Charles Dupuy

Charles Dupuy
60th Prime Minister of France
In office
4 April 1893  3 December 1893
President Marie François Sadi Carnot
Preceded by Alexandre Ribot
Succeeded by Jean Casimir-Perier
62nd Prime Minister of France
In office
30 May 1894  26 January 1895
President Marie François Sadi Carnot
Himself (acting)
Jean Casimir-Perier
Himself (acting)
Félix Faure
Preceded by Jean Casimir-Perier
Succeeded by Alexandre Ribot
67th Prime Minister of France
In office
1 November 1898  22 June 1899
President Félix Faure
Himself (acting)
Émile Loubet
Preceded by Henri Brisson
Succeeded by Pierre Waldeck-Rousseau
Acting President of the French Republic
In office
25 June  27 June 1894
Preceded by Marie François Sadi Carnot
Succeeded by Jean Casimir-Perier
In office
16 January  17 January 1895
Preceded by Jean Casimir-Perier
Succeeded by Félix Faure
In office
16 February  18 February 1899
Preceded by Félix Faure
Succeeded by Émile Loubet
Personal details
Born (1851-11-05)5 November 1851
Le Puy-en-Velay
Died 23 July 1923(1923-07-23) (aged 71)
Ille-sur-Têt
Political party None

Charles Alexandre Dupuy (French: [ʃaʁl dypɥi]; 5 November 1851 – 23 July 1923) was a French statesman, three times prime minister.

Biography

He was born in Le Puy-en-Velay, Haute-Loire, Auvergne, where his father was a minor official. After a period as a professor of philosophy in the provinces, he was appointed a school inspector, thus obtaining a practical acquaintance with the needs of French education. In 1885 he was elected to the chamber as an Opportunist Republican. After acting as "reporter" of the budget for public instruction, he became minister for the department, in Alexandre Ribot's cabinet, in 1892. In April 1893 he formed a ministry himself, taking as his office that of minister of the interior, but resigned at the end of November, and on 5 December was elected president of the chamber. During his first week of office an anarchist, Vaillant, who had managed to gain admission to the chamber, threw a bomb at the president, and Dupuy's calm response --"Messieurs, la séance continue" – gained him much credit.

In May 1894 he again became premier and minister of the interior; and he was at President Carnot's side when Carnot was stabbed to death at Lyons in June. He then stood for the presidency, but was defeated, and his cabinet remained in office till January 1895; under this government, Alfred Dreyfus was arrested and condemned (23 December 1894). The progress of the Dreyfus Affair cast its shadow over Dupuy, along with other French "ministrables," but in November 1898, after Henri Brisson had at last remitted the case to the judgment of the court of cassation, he formed a cabinet of Republican concentration.

During Dupuy's time as prime minister, a number of progressive reforms were carried out. A law of June 1894 introduced a form of social insurance through a mutual fund for miners’ welfare and retirement, while a law passed in November 1894 introduced the Credit Agricole mutualist savings bank for farmers. In addition, a law passed that same month set out the role of the state-owned Caisse des depots “in the construction and management of subsidised housing.”[1]

In view of the apparent likelihood that the judges of the criminal division of the court of cassation—who formed the ordinary tribunal for such an appeal—would decide in favour of Dreyfus, it was thought that Dupuy's new cabinet would be strong enough to reconcile public opinion to such a result; but, to the surprise of outside observers, Dupuy proposed a law in the chamber transferring the decision to a full court of all the divisions of the court of cassation. This arbitrary act, though adopted by the chamber, was construed as a fresh attempt to maintain the judgment of the first court-martial. In the interim, President Félix Faure (an anti-Dreyfusard) died, and the accession of Émile Loubet helped placate the public. The whole court of cassation decided that there must be a new court-martial, and Dupuy at once resigned (June 1899). In June 1900 he was elected senator for the Haute Saône.

Although none of Dupuy's Presidential bids were successful, he served, due to his position as Prime Minister, as an Acting President of the French Republic for three separate occasions during vacancies.

Public Domain This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "article name needed". Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. 

Dupuy's first ministry, 4 April 1893 – 3 December 1893

Dupuy's second ministry, 30 May 1894 – 26 January 1895

Dupuy's third ministry, 1 November 1898 – 22 June 1899

Changes

Political offices
Preceded by
Alexandre Ribot
Prime Minister of France
1893
Succeeded by
Jean Casimir-Perier
Preceded by
Jean Casimir-Perier
Prime Minister of France
1894–1895
Succeeded by
Alexandre Ribot
Preceded by
Henri Brisson
Prime Minister of France
1898–1899
Succeeded by
Pierre Waldeck-Rousseau

References

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