Jean-François Tielemans
Encyclopedia
Jean–François Tielemans (Brussels
, 15 November 1799 – Elsene, 5 July 1887) was a Belgian
lawyer and liberal politician. He was interim governor of the province of Antwerp
from 7 April 1831 until 14 June 1831 and governor of the province of Liège
from 4 June 1831 until 4 October 1832.
. For his doctorate in 1823 he produced a thesis entitled De jure et natura legitimae secundum jus civile et hodiernum (Luik, Collardin, 1823). He joined the bar in Brussels and was also active as a journalist, especially for the Journal de Gand.
In 1827 he was commissioned by the Minister of Education in Germany and Austria to study the relationship between Roman Catholic Church and Protestant authorities. He stayed in Vienna and Berlin in 1828 before returning to Brussels, where he was made a secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In October 1829 he was transferred to The Hague
. However, if the government had hoped that these appointments would win Tielemans over to their side, they were mistaken. Tielemans befriended Louis De Potter and increasingly became an opponent of the government, writing articles for Le Belge and Le Courrier des Pays-Bas.
In 1827 he published one statement about the press and another in favour of the printer Weissenbruch, arguing that a printer could not be prosecuted if the author of an article was known. In 1829 he published a Brief aan Van Maanen (Letter to Van Maanen
) who had responsibility for the ministry (Brussel, Coché-Mommens, 1829). This brochure went down badly with the Minister of Justice and the ministry began to put Tielemans' correspondence with De Potter under surveillance. On 15 February 1830 Tielemans was arrested and imprisoned in Brussels. Tielemans, De Potter and Adolphe Bartels
then had to appear before the Court of Assize
to answer to charges of inciting revolt against the government. Tielemans was sentenced to seven years' exile and went to live in Paris, where he formed a committee to help Belgian political refugees.
, he returned to Brussels and on 6 October 1830 the Provisional Government
appointed him a member of the Constitutional Committee and Administrator-General (effectively minister) of the Interior. He was very busy in the second of these roles - he had to organise the administration, national, provincial and municipal elections, schools, public works and measures regarding trade, agriculture and industry, among others. In the sitting of the National Congress of Belgium
on 9 December 1830 he released a report reflecting the difficulties he had encountered and the seriousness and complexity of the situation as it had materialized.
Tielemans belonged to the small minority of liberal republicans who preferred unionist
cabinets. He was the only member of the Constitutional Committee in favour of a republic, whilst all the others favoured a constitutional monarchy
. From 26 February to 23 March 1831 he was minister of the interior in the first cabinet under regent Erasme Louis Surlet de Chokier
, but he was dismissed after only one month.
Next, on 4 June 1831, he was made governor of Liege, holding it until 4 October 1832, when he was appointed advocate-general to the Court of Appeal
by the conservative minister of the interior Barthélémy de Theux de Meylandt, who wished to replace Tielemans as governor with a Catholic. However, the minimum age for a senior member of the judiciary was 35 (Tielemans was then 33), so this was a veiled demotion rather than a promotion. Minister of Justice Joseph Raikem alleged this had been a mistake, but in the meantime a new governor of Liege had been appointed so Tielemans could not return to this post. This left him nothing but to return to his legal practice, this time at the Liege bar (during his governorship he had in 1832 stood as a candidate in the legislative elections, but his opponent won a few votes more and was elected). This did not last long, since on 9 October 1834 he met the age requirement and was made a judge at the Court of Appeal in Brussels. In 1859 he became Chairman of the Chamber in 1867 and first President, until his retirement in 1871.
He was also co-founder and was professor of administrative law at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel
, where he was also rector (1849–1861). He spent 33 years teaching. In 1834 he and Charles de Brouckere
founded the Répertoire de l'administration et du droit administratif de Belgique in twenty volumes. In 1865 he received the Annual Prize for the Five Moral and Political Sciences. In 1847-48 he was also a member of parliament, but had to leave due to the law on incompatibility. From 1855-1877 he was also a councilor of Brussels. He was made a corresponding member of the Koninklijke Academie in 1875, full member in 1878 and director in 1887.
