COURVOISIER, JEAN JOSEPH ANTOINE (1775-1835)

This article appears in Volume V07, Page 330 of the Encyclopedia Britannica.

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COURVOISIER, JEAN JOSEPH ANTOINE (1775-1835) , French

magistrate

MAGISTRATE (Lat. magistratus, from magister, master, properly a public office, hence the person holding such an office)

and politician, was born at

Besancon

BESANCON

on the 3oth of November 1775. During the revolutionary period he left the country and served in the army of the emigres and later in that of Austria. In 18o1, under the, Consulate, he returned to France and established himself as an

advocate

Besancon

BESANCON

, being appointed conseiller-auditeur to the

court

of appeal there in 18o8. At the Restoration he was made

advocate

-general by Louis XVIII., resigned and left France during the Hundred Days, and was reappointed after the second Restoration in 1815. In 1817, after the modification of the constitution by the ordonnance of the 5th of September, he was returned to the chamber of deputies, where he attached himself to the left centre and supported the moderate policy of Richelieu and Decazes. He was an eloquent

speaker

SPEAKER

, and master of many subjects; and his proved royalism made it impossible for the ultra-Royalists to discredit him, much as they resented his consistent opposition to
their short-sighted violence. After the revolt at Lyons in 181-7 he was nominated procureur-general of the city, and by his sense and moderation did much to restore order and confidence. He was again a member of the chamber from 1819 to 1824, and vigorously opposed the exceptional legislation which the second administration of Richelieu passed under the influence of the ultra-Royalists. In 1824 he failed to secure re-election, and occupied himself with his judicial duties until his nomination as councillor of state in 1827. On the 8th of August 1829 he accepted the offer of the

portfolio

PORTFOLIO (shortened form of Porto folio, adapted from the Ital. portafogli, portare, to carry, and fogli, sheets or leaves of paper, Lat. folium, leaf)

justice

JUSTICE (Lat. justitia)

in the Polignac ministry, but resigned on the 19th of May 183o, when he realized that the government intended to abrogate the Charter and the inevitable revolution that would follow. During the trial of the ex-ministers, in December, he was summoned as a

witness

WITNESS
WITNESS (from O. Eng. witan, to know)

, and paid a

tribute

TRIBUTE (Lat. tributurn, a stated payment, contribution)

to the character of his former colleagues which, under the circumstances, argued no little courage. He refused to take office under Louis Philippe, and retired into private life, dying on the 18th of September 1835.

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