Pierre Victor, baron Malouet

Pierre -Victor Malouet ( born February 11, 1740 in Riom, † September 7, 1814 in Paris) was during the Ancien Régime, a high royal official in the colonies and the naval administration. At the beginning of the French Revolution he was one of the leaders of the moderate monarchists in the Constituent Assembly. He was forced to emigrate, returned to Napoleon returned to France and was under Louis XVIII. Secretary of the Navy.

Life

He was the son of a lawyer. At first he toyed with the idea in an order to enter, but then studied law. He also wrote poems and comedies. After finishing his studies, he took a job at the French embassy in Lisbon. After the dismissal of the local ambassador, he returned with this back to France and joined the management of the army. After the peace agreement of 1763, he joined the Navy and became Commissioner in Rochefort. There he was to prepare for the crossing of settlers to Guiana. In 1767 he was sent to Santo Domingo. A year later he was there naval intendant. During this time he also began to write again. In the five years in the colonies, he gathered information that he used later in a book about the administration of the colonies. He married and acquired several sugar cane plantations.

In 1774 Malouet returned to France. For a short time he served as secretary of the King's sister, before he was sent to Cayenne to help the colony to an upswing. The number of settlers has increased and the colony are brought to prosperity. When he wanted to return to the beginning of the war with Great Britain in 1779 to France, his ship was captured and brought to England Malouet. A short time later, he was released again. In 1780, he was Director General Navy in Toulon.

He was elected to the Third Estate in Riom in the Estates General of 1789. He called for reforms along the lines of Britain. Overall, he was a spokesman of the moderate monarchists. Although he has also called for the union of the three estates, but as the Third Estate declared itself a National Assembly, he disagreed vehemently. In the constitutional debate, he has advocated the introduction of Suspensivvetos but refused to accept the Declaration of Human Rights. After the train of women Mark ( Poissarden ) to Versailles in early October 1789, he lamented the incitement of the people against individual Members. He was attacked at this time often. The desire for a censorship of the incendiary writings has defied even Mirabeau. A short time later, but he has supported Malouet against the accusations of a commission of inquiry. He has his hand involved in the criticism of Jean Paul Marat. He also brought by a decree against Camille Desmoulins.

Given the turmoil he pleaded early 1790 in favor of giving the King temporarily comprehensive skills. In a fierce debate that application was rejected. Under restrictions he was ready for a nationalization of church property. The paper money of the assignats he refused. Counter the growing influence of the Jacobins, he and other officials of the club. From the public he was considered Monarchistenklub and was a short time later forced to dissolve.

Even after the flight to Varennes, he remained a supporter of a constitutional monarchy. He allied himself with Guillaume Thomas François Raynal. Louis XVI. put more and more confidence in Malouet. In 1792 he escaped with difficulty the September Massacres and fled to England. There he published a paper in defense of the king. His offer to defend Louis XVI. return, remained. In exile, he published his Letters on the Revolution.

In 1801 he returned to France. He worked again for the Maritime Administration and was commissioned with the expansion of the port of Antwerp. For health reasons, he asked for his removal. After use elsewhere he became in 1810 a member of the State Council. However, he retired to the displeasure of Napoleon. He lost his position in 1812 and was banished from Paris. He lived on a worst obstacle him good. After the Restoration he re-entered the Navy Department and was shortly afterwards Louis XVIII. appointed Secretary of the Navy. A few months later he died.

Works

• Description of the West Indian island of San Domingo. Weimar, 1808 Digitalisat
• Letters on the Revolution. Leipzig, 1793 Digitalisat