Address Of The 221

The Address of the 221 was a formal declaration presented to King Charles X of France by the liberal majority in the ''Chambre des députés'' on 18 March 1830, during the opening of the parliamentary session. The address signaled strong opposition to the ultra-royalist policies of the government led by Jules, Prince of Polignac. Widely regarded as a pivotal moment in the political crisis of the Bourbon Restoration, the address contributed to the tensions that culminated in the July Revolution of 1830. 2]

Background

Martignac Liberal Ministry

With the elections of 17 and 24 November 1827, the liberals became the majority in the Chambre des députés. Even though nothing required that they do so and even though it was against their beliefs, they agreed to give the leadership of the ministry to the semi-liberal Jean Baptiste Gay, vicomte de Martignac, Viscount of Martignac. His ministry started on 4 January 1828, and although they voted into law several liberal measures, they could not stop the momentum of liberalism, and Martignac resigned after being outvoted on a legal reorganization of local governments.

Replacement with Polignac's Ministry

Charles X became tired of what he considered as clear abuses of power by the Liberals and decided to impose his own candidate to the leadership of the Ministry, despite the Liberal's parliamentary majority. On 8 August 1829, Charles X appointed Jules de Polignac, his confidant and the leader of the Ultra-royalists, as Foreign Minister. Polignac quickly emerged as the leading figure of the ministry, and that November he finally became the Prime Minister.

Strength of the Opposition's Press

The advent of the Polignac ministry preceded the founding of the Le National newspaper, which released its first issue on 3 January 1830. In the hands of heavyweights such as Thiers, Carrel, Mignet, and Sautelet, it became the banner for liberalism. The new title was added to already well-established newspapers, such as ''Le Globe'' and ''Le Temps'', in addition to more moderate liberal papers, such as ''Le Constitutionnel'' and the ''Journal des Débats''.

The Address of the 221

The Debate in the Chamber

The address was elaborated by a specifically appointed committee. The Chamber of Deputies examined it on 15 and 16 March. It was a real and proper motion of defiance against the Polignac Ministry, and, above all, a real request for the amendment of the Charter to a parliamentary system.

on 16 March 1830, the Chamber of Deputies tabled the address, and among about 402 voters, it obtained 221 votes in favor and 181 votes against. The address was adopted. Immediately, Méchin, a Liberal MP close to Louis Philippe I, ran to the Palais-Royal to bring the news to his patron, evidently already versed in everything.

Consequences for the 221

Despite the secret vote, dozens of legislators were fired from their paid positions in government. Not all 221 could be identified, and disloyal bureaucrats engaged in pettifogging to delay or halt the dismissal process for others.

Charles X's Reaction

The Reading of the Address to the Monarch

Two days later, on 18 March towards the end of the morning, Charles X received at the Tuileries the delegation of the Chamber of Deputies, led by President Royer-Collard, who read the address to the monarch as follows:

The Monarch's Response

Charles X responds:

Consequences

Afterwards, Charles X tried to force his policies in while remaining formally in the wording of the Charter's limits. But the unpopularity of him and Polignac and the hung assembly caused almost nothing to pass and even a further constitutional crisis as he made decisions seemingly outside his power.

* On March 17, the next day, Charles X issued an order which updated the session of parliamentary proceedings to 1 September. It was a move that complied with Section 50 of the Charter, which did not involve limitation, but only the protection from having to reconvene within three months: a time that Louis XVIII had decided was enough to iron out any differences. What was missing was a common ground between two positions, that of the liberals and the ultra-royalists, both very extremist. In fact, Charles X did not come to pass to any compromise.
* Charles X attempted to follow the full path marked by Section 50: On 16 May 1830, he dissolved the assembly, relying on the judgement of the people to rebuild a majority favorable to him. But, to his general surprise, the Liberals won the election on 23 June and 19 July, gaining 274 seats, 53 more than they had before the dissolution.
* So far, Charles X had followed the 'constitutional' path indicated by his brother and predecessor, King Louis XVIII, although he had tampered with the voting system in favor of the conservatives. However, he was not prepared for the results of the elections, which he believed would grant him a majority in the parliament for 7 years. According to the law, he then had to declare a winner and close the divide. But Charles X and Polignac thought they would be able to use Section 14 of the Charter as a last foothold. It specified that the king "makes regulations and ordinance necessary for" the security of the state. In practice, the king's actions were a right of legislative substitute, but limited to interventions for the security of the state. Furthermore, the resulting July Ordinances from 25 July were gravely injurious to the opinions of the majority of the House, and would lead to the July Revolution.

See also

* Charles X of France
* Louis Philippe I
* Bourbon Restoration
* Charter of 1814
* Ministry of Jules de Polignac
* July Revolution
* July Monarchy

Notes

Bibliography

* Guy Antonetti, ''Louis-Philippe'', Paris, Librairie Arthème Fayard, 2002 –
*

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1830 in France
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