Jean-Jacques-Governed of Cambacérès

Biography

Origin

Born in Montpellier in a family from magistrates belonging to the old noblesse de robe from the city, it made its studies of right to the Faculté of Montpellier. Receipt lawyer in 1771, it succeeds his/her father in the responsibility of advising with the Court of Auditors, Aides and Finances, of Montpellier in 1774.

The native house of Cambacérès is Chabaneau place in Montpellier.

Under the Revolution

As of 1789, it took an active part in the French revolution, at the municipal council of Montpellier, then as prosecutor syndic of the district and president of the criminal court of Herault. In 1792, it is elected appointed Herault with the national Convention. During the lawsuit of Louis XVI, it protested that convention did not have the capacity to sit like court and required that the king have the means necessary for his defense. Nevertheless, he voted the death of Louis XVI, but asked that its execution was pushed back after the end of the hostilities. Entered with the Committee of general security, he voted the arrest of the Girondins in June 1793. He was charged in 1793, with Merlin of Douai, of the classification of the laws and their meeting in only one body.

He wrote many laws and was charged to coordinate the drafting of the Civil code French by the Montagnard S. the first Two projects were presented in 1793 and 1794. First is rejected because too long and not revolutionary enough. The second follows the same fate: too much short. A third project fails in 1796 more, victim also of the political struggles. The final version will end only in 1804. It became, in 1794, president of the Convention, then chaired the Comité of public hello.

In January 1791, Cambacérès became purchaser of the field of Saint-Drézéry, then property of the chapter of the cathedral of Montpellier and sold like national good by the municipality. Then vice-president of the municipal council, Cambacérès had to make use of a figurehead to buy the field which it bequeathed to his death with the cathedral of Montpellier.

Under the Directory

He was elected with the Conseil of the Five hundred in 1795. He exerted diplomatic functions and negotiated peace with Spain. In 1796, it prepared a third project of Civil code , always without continuation. He was not re-elected as a diplomat in 1797 and, in 1798, its election was cancelled. July 20th 1799, he became Minister for the Justice, station which enabled him to support the Coup d'etat of the 18 brumaire (November 9th).

Under the Consulate

In 1799, after the Coup d'etat of the 18 brumaire year VIII (November 9th), it is appointed second consul, to replace Sieyès, which was provisional consul before.

Under the First Empire

It is named prince-archichancelier at the time of the proclamation of the First Empire in 1804. During many displacements of the Emperor on the theaters of military operations, it takes the presidency of the Sénat and the Council of State, as well as the direction of the administration. Appointed Prince of the Empire and Duke of Parma in the April 24th 1808, it accumulates a considerable fortune and its table is re-elected for its records. It takes part in the rebirth of the French Franc-maçonnerie and takes the direction of all obediences. The word is lent to him: “ In public call me: “Your Sérénissime Highness”, into private “Monseigneur” will be enough. ” In 1814, it is, without the title, the true regent of France, which does not prevent it from voting with the Senate the deposition of Napoleon i. He had the principal share in the drafting of the Civil code French and could make profitable large work Jurisconsulte S of the previous centuries, especially those of Portalis; it is him which is the author of the preliminary Discours of the Project of civil code . The 30 ventôse year XII (March 21st 1804), thanks to the political stabilization brought by the consulate, the Civil code is finally promulgated.

Under the First Restoration, Hundred Days and Second Restoration

Withdrawn of the political life at the time of the return of monarchy, in 1814, it takes again service during the Hundred Days, which is worth to him the exile with Brussels after the final fall of Napoleon.

Having lost its title of duke of Parma, it takes that of duke of Cambacérès, titrates which will be confirmed with its family in 1857 under the Second Empire.

It takes refuge then in piety and a certain Baron written of him (quoted by Pierre Larousse in Latin Flore ): “When I say Cambacérès, you should be appeared a sizeable old man, in wig and maroon dress, going every morning with Holy-Gudule, our cathedral, close which it was placed; a servant followed it carrying a large book of hours. There, Cambacérès knelt on the naked ground, heard the mass and remained plunged in long meditations: Quantum mutatus ab it! ” It is authorized to return in France in 1818, but will not play any more any political role, and it dies in Paris in 1824. It is buried with the Cimetière of the Father-Lachaise.

Its Homosexualité is rather notorious: whereas Cambacérès arrived late, saying to the emperor that it had been retained by ladies, Napoleon would have said this witty remark: “when one is awaited by the Emperor, one says to these ladies to take their cane and their hat and of foutre the camp”). One often considers (wrongly) that the Code Napoleon (1804) is at the origin of the decriminalisation of homosexuality in France, and one allots usually this decriminalisation to Cambacérès, like principal architect of the Code. However the Napoleon Code is a collection of laws which regulate the civil life. The Napoleonean legislation which interests us is in fact the Penal code of 1810, which is not the work of Cambacérès and which, in any event, does nothing but confirm the provisions of the Penal code of 1791 which omits to penalize sodomy. It is thus the Constituent National Assembly which décriminalisé homosexuality.

His/her brothers are Etienne Hubert de Cambacérès, archbishop of Rouen, cardinal and senator and Jean-Pierre-Hugues Cambacérès, general. Wire of the precedent, its nephew, Marie Jean Pierre Pierre Hubert de Cambacérès, known under the name of duke of Cambacérès, is even of France under Louis-Philippe, then main senator and large of the ceremonies under Napoleon III.

External bonds

Biography on the site of the Foundation Napoleon
Site dedicated to Cambacérès

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