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
, 15 November 1799 – Elsene, 5 July 1887) was a Belgian
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...
lawyer and liberal politician. He was interim governor of the province of Antwerp
Antwerp (province)
Antwerp is the northernmost province both of the Flemish Region, also called Flanders, and of Belgium. It borders on the Netherlands and the Belgian provinces of Limburg, Flemish Brabant and East Flanders. Its capital is Antwerp which comprises the Port of Antwerp...
from 7 April 1831 until 14 June 1831 and governor of the province of Liège
Liège (province)
Liège is the easternmost province of Belgium and belongs to the Walloon Region. It is an area of French and German ethnicity. It borders on the Netherlands, Germany, Luxembourg, and in Belgium the provinces of Luxembourg, Namur, Walloon Brabant , and those of Flemish Brabant and Limburg . Its...
from 4 June 1831 until 4 October 1832.
To 1830
Tielemans' parents belonged to the mercantile middle class in Brussels. He finished secondary school in Brussels then studied law at the university of LiegeUniversity of Liège
The University of Liège , in Liège, Wallonia, Belgium, is a major public university in the French Community of Belgium. Its official language is French.-History:...
. For his doctorate in 1823 he produced a thesis entitled De jure et natura legitimae secundum jus civile et hodiernum (Luik, Collardin, 1823). He joined the bar in Brussels and was also active as a journalist, especially for the Journal de Gand.
In 1827 he was commissioned by the Minister of Education in Germany and Austria to study the relationship between Roman Catholic Church and Protestant authorities. He stayed in Vienna and Berlin in 1828 before returning to Brussels, where he was made a secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In October 1829 he was transferred to The Hague
The Hague
The Hague is the capital city of the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. With a population of 500,000 inhabitants , it is the third largest city of the Netherlands, after Amsterdam and Rotterdam...
. However, if the government had hoped that these appointments would win Tielemans over to their side, they were mistaken. Tielemans befriended Louis De Potter and increasingly became an opponent of the government, writing articles for Le Belge and Le Courrier des Pays-Bas.
In 1827 he published one statement about the press and another in favour of the printer Weissenbruch, arguing that a printer could not be prosecuted if the author of an article was known. In 1829 he published a Brief aan Van Maanen (Letter to Van Maanen
Willem G. van Maanen
Willem G. van Maanen is a Dutch journalist and writer. He received the Ferdinand Bordewijk Prijs in 1983 for Het nichtje van Mozart, and was the 2004 recipient of the Constantijn Huygens Prize.-Reference:...
) who had responsibility for the ministry (Brussel, Coché-Mommens, 1829). This brochure went down badly with the Minister of Justice and the ministry began to put Tielemans' correspondence with De Potter under surveillance. On 15 February 1830 Tielemans was arrested and imprisoned in Brussels. Tielemans, De Potter and Adolphe Bartels
Adolphe Bartels
Adolphe Bartels was a Belgian liberal, journalist and writer, notable for supporting the Belgian Revolution of 1830. He wrote two historical accounts of the Revolution, in 1834 and 1836 respectively. He also edited Radical, the liberal movement's official journal from 1837 to...
then had to appear before the Court of Assize
Court of Assize (Belgium)
The Court of Assize, in Belgium is very similar to the French court of the same name. It has jurisdiction over all felonies that haven't been correctionalised, over political offences and press-related offences, except those inspired by racism or xenophobia, and over crimes of international law,...
to answer to charges of inciting revolt against the government. Tielemans was sentenced to seven years' exile and went to live in Paris, where he formed a committee to help Belgian political refugees.
Belgian Revolution
On receiving a letter informing him of the Belgian RevolutionBelgian Revolution
The Belgian Revolution was the conflict which led to the secession of the Southern provinces from the United Kingdom of the Netherlands and established an independent Kingdom of Belgium....
, he returned to Brussels and on 6 October 1830 the Provisional Government
Provisional Government of Belgium
The Provisional Government was formed as a revolutionary committee of notables during the Belgian Revolution on September 24, 1830 at the Brussels City Hall under the name of Administrative Commission....
appointed him a member of the Constitutional Committee and Administrator-General (effectively minister) of the Interior. He was very busy in the second of these roles - he had to organise the administration, national, provincial and municipal elections, schools, public works and measures regarding trade, agriculture and industry, among others. In the sitting of the National Congress of Belgium
National Congress of Belgium
The Belgian National Congress was a temporary legislative assembly in 1830, established shortly after the Provisional Government of Belgium had proclaimed Belgian independence on October 4 of that year...
on 9 December 1830 he released a report reflecting the difficulties he had encountered and the seriousness and complexity of the situation as it had materialized.
