Preston King (politician)

Preston King ( born October 14, 1806 Ogdensburg, New York, † November 12, 1865 in New York City ) was an American politician who represented the New York State in both chambers of the U.S. Congress.

King studied the classical Ancient Studies and made in 1827 graduated from Union College in Schenectady. After training as a lawyer, he was admitted to the bar and commenced practice in St. Lawrence County. With the St. Lawrence Republican, he gave in 1830 to publish a newspaper; 1831 to 1834, he served as postmaster of his native city.

His political career began with the election to the New York State Assembly, where he remained from 1835 to 1838. King, at that time still a Democrat, then moved on March 4, 1843 to the House of Representatives of the United States, where he spent four years represented the 18th Congressional District of New York State. After his conversion to the Free Soil Party, he returned on March 4, 1849 back to Congress, where he spent another four years.

Finally, King joined the Republicans and was chosen as their representative in the U.S. Senate. He took his seat there from March 4, 1857 true and retired after a six-year term of his own volition from the Congress of. During this time, he served as Chairman of the Committee on Revolutionary Claims. In the meantime, he was regarded as a contender for the 1860 Republican nomination for Vice President, but then went to Hannibal Hamlin.

As a result, Preston King was an attorney again, but also took further part in politics. So he was in 1864 for the Republicans to the Electoral College, the President Abraham Lincoln confirmed in office. His successor, Andrew Johnson appointed King 1865 tax collector at the port of New York. There, this committed suicide in the same year when he jumped with a bound around his neck bag of balls from a ferry and drowned.