Casimir Pierre Perier
Encyclopedia
Casimir Pierre Perier (11 October 1777 16 May 1832) was a French statesman, President of the Council during the July Monarchy
, when he headed the conservative Parti de la résistance (Party of Resistance).
, he was the fourth son of a rich banker and manufacturer, Claude Perier
(1742–1801), in whose house
the estates of Dauphiné
met in 1788. Claude Perier was one of the first directors of the Bank of France. Three of his eight sons, Casimir (1777–1832), Scipion (1776–1821) and Joseph (1786–1866) were in the forefront of business and finance during the Bourbon Restoration. The family moved to Paris after the revolution of Thermidor (1794), and Casimir joined the army of Italy
in 1798.
On his father's death in 1801, Casimir Perier left the army and with his brother Scipion founded a bank in Paris, the speculations of which Casimir directed while Scipion took on its administration. Joseph Perier became a partner in 1822. Two of the most important clients of the bank were the Anzin Mining Company, the leading coal mining firm in northern France, and the Perier foundry at Chaillot, purchased by Scipion Perier in 1818 and famous for its manufacture of early steam engines. In 1818 the Perier brothers were instrumental in the establishment in Paris of the first French savings bank. In 1821 Casimir Perier became chairman of the board of directors of the Anzin Mining Company; and in that same year he succeeded his brother Scipion as a director of the Bank of France. During the 1820s the Perier bank invested in the canal construction program in France. In 1825 the bank helped sponsor an attempt at joint stock investment banking,the Societe Commanditaire de l'Industrie,for mining, metallurgy, canal construction and land development. Casimir Perier's wide-ranging business interests and investments help to explain his opposition in the Chamber of Deputies to financial policies of Restoration ministries. He opposed, for example, the ruinous methods by which the duc de Richelieu
sought to raise the war indemnity demanded by the Allies, in a pamphlet Réflexions sur le projet d'emprunt (1817), followed in the same year by Dernières réflexions in answer to an inspired article in the Moniteur.
In the same year, Perier entered the Chamber of Deputies
for Paris, taking his seat in the Left Centre with the moderate opposition, and making his first speech in defence of the freedom of the press
. Re-elected for Paris in 1822 and 1824, and in 1827 for Paris and for Troyes
, he elected to represent Troyes, and sat for that constituency until his death. Perier's violence in debate was not associated with any disloyalty to the Bourbon Restoration
, and he held resolutely aloof from the Republican conspiracies and intrigues which prepared the way for the revolution of 1830
. Under the Martignac ministry, there was some prospect of a reconciliation with the court, and, in January 1829, he was nominated a candidate for the presidency of the chamber; but in August with the elevation to power of Jules, Prince de Polignac
, the truce ceased, and on 15 March 1830, Perier was one of the 221 deputies who repudiated the Ordinances put forward by Charles X
.
Averse by instinct and by interest to popular revolution, Perier nevertheless sat on the provisory commission of five at the Hôtel de Ville
during the Three Glorious Days of July 1830, but he refused to sign the declaration of Charles X's dethronement. Perier reluctantly recognized in the government of Louis Philippe
's constitutional monarchy
the only alternative to the continuance of the Revolution, but he was no favorite with the new king, whom he scorned for his truckling to the mob. He became President of the Chamber of Deputies, and sat for a few months in the cabinet, though without a portfolio.
, Perier, who had drifted more and more to the Right, was summoned to power (13 March 1831), and, in the short space of a year, he more or less restored civic order in France and re-established her credit in Europe. Paris was in a constant state of disturbance from March to September, and was only held in check by the premier's determination. The Canut Revolt at Lyon
was suppressed after hard fighting; and at Grenoble, in face of the quarrels between the military and the inhabitants, Perier declined to make any concession to the townsfolk.
As a minister, Perier refused to be dragged into armed intervention in favor of the revolutionary government of Warsaw
, but his policy of peace did not exclude energetic demonstrations in support of French interests. He constituted France the protector of Belgium
by the prompt expedition of the army of the north against the Dutch in August 1831. French influence in Italy
was asserted by the audacious occupation of Ancona
(23 February 1832); and the refusal of compensation for injuries to French residents by the Portuguese
government was followed by a naval demonstration at Lisbon
.
Perier had undertaken the premiership with many forebodings, and overwork and anxiety prepared the way for disease. In the spring of 1832, during the cholera
outbreak in Paris, he visited the hospitals in company with the duke of Orleans. He fell ill the next day of a violent fever, and died six weeks later.
His son Auguste Casimir-Perier
(1811–1876) was also a French politician, and his family continued to be prominent in French politics for generations.
