A senator for life (french: sénateur inamovible) was an honorary position in the

French Third Republic The French Third Republic (french: Troisième République, sometimes written as ) was the system of government adopted in France from 4 September 1870, when the Second French Empire collapsed during the Franco-Prussian War, until 10 July 19 ...

, similar to that of senator for life in other countries. At one time the

French Senate The Senate (french: Sénat, ) is the upper house of the French Parliament, with the lower house being the National Assembly, the two houses constituting the legislature of France. The French Senate is made up of 348 senators (''sénateurs'' a ...

was composed of 300 members, of whom 75 were ''inamovible'' ("unremovable").

History

Under the law of 24 February 1875 on the organization of the Senate, there were 300 members of whom 225 were elected by the departments and colonies, and 75 were elected by the National Assembly. The 75 were elected by list and by an absolute majority of votes, and were irremovable, like the members of the Chamber of Peers under the Bourbon Restoration and the

July Monarchy The July Monarchy (french: Monarchie de Juillet), officially the Kingdom of France (french: Royaume de France), was a liberal constitutional monarchy in France under , starting on 26 July 1830, with the July Revolution of 1830, and ending 23 F ...

. If a senator for life died or resigned, the Senate would elect a replacement within two months. By the law of 10 December 1884 appointment of immovable senators ceased and the immovable senators gradually disappeared. Émile Deshayes de Marcère, the last surviving ''sénateur inamovible'', died in 1918. Overall there were 116 lifetime senators. The first 75 had been appointed by the National Assembly and the remaining 41 by the Senate itself. Notable immovable senators included Gaston Audiffret-Pasquier, first president of the Senate; the scientist

Marcellin Berthelot Pierre Eugène Marcellin Berthelot (; 25 October 1827 – 18 March 1907) was a French chemist and Republican politician noted for the ThomsenBerthelot principle of thermochemistry. He synthesized many organic compounds from inorganic substa ...

, who became minister of public education and then minister of foreign affairs; Monseigneur Dupanloup;

Jules Grévy François Judith Paul Grévy (15 August 1807 – 9 September 1891), known as Jules Grévy (), was a French lawyer and politician who served as President of France from 1879 to 1887. He was a leader of the Moderate Republicans, and given that hi ...

, elected President of the Republic in 1879; Louis Martel, elected President of the Senate in 1879; Elie Le Royer, elected President of the Senate in 1882;

Auguste Scheurer-Kestner Auguste Scheurer-Kestner (11 February 1833 in Mulhouse (Haut Rhin) – 19 September 1899 in Bagnères-de-Luchon (Haute Garonne)) was a chemist, industrialist, a Protestant and an Alsatian politician. He was the uncle by marriage of the wife ...

, the defender of Alfred Dreyfus; the abolitionist

Victor Schœlcher Victor Schœlcher (; 22 July 1804 – 25 December 1893) was a French abolitionist, writer, politician and journalist, best known for his leading role in the abolition of slavery in France in 1848, during the Second Republic. Early life Schœlche ...

and the statesman

Henri-Alexandre Wallon Henri-Alexandre Wallon (23 December 1812 – 13 November 1904) was a French historian and statesman whose decisive contribution to the creation of the Third Republic led him to be called the "Father of the Republic". He was the grandfather of psy ...

. In 2005, there was questioning about the status of former Presidents of the Republic. According to the constitution of the Fifth Republic, former presidents are ''de jure'' members of the Constitutional Council, which poses a problem of possible partiality. Some members of Parliament and commentators suggested that it should be replaced by a life membership in the Senate. This proposal was, however, not enacted.

List of life senators

The senators for life were: *

Antoine Adam Antoine is a French given name (from the Latin ''Antonius'' meaning 'highly praise-worthy') that is a variant of Danton, Titouan, D'Anton and Antonin. The name is used in France, Switzerland, Belgium, Canada, West Greenland, Haiti, French Guiana ...

Édouard Allou Édouard is both a French given name and a surname, equivalent to Edward in English. Notable people with the name include: * Édouard Balladur (born 1929), French politician * Édouard Boubat (1923–1999), French photographer * Édouard Colonne ...

* Gaston Audiffret-Pasquier *

Louis d'Aurelle de Paladines Louis Jean-Baptiste d'Aurelle de Paladines (9 January 1804 – 17 December 1877) was a French general. Life He was born at Le Malzieu-Ville, Lozère, educated at the Prytanée National Militaire and St Cyr, and entered the army as sub-lieu ...

Camille Bachasson de Montalivet Camille may refer to: Fictional entities * a Power Rangers Jungle Fury character * Camille Wallaby, a character in Alfred Hedgehog * a character from ''League of Legends'' video game voiced by Emily O'Brien Films *'' Camille (1912 film)'', a ...

