Passos da Silva, Manuel

Born Jan. 5, 1801, in Guiföes; died Jan. 16, 1862, in Santarém. Portuguese politician.

In his youth, Passos da Silva was a liberal journalist and then a lawyer in Porto. He had to flee abroad in 1828 because of his opposition to Miguel de Braganza. In 1834, after Miguel’s fall, Passos da Silva returned to his homeland and was elected several times to the Cortes. After the revolution of 1836, in which Passos da Silva took an active part, he was a leader of the left liberals, or Septembrists. In 1836 and 1837 he was minister of internal affairs and was also temporarily in charge of finances. During his tenure as minister, new institutions of higher learning were opened and primary education was developed. During the revolutionary events of 1846–47, he worked with the junta in Santarém and was close to the junta in Porto. Passos da Silva was made a peer in 1861.