OBITUARY

Evening Post, Volume LXXXVI, Issue 45, 21 August 1913, Page 7

OBITUARY

A DISTINGUISHED FRENCHMAN M. EMILE OLLIVIER. (By Telegraph.— Press Association.— Copyright.) (Received August 21, 11.50 a.m.) PARIS, 20th August. M. Olivie* Emile Ollivier, the French statesman, is dead. [M. Olivier Emile- Ollivier was bofn at Marseilles in July, 1825. Called to the Bar at the age of 23 years, he secured the appointment of CommißsaryGeneral of the Department of Bouehes-du-Rhone, and later became prefect of the department. Shortly afterwards he was removed to" a comparatively unimportant prefecture, a semi-disgrace which he resented. He, therefore i-e* signed from the Civil Service to take up practice at the Bar, where his brilliant abilities assured his success. He re- , entered political life in 1857 as a deputy, and joined the Constitutional Opposition, forming, with others, the group known as Les Cinq; which wrung from Napoleon 111. some concessions in the direction of Constitutional Government. He gradually separated himself from his old associates, and during the session' of 1866*67 formed a. third party, which de finitely supported' the principle of a Liberal Empire. In 1867 he was offered, but declined, the Ministry of Education. When Rouher was dismissed in the last week of 1869, a responsible Ministry was formed, of which Ollivier was really Premier, although that office was not nominally recognised by the Constitution. After the shooting of Victor Noir by Prince Pierre Bonaparte, and the resultant bloodshed, the amended constitution was submitted to a plebiscite, which resulted in favour of the Government. Ollivier Was in, office when the FrancoPrussian dispute that ended in the disastrous war of 1870-71 arose. It is unlikely that he could have prevented the \eventual outbreak of war, but he might perhaps have postponed it at that time. He was outmanoeuvred by Bismarck,' and accepted the responsibility of the war "with a light heart"— saying that the war had been forced on France.. On the news of the first disaster to the French, hie Cabinet was driven, from office, and lie *>ught refuge in Italy. Returning to Stance in 1873, he again entered the political arena, out his power wae gone ut his retirement he wrote "L'Empire Liberal." and other works. He had many connection*^ with the literary and artistic world, being one of the earlier champions- of Wagner. Elected to the Academy in 1870, he did not take nic seat, his reception being indefinitely ■postponed.]