Men of the Time, eleventh edition/Rouher, Eugene

​ROUHER, Eugène, statesman, born at Riom, Nov. 30, 1814, where he studied jurisprudence, was admitted a member of the bar in 1838. After the revolution of 1848, he was returned to the Constituent Assembly for the department of Puy-de-Dôme, which he continued to represent in the Legislative Assembly in 1849. His career as a minister began with his appointment as Minister of Justice by the President of the Republic, Oct. 31, 1849, a post which he resigned July 18, 1851. He soon resumed his connection with the ministry, and was re-appointed, Dec. 2, to his former office, which he resigned Jan. 22, 1852, and became Vice-President of the Council of State. He became Minister of Agriculture, Commerce, and Public Works, Feb. 3, 1855, and was nominated to the Senate, June 18, 1856. It was in the former capacity that he negotiated with the late Mr. Cobden the treaty of commerce and additional articles, signed Jan. 22, 1860, by the plenipotentiaries of the two powers, of whom he was one. He succeeded M. Billaut as Minister of State, Oct. 18, 1863, and became, ex officio, one of the "speaking ministers," whose duty it was "to explain and defend questions placed before the Senate and the Legislative Assembly." This arduous duty he discharged with consummate tact and ability during the next five years against such formidable antagonists as MM. Thiers, Berryer, and Jules Favre. After the famous Imperial letter of Jan. 19, 1867, addressed to M. Rouher, with regard to the Senatus-Consultum, he and his colleagues resigned, but nearly all of them were reinstated in office, including ​M. Rouher, who was intrusted provisionally with the portfolio of Finance. The general election of May, 1869, gave a 'majority to the Government, but the interpellation of the 116 was followed soon afterwards by the prorogation of the Chamber and the resignation of the ministry (July 13). M. Rouher was not a member of the remodelled cabinet, but by an Imperial decree, dated the 20th of July, he was nominated President of the Senate. After the fall of the Empire, M. Rouher followed his Imperial master to this country, where, if common reports may be relied on, he was mixed up with various intrigues for the restoration of the Napoleonic dynasty. He was returned to the National Assembly for Corsica in Feb., 1872. At the general election of Feb. 20, 1876, he presented himself as a candidate in the three arrondissements of Riom, Bastia, and Ajaccio. He was elected by all three constituencies, and having the support of the Prince Imperial, he triumphed at Ajaccio over Prince Napoleon, who had also come forward as a candidate. M. Rouher elected to sit for Riom, and his election was annulled at Ajaccio, where he was succeeded by Prince Napoleon on the 14th of May following. After the act of May 16, 1877, he gave his support to the Cabinet of the Due de Broglie, and was re-elected for Riom on Oct. 14. After the death of the Prince Imperial, M. Rouher endeavoured to procure the recognition of Prince Napoleon as head of the Bonaparte family. He was promoted Grand Officer of the Legion of Honour in 1856, Grand Cross in 1860, and obtained the Grand Cordon of the Italian Order of SS. Maurice and Lazarus in 1863.