ABSTRACT
Parliamentary debates provide considerable material for historical research. In the specific case of debates on economic and financial affairs, understood in very broad and general terms, these represent one of the most useful sources for studying decision-making processes in matters of economic policy and, naturally, for studying the bases and the doctrinal and theoretical justifications behind constitutional and legislative measures. In the Portuguese case and for the period considered here, 1820-1910, corresponding to the period of the constitutional monarchy, parliamentary debates on the issues under consideration are crucial for improving our understanding of the process involved in the affirmation, formation and dissemination of the scientific discourse of political economy.
