Ramón de Santillán
Encyclopedia
Ramón de Santillán González (30 August 1791 – November (?) 1863) was a Spanish
soldier, politician, and Minister of Finance
.
(province of Burgos). He came from a relatively poor family. He matriculated in law at the University of Valladolid
in 1805; his studies were interrupted by the Peninsular War
. He enlisted in 1809 as a corporal
in the army led by the priest Jerónimo Merino
fighting for Spanish independence. He soon rose to the rank of lieutenant
, and obtained the rank of captain in 1812. He remained in the Spanish Army
until 1824, when he was purged from the ranks after the end of Trienio Liberal for his support of the liberal
regime, despite his not having originally been an enthusiast of the uprising that brought it to power.
Nonetheless, in 1825 he was hired by the Ministry of Finance
, and in the 1830s occupied responsible positions under Juan Álvarez Mendizábal
. Shortly before the fall of the regent
Maria Christina of the Two Sicilies
, during the minority
of Queen Isabella II
, he was named Minister of Finance, serving from April to July 1840, at which time the Progressive
general Baldomero Espartero became regent. Despite being removed as minister, he remained at the ministry, where he worked with the Progressive
finance ministers Agustín Fernández Gamboa and Pedro Surrá y Rull and later with their Moderate Party
successor Juan José García Carrasco Romero, as well as with colleagues Alejandro Mon y Menéndez
and Pita Pizarro.
Although the Spanish tax reform of 1845
is often attributed solely to Mon, Santillán was his close collaborator. He was named a senator for life
in the legislature of 1845-46. He served briefly again as Minister of Finance (28 January 1847 – 28 March 1847), and was responsible for major improvements in the public banking system of Spain through the 1849 unification of the Bank of San Fernando
with the Bank of Isabella II
into a single entity, of which he was the first governor. This merged bank initially retained the name of the Bank of San Fernando.
In 1854, months before the end of the década moderada, Santillán was dismissed for refusing the demands of the Spanish Treasury. However, during the ensuing bienio progresista
, when the Bank of San Fernando became the Bank of Spain in January 1856, he was named its first governor; he remained in the post until his death in Madrid
in November 1863.
, aligned with the Moderate Party
rather than with the Progressives
, but he was not a party militant. In the 1850s, he aligned with the Liberal Union
, which attempted to steer an intermediate course between those two factions.
banknote
of 1949.
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
soldier, politician, and Minister of Finance
Ministry of Economy and Finance (Spain)
The Ministry of Economy and Finance is the Ministry of Economic affairs and Second Vice President of the Government of SpainThis Ministry is in charge of the development, proposal and execution of the economical policy of the government, specially of the State Budgets, the control of Public...
.
Life
Santillán was born in LermaLerma
Lerma is a comune in the Province of Alessandria in the Italian region Piedmont, located about 90 km southeast of Turin and about 30 km south of Alessandria....
(province of Burgos). He came from a relatively poor family. He matriculated in law at the University of Valladolid
University of Valladolid
The University of Valladolid is a public university in the city of Valladolid, province of Valladolid, in the autonomous region of Castile-Leon, Spain...
in 1805; his studies were interrupted by the Peninsular War
Peninsular War
The Peninsular War was a war between France and the allied powers of Spain, the United Kingdom, and Portugal for control of the Iberian Peninsula during the Napoleonic Wars. The war began when French and Spanish armies crossed Spain and invaded Portugal in 1807. Then, in 1808, France turned on its...
. He enlisted in 1809 as a corporal
Corporal
Corporal is a rank in use in some form by most militaries and by some police forces or other uniformed organizations. It is usually equivalent to NATO Rank Code OR-4....
in the army led by the priest Jerónimo Merino
Jerónimo Merino
Jerónimo Merino Cob , alias the cura Merino, was a Spanish guerrilla fighter....
fighting for Spanish independence. He soon rose to the rank of lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
, and obtained the rank of captain in 1812. He remained in the Spanish Army
Spanish Army
The Spanish Army is the terrestrial army of the Spanish Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is one of the oldest active armies - dating back to the 15th century.-Introduction:...
until 1824, when he was purged from the ranks after the end of Trienio Liberal for his support of the liberal
Liberalism
Liberalism is the belief in the importance of liberty and equal rights. Liberals espouse a wide array of views depending on their understanding of these principles, but generally, liberals support ideas such as constitutionalism, liberal democracy, free and fair elections, human rights,...
regime, despite his not having originally been an enthusiast of the uprising that brought it to power.
Nonetheless, in 1825 he was hired by the Ministry of Finance
Ministry of Economy and Finance (Spain)
The Ministry of Economy and Finance is the Ministry of Economic affairs and Second Vice President of the Government of SpainThis Ministry is in charge of the development, proposal and execution of the economical policy of the government, specially of the State Budgets, the control of Public...
, and in the 1830s occupied responsible positions under Juan Álvarez Mendizábal
Juan Álvarez Mendizábal
Juan Álvarez Mendizábal, born Juan Álvarez Méndez , was a Spanish economist and politician....
. Shortly before the fall of the regent
Regent
A regent, from the Latin regens "one who reigns", is a person selected to act as head of state because the ruler is a minor, not present, or debilitated. Currently there are only two ruling Regencies in the world, sovereign Liechtenstein and the Malaysian constitutive state of Terengganu...
