Louis Becquey

Louis Becquey or François Louis Becquey de Beaupré born in 1760 in Vitry-le-François, died in 1849 in Paris, is a French politician, counter-revolutionary under the Directory.

Political career

Becquey de Beaupré is the nephew of Louis Marie Becquey and was civil engineer (he designed the bridge of Austerlitz.

Louis Marie Becquey: Its beginning of career starts like prosecutor-general-syndic of the department of the Haute-Marne. In 1791, it is elected appointed legislative Assemblée where it is one of the burning defender of the throne: it maintains direct links with Louis XVI of France and Marie-Antoinette of Austria. It belongs to the seven deputies who vote against the declaration of war in Austria in March 1792 (the six other deputies were Theodore de Lameth, François Arnail, count de Jaucourt, Mathieu Dumas, Gentil, Baërt and Hua).

Under the Convention, he managed to hide and escape the guillotine. He is very active royalist agent under the Directoire with his friend Pierre-Paul Royer-Collard.

In 1810, under the Empire, he is director of the University and gives up the Contre-révolution

Under the restoration, in 1814, he is managing director commercial. In 1815, he is appointed of Haute-Marne. From 1817 to 1830, it succeeds Louis-Mathieu Molé with the direction of the Highways Departments and the mines where it applies the Plan Becquey . In 1826, he is president of the Société of geography.

He takes his retirement under the Monarchie of July. He takes his retirement under Charles X who appoints it Minister of state (signed act of Charles X)

The Becquey plan

During the period with the direction of the Bridges and Chaussées and Mines, Becquey gives a sharp impulse to work of inland navigation and especially to the execution of the channels.

Its laws of August 5th, 1821 and of August 14th, 1822, define two axes of reform

creation of new inland waterways (a few thousands of kilometers)
Standardization of the whole of the ways according to a single gauge: the gauge Becquey

working length 30,40 m
working width 5,20 m
damping: 1,60 m
height under work: 3 m

The old channels built according to lower standards are refitted. It is the case for example Canal of Briare. One owes with the Becquey plan the majority of the large side channels (the Loire, the Garonne, Somme, etc). The State remains project superintendent of work but the financing is partially deprived, the exploitation and the returning maintenance of the channels with terms with these private companies.

The work of Becquey will be continued at the end of the 19th century by Charles de Freycinet.

Sources

History of the French revolution of Jules Michelet

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