July Monarchy
The July Monarchy , officially the Kingdom of France , was a period of liberal constitutional monarchy in France under King Louis-Philippe starting with the July Revolution of 1830 and ending with the Revolution of 1848...
, when he headed the conservative Parti de la résistance (Party of Resistance).
Life
Born in GrenobleGrenoble
Grenoble is a city in southeastern France, at the foot of the French Alps where the river Drac joins the Isère. Located in the Rhône-Alpes region, Grenoble is the capital of the department of Isère...
, he was the fourth son of a rich banker and manufacturer, Claude Perier
Claude Perier
Claude II Périer , known as milord, was a French banker and industrialist of the Périer family, notable for his ownership of the Château de Vizille and his involvement in the Assembly of Vizille. He was the son of Jacques II Périer and his wife Marie-Elizabeth Dupuy, and father of Casimir Pierre...
(1742–1801), in whose house
Château de Vizille
The Château de Vizille is a castle in the French town of Vizille near Grenoble. It is one of the most prestigious and important castles of the Dauphiné Region. The Dauphiné was traditionally the homeland of the inheritor of the French throne since the 14th century...
the estates of Dauphiné
Dauphiné
The Dauphiné or Dauphiné Viennois is a former province in southeastern France, whose area roughly corresponded to that of the present departments of :Isère, :Drôme, and :Hautes-Alpes....
met in 1788. Claude Perier was one of the first directors of the Bank of France. Three of his eight sons, Casimir (1777–1832), Scipion (1776–1821) and Joseph (1786–1866) were in the forefront of business and finance during the Bourbon Restoration. The family moved to Paris after the revolution of Thermidor (1794), and Casimir joined the army of Italy
Army of Italy (France)
The Army of Italy was a Field army of the French Army stationed on the Italian border and used for operations in Italy itself. Though it existed in some form in the 16th century through to the present, it is best known for its role during the French Revolutionary Wars and Napoleonic...
in 1798.
On his father's death in 1801, Casimir Perier left the army and with his brother Scipion founded a bank in Paris, the speculations of which Casimir directed while Scipion took on its administration. Joseph Perier became a partner in 1822. Two of the most important clients of the bank were the Anzin Mining Company, the leading coal mining firm in northern France, and the Perier foundry at Chaillot, purchased by Scipion Perier in 1818 and famous for its manufacture of early steam engines. In 1818 the Perier brothers were instrumental in the establishment in Paris of the first French savings bank. In 1821 Casimir Perier became chairman of the board of directors of the Anzin Mining Company; and in that same year he succeeded his brother Scipion as a director of the Bank of France. During the 1820s the Perier bank invested in the canal construction program in France. In 1825 the bank helped sponsor an attempt at joint stock investment banking,the Societe Commanditaire de l'Industrie,for mining, metallurgy, canal construction and land development. Casimir Perier's wide-ranging business interests and investments help to explain his opposition in the Chamber of Deputies to financial policies of Restoration ministries. He opposed, for example, the ruinous methods by which the duc de Richelieu
Armand-Emmanuel du Plessis, Duc de Richelieu
Armand Emmanuel Sophie Septimanie de Vignerot du Plessis, 5th Duke of Richelieu was a prominent French statesman during the Bourbon Restoration...
sought to raise the war indemnity demanded by the Allies, in a pamphlet Réflexions sur le projet d'emprunt (1817), followed in the same year by Dernières réflexions in answer to an inspired article in the Moniteur.
In the same year, Perier entered the Chamber of Deputies
Chamber of Deputies
Chamber of deputies is the name given to a legislative body such as the lower house of a bicameral legislature, or can refer to a unicameral legislature.-Description:...
for Paris, taking his seat in the Left Centre with the moderate opposition, and making his first speech in defence of the freedom of the press
Freedom of the press
Freedom of the press or freedom of the media is the freedom of communication and expression through vehicles including various electronic media and published materials...
. Re-elected for Paris in 1822 and 1824, and in 1827 for Paris and for Troyes
Troyes
Troyes is a commune and the capital of the Aube department in north-central France. It is located on the Seine river about southeast of Paris. Many half-timbered houses survive in the old town...
, he elected to represent Troyes, and sat for that constituency until his death. Perier's violence in debate was not associated with any disloyalty to the Bourbon Restoration
Bourbon Restoration
The Bourbon Restoration is the name given to the period following the successive events of the French Revolution , the end of the First Republic , and then the forcible end of the First French Empire under Napoleon – when a coalition of European powers restored by arms the monarchy to the...
