MÉJAN, Étienne Pierre, Count. - Lot 205

MÉJAN, Étienne Pierre, Count. (Montpellier, February 11, 1766 – Munich, August 19, 1846) Senior civil servant, lawyer, and journalist; contributor to the *Moniteur universel*; Officer of the Legion of Honor. Autograph letter signed “Méjan,” in his capacity as Secretary-General, addressed to Citizen Feneyaux, Senator. Paris, 21 Frimaire, Year X [December 12, 1801]. 1 page, quarto size, on printed letterhead of the Prefecture of the Seine, with a handwritten address and a red wax seal on the reverse. A fine administrative letter, characteristic of the Consulate, written on official letterhead bearing the motto “Liberty—Equality” and the inscription “French Republic, one and indivisible.” Méjan, then Secretary-General, responds promptly to a request from Senator Feneyaux: “I shall attend to the matter of interest to you, putting all other business aside,” offering to issue the requested decree that very day. The tone, both respectful and eager, illustrates how the administrative machinery functioned in Paris in the early 19th century, against a backdrop of increased centralization of power. This document provides insight into Méjan’s administrative career under the Consulate, prior to his defection to the imperial regime and his subsequent role serving Eugène de Beauharnais in Italy. It is also of material interest due to its official letterhead and seal, which were characteristic of administrative correspondence of the time.