Tielemans belonged to the small minority of liberal republicans who preferred unionist
Unionism in Belgium
In the politics of Belgium, Unionism or Union of Opposites is a Belgian political movement which existed from the 1820s to 1846...
cabinets. He was the only member of the Constitutional Committee in favour of a republic, whilst all the others favoured a constitutional monarchy
Monarchy of Belgium
Monarchy in Belgium is constitutional and popular in nature. The hereditary monarch, at present Albert II, is the head of state and is officially called King of the Belgians .-Origins:...
. From 26 February to 23 March 1831 he was minister of the interior in the first cabinet under regent Erasme Louis Surlet de Chokier
Erasme Louis Surlet de Chokier
Erasme Louis, Baron Surlet de Chokier , born in Liège, was a Belgian politician and before the accession of Leopold I to the Belgian throne, was the first Regent of Belgium....
, but he was dismissed after only one month.
Next, on 4 June 1831, he was made governor of Liege, holding it until 4 October 1832, when he was appointed advocate-general to the Court of Appeal
Court of Appeal (Belgium)
The Court of Appeal in Belgium is a court which hears appeals against decisions of the Court of First Instance and the Commercial Court. Unlike the Court of First Instance, the Court of Appeal isn't divided into different divisions. There are five Courts of Appeal in Belgium...
by the conservative minister of the interior Barthélémy de Theux de Meylandt, who wished to replace Tielemans as governor with a Catholic. However, the minimum age for a senior member of the judiciary was 35 (Tielemans was then 33), so this was a veiled demotion rather than a promotion. Minister of Justice Joseph Raikem alleged this had been a mistake, but in the meantime a new governor of Liege had been appointed so Tielemans could not return to this post. This left him nothing but to return to his legal practice, this time at the Liege bar (during his governorship he had in 1832 stood as a candidate in the legislative elections, but his opponent won a few votes more and was elected). This did not last long, since on 9 October 1834 he met the age requirement and was made a judge at the Court of Appeal in Brussels. In 1859 he became Chairman of the Chamber in 1867 and first President, until his retirement in 1871.
He was also co-founder and was professor of administrative law at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel
Vrije Universiteit Brussel
The Vrije Universiteit Brussel is a Flemish university located in Brussels, Belgium. It has two campuses referred to as Etterbeek and Jette.The university's name is sometimes abbreviated by "VUB" or translated to "Free University of Brussels"...
, where he was also rector (1849–1861). He spent 33 years teaching. In 1834 he and Charles de Brouckere
Charles de Brouckère
Jonkheer Charles Joseph Marie Ghislain de Brouckère was a Belgian nobleman and liberal politician.Born in Bruges, elder brother of future Prime Minister of Belgium Henri de Brouckère, Charles entered politics in the period when modern Belgium formed the southern part of the United Kingdom of the...
founded the Répertoire de l'administration et du droit administratif de Belgique in twenty volumes. In 1865 he received the Annual Prize for the Five Moral and Political Sciences. In 1847-48 he was also a member of parliament, but had to leave due to the law on incompatibility. From 1855-1877 he was also a councilor of Brussels. He was made a corresponding member of the Koninklijke Academie in 1875, full member in 1878 and director in 1887.
Works
Tielemans had several legal and political texts published in the form of brochures, such as:- L’Union et la Constitution, réponse à un anonyme, Luik, Jeunehomme, 1832 p.
- De la charité publique, Brussel, Weissenbruch, 1855.
- De la propriété industrielle (Rev. Trim., vol. III, 1854, p. 5)
- Avant-projet de loi sur les cours d'eau non navigables ni flottables, rapport de la commission extraparlementaire, Brussel, Seghers, 1857
- Etude sur le legs de M. Verhaegen, Brussel, Weissenbruh, 1863
- L’acceptation des dons ou legs faits aux fabriques d'église doit-elle être l'objet d'une délibération du conseil de fabrique, ou suffit-il d'une délibération du bureau des marguilliers? (Revue communale, vol. III, 1870, p. 20.
Sources
- Steve Heylen, Bart De Nil, Bart D’hondt, Sophie Gyselinck, Hanne Van Herck en Donald Weber, Geschiedenis van de provincie Antwerpen. Een politieke biografie, Antwerpen, Provinciebestuur Antwerpen, 2005, Vol. 2 p. 175
- Armand Freson, Jean-François Tielemans, in: Biographie nationale de Belgique, t. XXV, 1930–1932, col. 246-250
- Jean-Pierre Nandrin, L'acte de fondation des nominations politiques de la magistrature. La Cour de Cassation à l'aube de l'indépendance belge, in: Belgisch Tijdschrift voor Nieuwste Geschiedenis, 1998, blz. 153-202.