Maria Christina of the Two Sicilies
Maria Christina of the Two Sicilies
Maria Christina of the Two Sicilies was Queen consort of Spain and Regent of Spain .-Early years and first marriage:...
, during the minority
Minor (law)
In law, a minor is a person under a certain age — the age of majority — which legally demarcates childhood from adulthood; the age depends upon jurisdiction and application, but is typically 18...
of Queen Isabella II
Isabella II of Spain
Isabella II was the only female monarch of Spain in modern times. She came to the throne as an infant, but her succession was disputed by the Carlists, who refused to recognise a female sovereign, leading to the Carlist Wars. After a troubled reign, she was deposed in the Glorious Revolution of...
, he was named Minister of Finance, serving from April to July 1840, at which time the Progressive
Progressive Party (Spain)
The Progressive Party was one of the two Spanish political parties that contended for power during the reign of Isabel II . They were to the left of the opposing Moderate Party , but also characterized themselves as liberal...
general Baldomero Espartero became regent. Despite being removed as minister, he remained at the ministry, where he worked with the Progressive
Progressive Party (Spain)
The Progressive Party was one of the two Spanish political parties that contended for power during the reign of Isabel II . They were to the left of the opposing Moderate Party , but also characterized themselves as liberal...
finance ministers Agustín Fernández Gamboa and Pedro Surrá y Rull and later with their Moderate Party
Moderate Party (Spain)
The Moderate Party or Moderate Liberal Party was one of the two Spanish political parties that contended for power during the reign of Isabel II...
successor Juan José García Carrasco Romero, as well as with colleagues Alejandro Mon y Menéndez
Alejandro Mon y Menéndez
Alejandro Mon y Menéndez was a Spanish politician and jurist who served as Prime Minister of Spain in 1864, during the reign of Queen Isabella II.-Early life:...
and Pita Pizarro.
Although the Spanish tax reform of 1845
Spanish tax reform of 1845
The Spanish tax reform of 1845 made major changes to the tax system of Spain, and established the basis for a system that continues to this day.- Context :...
is often attributed solely to Mon, Santillán was his close collaborator. He was named a senator for life
Senator for life
A senator for life is a member of the senate or equivalent upper chamber of a legislature who has life tenure. , 7 Italian Senators out of 322, 4 out of the 47 Burundian Senators and all members of the British House of Lords have lifetime tenure...
in the legislature of 1845-46. He served briefly again as Minister of Finance (28 January 1847 – 28 March 1847), and was responsible for major improvements in the public banking system of Spain through the 1849 unification of the Bank of San Fernando
Bank of San Fernando
The Bank of San Fernando was a financial institution created in Spain in 1829 at the initiative of Finance Minister Luis López Ballesteros, replacing the old Bank of San Carlos...
with the Bank of Isabella II
Bank of Isabella II
The Bank of Isabella II was a financial institution in Spain, created by a Royal Decree of 25 January 1844 as a bank that, together with the Bank of San Fernando, began the process of establishing a Spanish banking apparatus adequate for industrialization and the transformation from feudalism to...
into a single entity, of which he was the first governor. This merged bank initially retained the name of the Bank of San Fernando.
In 1854, months before the end of the década moderada, Santillán was dismissed for refusing the demands of the Spanish Treasury. However, during the ensuing bienio progresista
Bienio progresista
In the history of Spain, the Bienio progresista was the two-year period from July 1854 to July 1856, during which the Progressive Party attempted to reform the political system of the reign of Isabella II, which had been dominated by the Moderate Party since 1843 in the so-called Década moderada...
, when the Bank of San Fernando became the Bank of Spain in January 1856, he was named its first governor; he remained in the post until his death in Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
in November 1863.
Ideology
Santillán's views fell within the range of the Spanish liberalism of his time. In general, he was a conservative liberalConservative liberalism
Conservative liberalism is a variant of liberalism, combining liberal values and policies with conservative stances, or, more simply, representing the right-wing of the liberal movement....
, aligned with the Moderate Party
Moderate Party (Spain)
The Moderate Party or Moderate Liberal Party was one of the two Spanish political parties that contended for power during the reign of Isabel II...
rather than with the Progressives
Progressive Party (Spain)
The Progressive Party was one of the two Spanish political parties that contended for power during the reign of Isabel II . They were to the left of the opposing Moderate Party , but also characterized themselves as liberal...
, but he was not a party militant. In the 1850s, he aligned with the Liberal Union
Liberal Union (Spain)
The Liberal Union was a political party in Spain in the third quarter of the 19th century. It was founded by Leopoldo O'Donnell in 1858 with the intent of forging a compromise and taking a centrist position between the two forces that had hitherto dominated Spanish politics during the reign of...
, which attempted to steer an intermediate course between those two factions.
Use of image on banknotes
Santillán's image was on the 1000-pesetaSpanish peseta
The peseta was the currency of Spain between 1869 and 2002. Along with the French franc, it was also a de facto currency used in Andorra .- Etymology :...
banknote
Banknote
A banknote is a kind of negotiable instrument, a promissory note made by a bank payable to the bearer on demand, used as money, and in many jurisdictions is legal tender. In addition to coins, banknotes make up the cash or bearer forms of all modern fiat money...
of 1949.
Works
- Memoria Histórica sobre los Bancos Nacionales de San Carlos, Español de San Fernando, Isabel II, Nuevo de San Fernando y de España (1858), reissued by the Bank of Spain in 1982.
- Memorias (1860)