DESCHAMPS (Frédéric) and other signatories - Lot 321

DESCHAMPS (Frédéric) and other signatories Collective manuscript signed, Déville-lès-Rouen, April 8, 1862, 2 folio pages, numerous autograph signatures. Rare legal and political consultation drafted on the eve of the legislative elections of the Second Empire. The document was written by a group of notables from Rouen, including Frédéric Deschamps, former President of the Bar, surrounded by several members of the Conseil de l'Ordre, magistrates and jurists from the region. The text responds to a question concerning the determination of the number of deputies to be elected to the Corps législatif. The signatories examine whether this number should be calculated on the basis of the electoral roll or the results of the general population census. After extensive legal argumentation, they conclude that elector status derives from civil law and constitutional provisions, irrespective of any imperfections or omissions that may affect the electoral rolls. This opinion is based in particular on the interpretation of the organic decree of February 2, 1852 and the principles governing universal suffrage introduced under the imperial regime. The authors argue that the census population is the only reliable basis for determining national representation, and denounce the inevitable inaccuracies of local electoral rolls. The document is dated Déville, April 8, 1862, and is of particular interest for the history of electoral law under the Second Empire. It bears witness to the debates sparked by the practical application of universal male suffrage a few years after its re-establishment. At the bottom of the text are the signatures of several leading figures from the Normandy bar and judiciary, including : * Frédéric Deschamps, former President of the Bar ; * H. Le Marié, President of the Bar; * Demeaux, former President of the Bar, member of the Council; * Pouyer, Council member; * A. Feuillet, Council member; * as well as several other jurists and local notables. The second sheet also contains a list of the names of the signatories, together with various autograph signatures. An important account of the history of universal suffrage and electoral institutions under Napoleon III, featuring a significant number of signatures by 19th-century Norman jurists. Condition: good condition; original folds; some foxing and slight handling marks; signatures well preserved.