ministers raised a matter of confidence to the monarch.

Consultations King Alfonso XIII held a round of consultations on 4–5 July 1906 to determine a solution to the political crisis arising from Moret's intent to trigger a parliamentary dissolution.

ConsultationsKing of Spain Date Consultee Office/position Party 4 July 1906 José López Domínguez President of the Senate Military José Canalejas President of the Congress of Deputies Lib–Dem/Dem Marquis of Vega de Armijo President of the Congress of Deputies (former) Lib–Dem/Dem Segismundo Moret Prime MinisterLeader of the Liberal Party Lib–Dem/Lib 5 July 1906 Council of Ministers Ministers Lib–Dem José López Domínguez President of the Senate Military Nominations Outcome → Sources

The outcome of the consultations led Alfonso XIII to entrust the formation of a new government to José López Domínguez, who accepted the nomination.

Council of Ministers The Council of Ministers was structured into the office for the prime minister and eight ministries.

← López Domínguez Government →(6 July – 30 November 1906) Portfolio Name Party Took office Left office Prime MinisterMinister of War José López Domínguez Military 6 July 1906 15 October 1906 Minister of State Pío Gullón Lib–Dem/Dem 6 July 1906 30 November 1906 Minister of Grace and Justice Count of Romanones Lib–Dem/Lib 6 July 1906 30 November 1906 Minister of the Navy Juan Alvarado y del Saz Lib–Dem/Dem 6 July 1906 30 November 1906 Minister of Finance Juan Navarro Reverter Lib–Dem/Dem 6 July 1906 30 November 1906 Minister of Governance Bernabé Dávila Lib–Dem/Lib 6 July 1906 30 November 1906 Minister of Public Instruction and Fine Arts Amalio Gimeno Lib–Dem/Dem 6 July 1906 30 November 1906 Minister of Development Manuel García Prieto Lib–Dem/Dem 6 July 1906 30 November 1906 Changes October 1906 Portfolio Name Party Took office Left office Prime Minister José López Domínguez Military 15 October 1906 30 November 1906 Minister of War Agustín de Luque Military 15 October 1906 30 November 1906

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Bibliography

External links The governments of the second period of the Liberal Party (1905–1907) (under Alfonso XIII). Lluís Belenes i Rodríguez History Page (in Spanish).