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

Charles Dupuy
Prime Minister of France
In office
4 April 1893 – 3 December 1893
PresidentSadi Carnot
Preceded byAlexandre Ribot
Succeeded byJean Casimir-Perier
In office
30 May 1894 – 26 January 1895
PresidentSadi Carnot
Himself (Acting)
Jean Casimir-Perier
Himself (Acting)
Félix Faure
Preceded byJean Casimir-Perier
Succeeded byAlexandre Ribot
In office
1 November 1898 – 22 June 1899
PresidentFélix Faure
Himself (Acting)
Émile Loubet
Preceded byHenri Brisson
Succeeded byPierre Waldeck-Rousseau
Acting President of France
In office
25 June – 27 June 1894
Preceded bySadi Carnot
Succeeded byJean Casimir-Perier
In office
16 January – 17 January 1895
Preceded byJean Casimir-Perier
Succeeded byFélix Faure
In office
16 February – 18 February 1899
Preceded byFélix Faure
Succeeded byÉmile Loubet
Personal details
Born(1851-11-05)5 November 1851
Le Puy-en-Velay, Second Republic of France
Died23 July 1923(1923-07-23) (aged 71)
Ille-sur-Têt, Third Republic of France
Political partyProgressive Republicans
SpouseAntoinette Laborde

Biography

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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 implemented in 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). 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.

In June 1900 Dupuy was elected senator for the Haute-Loire department. He was reelected on 7 January 1906 and 11 January 1920, holding office until his death on 23 July 1923.[2]

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

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

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

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Changes

Political offices
Preceded by Prime Minister of France
1893
Succeeded by
Preceded by Prime Minister of France
1894–1895
Succeeded by
Preceded by Prime Minister of France
1898–1899
Succeeded by

References

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  1. ^ Keiger, J. F. V. (4 April 2002). Raymond Poincaré. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9780521892162.
  2. ^ DUPUY Charles dit CHARLES-DUPUY, Senat de France, retrieved 11 January 2018

Sources

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  This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domainChisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Dupuy, Charles Alexandre". Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 8 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 690.