The Sun.
London, England, 1863-10-14 00:00:00

LONDON, WEDNESDAY, OCT. 14, 1863.

In some respects the French Minister of State
who expired at nine o'clock yesterday morning was
the one least of all, we should imagine, to be spared
we will not say from the councils of the EMPEROR,
but, at any rate, from the Imperial Legiehture.
And, this, for the very appreciable reason that M.
BILLAULT was perhaps the readiest and the most
brilliant debater in the French Chambers. As a
debater he was, amongst his countrymen, far and
away, the first and foremost. In some respects,
indeed, he was in that character altogether
unrivalled. Upon the side of the Govern-
ment, there was no one at all to be
compared to him. For promptitude, tact,
precision, and volubility in reply, he was without
a competitor. That, above all things, was the value
attaching to M. BILLAULT'S presence in the ranks
of the Government. As the Parliamentary mouth
piece of the EMPEROR he was, in a manner, we
might say, invaluable. With M. BILLAULT there,
in the Chambers, ever upon the alert, vigilant,
watchful, listening, ready, upon an instant's warn-
ing, to rise and speak—always, in the mere man-
ner of his oratory, speaking to the delight of hie
audience—the Imperial Government were never
to be taken by surprise, even at the most abrupt
and unlooked for onslaught from the most ad-
venturous assailant upon the side of the Opposition.
Sever paratus was, in this way, M. BILLAULT'S
motto as a Statesman. He was always found to be
armed, no matter how sudden the summons calling
hint into the political lists. As affording evi-
dence of his skill as a debater, his:speeches were in-
variably remarkable. Occasionally they rose to
the dignity of masterpieces of oratory. It was
thus with re. a emu to M. BILLAULT during the later
years of his career as a Parliamentary orator. He
was an Athlete of the Tribune. Therein lay his
capacity.,
In that one
ine
gift was comprised the secret
of his s access. k
is success must certainly be
alloweel to have been
very notable. Aided
solely by his abilities, he
roes Steadily from obseu-
ritY to a position of influence, and at last of power
.—and this, too,
in spite of
amfusion of the grand
and the turmoil and
ll:tinomentous
political movements agitating, fro
time, the masses of his fellow countrymen,
Movements, Movements, these, upon three great o •
CCIIBIOIIB---jo
the Revolution of July, in the Revolut;on
of
February, and in the coup (fetal of December
subverting the whole structure of the Government.
winning his way thus, as it were,
Yet, though
over ground hot with volcanic fires, and heav-
ing. with repeated political earthquakes, meGtia,rt
ADOLPHE MARIE BILLAULT ever preserved hie
equilibrium, so to speak, always walked erect, hie
honaur unbowed, his name untarnished. Born at
Vannes on the 12th of November, 1805, he had at
the period of his demise, yesterday, all but com-
pleted his 58th year. Entering, life at an early
Period as a barrister, in 1830 he bad become a Town
Councillor at Nantes, and in 1834 a member of the
Council General of the department. As a pam-
phleteer, or publicist, he obtained some distinc-
tion about this period by a succession of
brochures
upon Communal Organisation, upon
Public Roe d 3, upon Education, and other kindred
themes of vital importance to the well-being
of the public at large. In 1837 he first entered the
Chamber of Deputies, as the representative of the
Electoral College of
worthy of note that hAen_te,eLhenrk his seat for that place,
eis. And it especially
by his own selection.
;constituencies return-
ing him at that timelsere
Paimbeeaf—Ancenis. chose
to Nantes—
to sit for Ancenis :
but the fact of his having the
choice
to make
between the three, may be taken
attestation of the popularity
he ae a Sufficient
had
quired. Almost immediately after his entrance already
ac-
the Chamber of Deputies, he took a into
high Position
there as a recognised authority upon particular ques-
tions, such as Public Works and Commerce gene-
rally. The year after his entrance into the Legis-
lature be was named not only member, but secretary
also, of the great CJaunission on Railways formed
in that year of grace 1838. Two years later,
that is, in 1840, he became Under-Secretary