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Encyclopedia Britannica - Main :: NAN-NEW |
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NECKER, JACQUES (17321804) , French statesman, finance minister of Louis XVI., was born at Geneva in Switzerland. His father was a native of Ciistrin in Pomerania, and had, after the publication of some works on international law, been elected as professor of public law at Geneva, of which he became a citizen. Jacques Necker had been sent to Paris in 1747 to become a clerk in the bank of a friend of his father, M. Vernet. He soon afterwards established, with another Genevese, the famous bank of Thellusson & Necker. Thellusson superintended the bank in London (his grandson was made a peer as Lord Rendlesham), while Necker was managing partner in Paris. Both partners became very rich by loans to the treasury and speculations in grain. In 1763 Necker fell in love with Madame de Vermenou, the widow of a French officer. But while on a visit to Geneva, Madame de Vermenou met Suzanne Curchod, the daughter of a pastor near Lausanne, to whom Gibbon had beenengaged, and brought her back as her companion to Paris in 1764. There Necker, transferring his love from the widow to the poor Swiss girl, married Suzanne before the end of the year. She encouraged her husband to try and make himself a public position. He accordingly became a syndic or director of the French East India Company, and, after showing his financial
interest
resident
chief
financial
establishment
establishment
scheme for the administrative reorganization of France. In 1781 he published his famous Compte rendu, in which he drew the balance sheet of France, and was dismissed from his office. Yet his dismissal was not really due to his book, but to the influence of Marie Antoinette, whose schemes for benefiting the duc de Guines he had thwarted. In retirement he occupied himself with literature, and with his only child, his daughter, who in 1786 married the ambassador of Sweden and became Madame de Stael (q.v.). But neither Necker nor his wife cared to remain out of office, and in 1787 Necker was banished by " lettre de cachet " 40 leagues from Paris for attacking Calonne . In 1788 the country, which had at the bidding of the literary guests of Madame Necker come to believe that Necker was the only minister who could " stop the deficit," as they said, demanded Necker's recall, and in September 1788 he became once more director-general of the finances. Through-out the momentous months which followed the biography of Necker is part of the history of the French Revolution (q.v.). Necker put a stop to the rebellion in Dauphine by legalizing its assembly, and then set to work to arrange for the summons of the states general. Throughout the early months of 1789 he was regarded as the saviour of France, but his conduct at the meeting of the states general showed that he regarded it merely as an assembly which should grant money, not organize reforms. But as he had advised the calling of the states general, and the double
chief
by contriving the decree of November 7, by which the ministry might not be chosen from the assembly. Financially he proved equally incapable for a time of crisis, and could not understand the need of such extreme measures as the establishment of assignats in order to keep the country quiet. His popularity vanished when his only idea was to ask the assembly for new loans, and in September 1790 he resigned his office, unregretted by a single Frenchman. Not without difficulty he reached Coppet, near Geneva, an estate he had bought in 1784. Here he occupied himself with literature, but Madame Necker pined for her Paris salon and died in 1794. He continued to live on at Coppet, under the care of his daughter, Madame de Stael, and his niece, Madame Necker de Saussure, but his time was past, and his books had no political influence. A momentary excitement was caused by the advance of the French armies in 1798, when he burnt most of his political papers. He died at Coppet in April 1804. finance (1802); Manuscrits de M. Necker, published by his daughter (1804); Suites funestes d'une seule faute, published after his death. See also Le Salon de Madame Necker, by the Vicomte d'Haussonville (2 vols., 1882), compiled from the papers at Coppet; Ch. Gomel, Les Causes financieres de la revolution francaise (Paris, 1892) ; and for contemporary tracts and pamphlets M. Tourneux, Bibl. de l'histoire de Paris pendant la revolution (vol. iv., 1906); also (for the earlier ones) Collection complete de tous les ouvrages pour et contre M. Necker, avec des notes critiques . . . (3 vols., Utrecht, 1781). (H. M. S.; J. T. S.*) End of Article: NECKER, JACQUES (17321804) If you wish, you can link directly to this article.
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