27 Facts About Alexandre Isaac

Pierre Alexandre Ildefonse Isaac was a French lawyer who was a left-leaning Senator of Guadeloupe from 1885 until his death in 1899.

Alexandre Isaac was particularly involved in colonial issues, always seeking administration based on justice and humanity.

Alexandre Isaac was one of founding members of the Human Rights League in France.

Pierre Alexandre Ildefonse Isaac was born in Pointe-a-Pitre, Guadeloupe, on 9 January 1845.

Alexandre Isaac came from an influential mulatre family of Pointe-a-Pitre.

Alexandre Isaac was appointed a sub-inspector of registration, and was Director of the Interior of Guadeloupe from 1879 and 1884.

On 1 March 1885 Alexandre Isaac was unanimously elected Senator of Guadeloupe.

Alexandre Isaac voted for establishment of the district ballot, for the Lisbonne law restricting freedom of the press and for the Senate process against General Boulanger.

Alexandre Isaac was a member of the committees on war, the navy and customs, and was a member of special committees to study legal and colonial texts.

Alexandre Isaac was elected Secretary of the Senate in 1892,1893 and 1894.

Alexandre Isaac called for the West Indian colonies to be assimilated legally and administratively as French departments.

Alexandre Isaac was a key speaker at the Congres Colonial International de Paris of 1889.

Alexandre Isaac opposed this view, reminded the audience of the ideals of the French Revolution and said he could not understand how education could be held to be a bad thing.

In 1890 Alexandre Isaac was deeply involved in the discussion of the bill to extend the 1888 bill concerning the Algerian indigenous people.

Alexandre Isaac was a member of a senate committee led by Jules Ferry to overhaul the Algerian organization in 1891, and was one of seven committee members who visited Algeria.

Alexandre Isaac was reelected on 4 February 1894 by 194 out of 286 votes.

Alexandre Isaac was interested in all legal issues, but his main activity was in colonial issues, particularly those of Guadeloupe, the West Indies in general, and Algeria, and always in favour of humane and just administration.

Alexandre Isaac was involved in discussions on colonial administration in general, the boundaries between the French Congo and German Kamerun, formation of a colonial army, judicial organization of the colonies, creation of a Ministry of the Colonies, Annam and Tonkin, annexation of the islands to the leeward of Tahiti and a colonial health service.

Alexandre Isaac visited Senegal in 1894 when Francois Deves was accused of libel, and Alexandre Isaac and Hyacinthe Deves visited French Sudan.

Alexandre Isaac observed that local slavery was still in practice being condoned by the authorities.

Alexandre Isaac wrote to Senegal Governor Henri-Felix de Lamothe about his concerns over arbitrariness, the protectorate system and the judicial system.

The governor was sure that Alexandre Isaac was behind the attacks that two French newspapers made on his administration.

Alexandre Isaac was involved in review of various reports on Algeria issued between 1892 and 1896, and submitted his own report on French and Muslim justice, police and security on 28 February 1895.

Alexandre Isaac issued a report on 15 March 1898 in which he asked the Algerian committee to end the system of attachment that Albert Grevy had started in 1881, and that had been expanded by Louis Tirman between then and 1891.

Alexandre Isaac was one of the first members of the Central Committee of Ligue Des Droits De L'Homme, formed in 1898.

Alexandre Isaac was one of the moderate republicans in the early League, others being the first president, Senator Ludovic Trarieux, and Yves Guyot.

Alexandre Isaac died in office on 5 August 1899 in Vanves, Seine, at the age of 54.