, and he held resolutely aloof from the Republican conspiracies and intrigues which prepared the way for the revolution of 1830
July Revolution
The French Revolution of 1830, also known as the July Revolution or in French, saw the overthrow of King Charles X of France, the French Bourbon monarch, and the ascent of his cousin Louis-Philippe, Duke of Orléans, who himself, after 18 precarious years on the throne, would in turn be overthrown...
. Under the Martignac ministry, there was some prospect of a reconciliation with the court, and, in January 1829, he was nominated a candidate for the presidency of the chamber; but in August with the elevation to power of Jules, Prince de Polignac
Jules, prince de Polignac
Prince Jules de Polignac, 3rd Duke of Polignac , was a French statesman. He played a part in ultra-royalist reaction after the Revolution...
, the truce ceased, and on 15 March 1830, Perier was one of the 221 deputies who repudiated the Ordinances put forward by Charles X
Charles X of France
Charles X was known for most of his life as the Comte d'Artois before he reigned as King of France and of Navarre from 16 September 1824 until 2 August 1830. A younger brother to Kings Louis XVI and Louis XVIII, he supported the latter in exile and eventually succeeded him...
.
Averse by instinct and by interest to popular revolution, Perier nevertheless sat on the provisory commission of five at the Hôtel de Ville
Hôtel de Ville, Paris
The Hôtel de Ville |City Hall]]) in :Paris, France, is the building housing the City of Paris's administration. Standing on the place de l'Hôtel de Ville in the city's IVe arrondissement, it has been the location of the municipality of Paris since 1357...
during the Three Glorious Days of July 1830, but he refused to sign the declaration of Charles X's dethronement. Perier reluctantly recognized in the government of Louis Philippe
Louis-Philippe of France
Louis Philippe I was King of the French from 1830 to 1848 in what was known as the July Monarchy. His father was a duke who supported the French Revolution but was nevertheless guillotined. Louis Philippe fled France as a young man and spent 21 years in exile, including considerable time in the...
's constitutional monarchy
Constitutional monarchy
Constitutional monarchy is a form of government in which a monarch acts as head of state within the parameters of a constitution, whether it be a written, uncodified or blended constitution...
the only alternative to the continuance of the Revolution, but he was no favorite with the new king, whom he scorned for his truckling to the mob. He became President of the Chamber of Deputies, and sat for a few months in the cabinet, though without a portfolio.
President of the Council
On the fall of the weak and discredited ministry of Jacques LaffitteJacques Laffitte
Jacques Laffitte was a French banker and politician.-Biography:Laffitte was born at Bayonne, one of the ten children of a carpenter....
, Perier, who had drifted more and more to the Right, was summoned to power (13 March 1831), and, in the short space of a year, he more or less restored civic order in France and re-established her credit in Europe. Paris was in a constant state of disturbance from March to September, and was only held in check by the premier's determination. The Canut Revolt at Lyon
Lyon
Lyon , is a city in east-central France in the Rhône-Alpes region, situated between Paris and Marseille. Lyon is located at from Paris, from Marseille, from Geneva, from Turin, and from Barcelona. The residents of the city are called Lyonnais....
was suppressed after hard fighting; and at Grenoble, in face of the quarrels between the military and the inhabitants, Perier declined to make any concession to the townsfolk.
As a minister, Perier refused to be dragged into armed intervention in favor of the revolutionary government of Warsaw
Warsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
, but his policy of peace did not exclude energetic demonstrations in support of French interests. He constituted France the protector of Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
by the prompt expedition of the army of the north against the Dutch in August 1831. French influence in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
was asserted by the audacious occupation of Ancona
Ancona
Ancona is a city and a seaport in the Marche region, in central Italy, with a population of 101,909 . Ancona is the capital of the province of Ancona and of the region....
(23 February 1832); and the refusal of compensation for injuries to French residents by the Portuguese
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
government was followed by a naval demonstration at Lisbon
Lisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
.
Perier had undertaken the premiership with many forebodings, and overwork and anxiety prepared the way for disease. In the spring of 1832, during the cholera
Cholera
Cholera is an infection of the small intestine that is caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. The main symptoms are profuse watery diarrhea and vomiting. Transmission occurs primarily by drinking or eating water or food that has been contaminated by the diarrhea of an infected person or the feces...
outbreak in Paris, he visited the hospitals in company with the duke of Orleans. He fell ill the next day of a violent fever, and died six weeks later.
His son Auguste Casimir-Perier
Auguste Casimir-Perier
Auguste Victor Laurent Casimir-Perier was a French diplomat and political leader. He was the son of Casimir Pierre Perier and the father of President Jean Casimir-Perier....
(1811–1876) was also a French politician, and his family continued to be prominent in French politics for generations.