Jean-Pierre Rateau is known as author of the Rateau proposal to dissolve the Constituent Assembly before all the organic laws had been passed, this preventing any reduction in the powers of the President Louis Napoleon Bonaparte.
15 Facts About Jean-Pierre Rateau
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Jean-Pierre Rateau studied law and obtained a degree at the Faculty of Paris in 1820.
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Jean-Pierre Rateau joined the bar in Bordeaux on 10 December 1821, and became known as a strong speaker.
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Jean-Pierre Rateau supported the government of Louis-Philippe, but sided with the dynastic opposition in asking for electoral reform to add capabilities.
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Jean-Pierre Rateau represented Charente in the National Constituent Assembly from 23 April 1848 to 26 May 1849.
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Jean-Pierre Rateau was a member of the Justice Committee, and normally voted with the right.
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Jean-Pierre Rateau voted for the restoration of security and physical coercion, for prosecution of Louis Blanc and Marc Caussidiere, against abolition of the death penalty, against the Jules Grevy amendment to suppress the Presidency of the Republic, against the right to work, for the agenda in honor of Louis-Eugene Cavaignac, against reduction of the salt tax, against amnesty, for prohibition of clubs and for credits of the Expedition to Rome to remove the Roman Republic and restore the Pope.
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Jean-Pierre Rateau was the author of the Jean-Pierre Rateau proposal, which was to dissolve the Constituent Assembly before it had drafted and voted on the organic laws.
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Jean-Pierre Rateau proposed that 19 March 1849 be fixed as the date when the Constituent Assembly would be dissolved and replaced by a new Legislative Assembly.
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At the session of 12 January 1849 the Jean-Pierre Rateau proposal was supported by Aurelien de Seze, Charles de Montalembert and Odilon Barrot, Minister of Justice and President of the council.
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The recommendation of the Justice Committee that the Jean-Pierre Rateau proposal be thrown out was put to the vote and rejected by 400 votes to 396, and the proposal remained under consideration.
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The Jean-Pierre Rateau proposal was revived on 29 January 1849, when the recommendation of the committee that the Assembly should pass all the organic laws before dissolution was rejected by 416 votes to 405.
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The Jean-Pierre Rateau proposal was adopted after an amendment proposed by Victor Lanjuinais by 470 votes to 337.
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Jean-Pierre Rateau voted for the Rome expedition and for the Falloux-Parieu law on education.
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Jean-Pierre Rateau was made a Knight of the Legion of Honour in 1873.