Silas M. Stilwell

Silas Moore Stilwell (* June 6, 1800 in New York City; † May 16, 1881 ) was an American politician. He was the son of Stephen Stilwell, who fought in the Revolutionary War, and in 1804 a glass factory in Woodstock (New York ) opened.

Career

Silas Moore Stilwell attended until 1812, the Woodstock Free Academy, when his father went bankrupt. He then went to New York City, where he began to work. He was employed in 1814 with survey work in the west and eventually settled in Tennessee. There he decided to pursue a career in politics when he became in 1822 a member of the House of Representatives from Tennessee. Some time later he moved to Virginia, where he served as Clerk of Tazewell County and is a member in the House of Representatives from Virginia. He got there in 1824 admitted to the bar. Four years later he returned to New York and took from 1830 to 1833 in Manhattan, the New York State Assembly. During this time he proposed in 1830 a law to abolish the prison sentence for money debt and unjustly punished debtor that was decided on April 26, 1831, known as Stilwell Act. He ran unsuccessfully in 1834 for the Whig Party for the office of Lieutenant Governor of New York, but was defeated by Democrat John Tracy. In the following year he was elected one alderman of New York City and the Chairman of the City Council. In that year, the political parties were evenly divided, so that he had the casting vote in every vote, making him generally made ​​known as "King Caucus ". He was also appointed acting at the time of the Great Fire of New York from 1835 mayor. In addition, it was during the administration of U.S. President John Tyler U.S. Marshal for the Southern District of New York. At this time he was sent on a special mission to the Hague, to negotiate a loan there for the U.S. government. After the end of his term he resumed his activities as a lawyer. During the American Civil War, he wrote the National Banking Act of 1863. He also wrote about financial issues, many of his articles published 1860-1872 in the New York Herald under the pseudonym " Jonathan Ohlbuck ".

He was married to Caroline Norseworthy. Her son was Silas M. Stilwell (1854-1891), a lawyer in New York City.

Works

• A System of National Finance - Explanatory Notes of Mr. Chase's Plan of National Finance (Washington, DC, 1861)