As the prime minister subsequent to Aritomo YAMAGATA (the First YAMAGATA Cabinet), such as Hirobumi ITO, Tsugumichi SAIGO and Akiyoshi YAMADA were lined up, but the imperial command for organizing the Cabinet was given to Masayoshi MATSUKATA on May 2.
山縣有朋（第1次山縣内閣）の後継総理として伊藤博文や西郷従道、山田顕義などの名前も挙げられたが、5月2日に松方正義に組閣の大命が下った。