Domingo de Toro
Domingo de Toro Herrera (23 January 1840 – 4 May 1923) was a Chilean military officer and politician who served as a member of the Chamber of Deputies of Chile, as a senator for Coquimbo Province, and as a minister of state.
He also served as president of the Chamber of Deputies and held several administrative positions, including intendant of Copiapó, Coquimbo and Valparaíso.
Early life
De Toro was born in Santiago on 23 January 1840 to Domingo José de Toro Guzmán and Emilia Herrera Martínez de la Torre. He was a great-grandson of Mateo de Toro Zambrano. His sister Emilia de Toro Herrera married future president José Manuel Balmaceda.
He studied at the Sacred Hearts school in Santiago and the Instituto Nacional. He later studied engineering at the University of the State and in the United States. He married Josefina Codecido, with whom he had one son, Bernardino Toro Codecido.
Political career
A member of the Liberal Party, de Toro combined a political career with military and administrative service. During the War of the Pacific, he held the rank of lieutenant colonel in 1879 and was promoted to colonel in 1880. From 1879 to 1881, he commanded the Chacabuco Battalion and participated in the battles of Pisagua, Dolores, Tarapacá and Tacna. He was wounded at the Battle of Chorrillos, preventing him from participating in the subsequent Battle of Miraflores.
De Toro was elected substitute deputy for Rere for the 1879–1882 legislative term and served as a replacement member of the permanent committee on war and navy.
In 1881, he served as intendant of Copiapó and Coquimbo. He was later appointed intendant of Valparaíso in 1885. During the same year, he served as commander general of arms of Valparaíso and commander general of the Navy.
De Toro was elected to the Senate for Coquimbo Province for the 1888–1894 legislative term, taking his seat on 3 June 1889. He served on the permanent committee on government and foreign relations and as a replacement member of the committees on war and navy and on education and welfare.
He also served as councillor of state in 1889, 1893 and 1896 and as superintendent of the Chilean Mint in 1891. During the Chilean Civil War of 1891, he maintained a neutral position toward President José Manuel Balmaceda.
In 1897, de Toro was appointed Minister of Industry and Public Works, serving from 25 August to 11 October. He returned to the ministry on 27 October and remained in office until 16 November 1897.
De Toro returned to Congress after being elected to the Chamber of Deputies for La Serena, Coquimbo and Elqui for the 1900–1903 term. He served as provisional president of the Chamber from 15 May 1900 and as president of the Chamber from 2 June to 11 July 1900. He later served on the permanent committee on industry and as a replacement member of the committee on finance and industry.
Outside his parliamentary and military activities, de Toro was one of the founders of the Santiago Fire Department in 1863. He was also a member of the commission responsible for the International Exhibition of Santiago in 1875.
De Toro died in Talagante on 4 May 1923.