It was intended to convey a sense of unprincipled greed, whereby leading politicians spent public funds in abundance to secure personal gain for themselves or their associates.
These reforms, with their substantially centralising effect, were used to steadily remove radicals from positions of power and replace them with those who had favoured the cause of Miguel I and the return of an absolute monarchy.
[7] Led by the Duque de Palmela, it was composed of conservatives and the late king's associates in the Grand Orient of Portugal Masonic lodge.
On assuming the premiership the Duque de Saldanha removed all those described disparagingly by those loyal to the late King Miguel as chamorros (i.e. liberals)[15][3]: 189 and opened up cabinet membership to a wider range of masonic lodges: Francisco António de Campos [pt] and Duque de Loulé, more radical members of the Maçonaria do Sul lodge now served alongside José da Silva Carvalho [pt] and Rodrigo da Fonseca Magalhães [pt] from the Grande Oriente Lusitano as well as Rodrigo da Fonseca Passos Manuel, who named various members of the Maçonaria do Norte, of which Passos Manuel was a member, to positions as civil governors and council administrators.
Its stated purpose was to defend ‘morality, the economy and freedom from special interests.’[18] To demonstrate their commitment, ministers reduced their own salaries by one half, in contrast to the approach of the previous Fonseca administration.