Laurent Cunin-Gridaine

Laurent Cunin , known as Cunin-Gridaine , born with Sedan (the Ardennes) the July 10th 1778 and died in the same city the April 19th 1859, was a Politician French. He was Député of 1827 to 1848 and several times minister.

Biography

Laurent Cunin entered, young person still, in the capacity as simple workman in the cloth manufacture of Etienne Gridaine and Bernard, one of the most important factories of the town of Sedan. Because of its intelligence, it became, at the end of little time, the associate and, later, in 1803, the son-in-law of Gridaine, which it succeeded in 1824. There remained still some time with Bernard with the head of this large factory, from where he only withdrew himself to launch out in policy under the name of Cunin-Gridaine, its first patronym being a too easy target for the humorists. Those of the '' Charivari '' however did not fail to play about it.

Become city council man of Sedan, it aspired to the mandate of deputy in the 1st electoral district of the the Ardennes (Mézières) and was elected the November 17th 1827 thanks to the voices of the liberals (155 votes out of 244 voters and 283 registered voters against 34 with Mr. Harmand d' Ablancourt, outgoing deputy). After this first election, it sat at the sides of Fayette, and it was shown, until in 1830, faithful to the cause of the Libéralisme. Under the ministry Martignac (January 1828 - August 1829), it accepted the Légion of honor, but it took again soon its place in the constitutional opposition. He decided for the Freedom of the press, against the guarantee and signed the Adresse of the 221 against the ministry Polignac (August 1829 - July 1830).

After the dissolution of Chambrepar Charles X the May 16th 1830, Cunin-Gridaine was re-elected the July 12th 1830 (184 votes out of 271 voters and 311 registered voters against 71 with Mr. de Mecquement). The Révolution of 1830 then the Monarchie of July had all its sympathies. He was re-elected like deputy the July 5th 1831 in the 5th college of the Ardennes (Sedan) (196 votes out of 217 voters and 271 registered voters), the June 21st 1834 (158 votes out of 212 voters and 264 registered voters against 42 with Mr. Philippoteaux), the November 4th 1837 (153 votes out of 219 voters and 264 registered voters) and the March 2nd 1839.

Its devotion to support the government, acquired a political high importance to him: it became, the November 22nd 1832, secretary of the Chambre, then one of its vice-presidents. The various governments which followed one another did not have a champion burning than him. He supported his votes all the laws proposed by those, and he was concerned with give, with the inside as with the outside, of safety to the new reign. He pushed back the meeting of the Belgium to the France, decided against the heredity of the peerage, particularly pressed the laws on the public criers, against associations, the refugees, the right of interpellation to the Room. He approved by his votes the repressive measures which followed the turbid of Lyon, the requests for secret funds, the projects of equipment, etc As one of the chiefs of the conservatives, he directed the meetings of the evening of the notabilities of the party, called “meetings Jacqueminot”.

Although it had yielded, in 1834, the direction of its house to its two sons, it did not forget either its personal interests, making protect the trade from the cloth of the foreign manufacturers. Finally like member of the general advice of the Ardennes and president of the Bankruptcy court of Sedan, it supported the same policy in the middle of its fellow-citizens.

It was called the first time at the ministry for agriculture and of the trade the April 15th 1837 under the government Molé, and, since this period until in 1848, it made, with a margin of few exceptions, started from all the cabinets. Named in particular in that of the May 12th 1839, it withdrew on March 1st 1840 with the cabinet, fallen on the question from the equipment from the duke from Nemours. It became again commercial Minister the October 29th 1840 in the new cabinet Soult, and also in September 1847 in the cabinet Guizot, to leave there only to the inversion the Monarchie July, the February 23rd 1848. For this period, it preserved its mandate of deputy at the elections of the July 9th 1842 and of the 1846. Member also of the superior council commercial since 1839, it had in hands, during nearly ten years, the same great interests. One owes him, among the striking facts, the organization of the industrial exposure of 1844 and the measurements taken during the corn food shortage of 1846 and brought back in 1847. It gave place to incidents of platform about a package of 500 paid-up shares of a railroad company which had been allotted to him.

The Révolution of February reversed it, and continued it like the other Ministers for the last cabinet of resistance. But the Court of Appeal of Paris handed down a judgment of withdrawal of case, and Cunin-Gridaine was withdrawn in Sedan, not leaving more private life but for some exceptional occasions, such its participation in the international jury of the World Fair of 1855.

It had been made knight of the Légion of honor in 1828, officer in 1833, and large officer the October 29th 1843. He also collaborated in the Dictionnaire commercial and the goods .

He was moreover, the first politician to propose a law relating to the Travail of the children and aiming at a reduction in the work hours, which he presented in January 1840 to the House of Commons.

He is the father of Charles Cunin-Gridaine, which was appointed and Senator.

Sources

Gustave Vapereau, universal Dictionary of the contemporaries , 1858,2 vol.

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