Léonor-Joseph Havin

The politician

Léonor-Joseph Havin spends four years of his youth to Malines (Belgium), where his/her father, Edouard-Léonor Havin, had had to exile himself like regicide with the return of the Bourbons (elected with Convention in 1792, he had voted the death of the king, with deferment and call to the people). Of return in France, Léonor-Joseph studies the right to Caen and becomes lawyer. He belongs to opposite liberal youth to the Restauration, approves the revolution of 1830. He leaves the bar for the magistrature, becomes Justice of the Peace in Saint-Lo where he is established until 1835. Elected official Appointed of the English Channel on July 5th, 1831, it will constantly be re-elected until 1846. From 1839 to 1842, it was one of the four secretaries of the Chambre and takes an active share with the discussion of the budget, is made lawyer of associations and the primary education. For this period, it sits in the dynastic opposition beside Odilon Barrot and of Thiers. Previously, it had entered to the General advice of the English Channel (1833) which it governs eight recoveries. He becomes also mayor of Torigni (1840) and will organize the Campagne of the banquets reformists of this city (1847).

After the escape of the king Louis-Philippe on February 24th, 1848, it is joined the Republic, is named on February 26th police chief of the Provisional government in the English Channel. Elected official shortly after in this department, it takes again his place with the Room where it will be named six times vice-president. Following the election of Louis-Napoleon Bonaparte with the Presidency of the Republic, it passes on the left, vote against prohibition of the clubs and for the Expédition of Rome. April 20th, 1849, he resigns of his mandate of deputy to enter to the Council of State. At the time of the coup d'etat of December 2nd, 1851, he protests, dislocates himself of all his mandates and takes the direction of the newspaper the Century .

The director of the Century

From this moment, it will be entirely devoted and until the end to the direction of the newspaper the Century , of which it was already, since the death of Louis Perrée (June 16th, 1851), editor association. It will show there its qualities of administrator and policy: firmness and constancy in its principles, careful skill. The newspaper will reach a peak of influence. That will not prevent it, at the time of the Campagne of Italy (1859), to bring an active contest to the emperor.

Havin wrote in the Century only on rare occasions. More concerned about the content rather than the form, it remains before a whole politician without literary claim. After having failed the delegation in 1852 and 1857, it finds its seat in 1863 and lines up in the independent minority. On the Room as in its newspaper, it supports the opposition, militates in favor of teaching, freedom of press, the control of finances, disapproves hazardous forwardings; it will actively support the subscription for the statue of Voltaire and the edition at low prices of its work. One of its last actions will be to require the abolition of the stamp of the newspapers during the modifications of the legislation on the press in 1868, right before its death.

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