The ( French for "Unobtainable Chamber") was the first

Chamber of Deputies The chamber of deputies is the lower house in many bicameral legislatures and the sole house in some unicameral legislatures. Description Historically, French Chamber of Deputies was the lower house of the French Parliament during the Bourb ...

elected after the Second Bourbon Restoration in 1815. It was dominated by Ultra-royalists who completely refused to accept the results of the French Revolution. The name was coined by King

Louis XVIII Louis XVIII (Louis Stanislas Xavier; 17 November 1755 – 16 September 1824), known as the Desired (), was King of France from 1814 to 1824, except for a brief interruption during the Hundred Days in 1815. Before his reign, he spent 23 y ...

, referring to the impossibility of cooperating with the chamber.

History

The elections held on 14 August 1815, under census suffrage and the impact of the " White Terror", produced a heavy Ultra-royalist majority: 350 of the 402 members were Ultra-royalists. The "Unobtainable Chamber", which was first assembled on 7 October 1815, was characterized by its zeal in favour of the

aristocracy Aristocracy (; ) is a form of government that places power in the hands of a small, privileged ruling class, the aristocracy (class), aristocrats. Across Europe, the aristocracy exercised immense Economy, economic, Politics, political, and soc ...

and the

clergy Clergy are formal leaders within established religions. Their roles and functions vary in different religious traditions, but usually involve presiding over specific rituals and teaching their religion's doctrines and practices. Some of the ter ...

and aimed at reestablishing the . The banned the display of tricolor flags, voted the establishment of military provost-marshal courts, and banished all of the Conventionnels who had voted for

Louis XVI Louis XVI (Louis-Auguste; ; 23 August 1754 – 21 January 1793) was the last king of France before the fall of the monarchy during the French Revolution. The son of Louis, Dauphin of France (1729–1765), Louis, Dauphin of France (son and heir- ...

's execution. The chamber pursued its militant policy even in defiance of the king himself, proclaiming ("Long live the king, no matter what"). Louis XVIII, confronted with rising discontent in French society, followed the counsels of a group of figures including the liberal leader Élie, duc Decazes; the Duc de Richelieu, prime minister since September 1815; the Duke of Wellington, the British commander of the occupation troops; and the Russian ambassador Pozzo di Borgo, and dissolved the Chamber on 5 September 1816. The subsequent elections resulted in the Ultras being temporarily replaced by the moderate royalist and the more liberal , who attempted to reconcile the Revolution's legacy with the monarchy. When the Ultra-royalists regained their parliamentary majority at the elections of February–March 1824, the resulting chamber was dubbed the , the "Recovered Chamber", in reference to the .

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History

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