COURVOISIER (Jean-Joseph-Antoine). - Lot 79

COURVOISIER (Jean-Joseph-Antoine). Besançon, 1775–1835. French lawyer and politician. Autograph letter signed “Courvoisier” to Monnod Desbillar. Baume-les-Dames, April 15, 1834. 2½ pages, small quarto. Address, postmarks, and wax seal under the paper. An interesting letter written in the immediate aftermath of the second Canuts revolt. Courvoisier discusses the situation in Lyon: “…I have learned of the situation in Lyon; I waited to reply to you until the riot there had been suppressed…”, and comments on the possible political consequences, noting that if the Republic had triumphed, certain administrative careers would have been jeopardized. The letter continues with specific advice regarding entry into the civil service, detailing the steps to follow to obtain a position in a ministry and emphasizing the importance of a prior official application: “…it is essential that your application be addressed to him; that is the foundation; my intervention can only be secondary…” This document is of dual interest, serving both as a political account of the 1834 unrest in Lyon and as a concrete insight into the mechanisms for entering civil service careers under the July Monarchy.