Numa Baragnon Nuclear mitotic apparatus protein 1 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the ''NUMA1'' gene. Interactions Nuclear mitotic apparatus protein 1 has been shown to interact with PIM1, Band 4.1, GPSM2 G-protein-signaling modulator 2, also call ...

Agénor Bardoux Agénor Bardoux (15 January 1829, Bourges, Cher23 November 1897, Paris) was a French statesman and republican, son of Jacques Bardoux ( Moulins, 3 February 1795Clermont-Ferrand, 8 January 1871) and wife Thérèse Pignet ( Limoges, 6 April 1807 S ...

Ferdinand Barrot Ferdinand Victorin Barrot (10 January 1806 – 12 November 1883) was a French Bonapartist politician who carried the portfolio of Interior Minister of France, 31 October 1849 to 15 March 1850. Biography Born in Paris, the son of Jean-André Bar ...

Jules Barthélemy-Saint-Hilaire Jules Barthélemy-Saint-Hilaire (19 August 1805 – 24 November 1895) was a French philosopher, journalist, statesman, and possible illegitimate son of Napoleon I of France. Biography Jules was born in Paris. Marie Belloc Lowndes, in th ...

Jean Didier Baze Jean may refer to: People * Jean (female given name) * Jean (male given name) * Jean (surname) Fictional characters * Jean Grey, a Marvel Comics character * Jean Valjean, fictional character in novel ''Les Misérables'' and its adaptations * J ...

* René Bérenger * Alfred Bertauld *

* Jean-Baptiste Billot *

Paul Broca Pierre Paul Broca (, also , , ; 28 June 1824 – 9 July 1880) was a French physician, anatomist and anthropologist. He is best known for his research on Broca's area, a region of the frontal lobe that is named after him. Broca's area is involve ...

* Lucien Brun * Louis Buffet * Marc-Antoine Calmon * Jean-Baptiste Campenon * Joseph de Carayon Latour *

Hippolyte Carnot Lazare Hippolyte Carnot (6 October 1801, Saint-Omer – 16 March 1888) was a French politician. He was the younger brother of the founder of thermodynamics Sadi Carnot and the second son of the revolutionary politician and general Lazare Nicol ...

* Auguste Casimir-Perier *

Jules Cazot Jules-Théodore-Joseph Cazot (11 February 1821 – 27 November 1912) was a French politician of the French Third Republic. He was a member of the National Assembly (1871), National Assembly of 1871. He was a Senators for life in France, senator fo ...

* François de Chabaud-Latour * Bertrand de Chabron * Paul de Chadois *

Nicolas Anne Théodule Changarnier Nicolas Anne Theodule Changarnier (26 April 1793 – 14 February 1877), French general, was born at Autun, Saône-et-Loire. Educated at Saint-Cyr, he served for a short time in the bodyguard of Louis XVIII, and entered the line as a lieut ...

* Antoine Chanzy * Joseph de Chareton * Charles Chesnelong * Jean-Jules Clamargeran * Joseph d'Haussonville * Anthime Corbon * Alphonse Cordier * Hyacinthe Corne * Hippolyte de Cornulier-Lucinière *

Ernest Courtot de Cissey Ernest Louis Octave Courtot de Cissey (; 1810–1882) was a French general and Prime Minister. de Cissey was born in Paris, educated at the Prytanée National Militaire and, after passing through St Cyr, entered the army in 1832, becoming capt ...

Adolphe Crémieux Isaac-Jacob Adolphe Crémieux (; 30 April 1796 – 10 February 1880) was a French lawyer and politician who served as Minister of Justice under the Second Republic (1848) and Government of National Defense (1870–1871). He served as presiden ...

* Ernest Denormandie *

Émile Deschanel Émile Auguste Étienne Martin Deschanel (19 November 1819, Paris – 26 January 1904, Paris) was a French author and politician, the father of Paul Deschanel, the 11th President of the French Republic. His works include: ''Études sur Arist ...

* Émile Deshayes de Marcère * Henry Didier * Charles Dietz-Monnin * Guillaume-Ferdinand de Douhet * Eugène Duclerc *

Jules Armand Dufaure Jules Armand Stanislas Dufaure (; 4 December 1798 – 28 June 1881) was a French statesman. Biography Dufaure was born at Saujon, Charente-Maritime, and began his career as an advocate at Bordeaux, where he won a great reputation by his oratoric ...

* Jean-Baptiste Dumon *

Félix Dupanloup Mgr. Félix Antoine Philibert Dupanloup (3 January 180211 October 1878) was a French ecclesiastic. He was among the leaders of Liberal Catholicism in France. Biography Dupanloup was born at Saint-Félix, in Haute-Savoie, an illegitimate son of ...

Henri Dupuy de Lôme Stanislas Charles Henri Dupuy de Lôme (; 15 October 18161 February 1885) was a French naval architect. He was the son of a naval officer and was born in Ploemeur near Lorient, Brittany, in western France. He was educated at the École Polytechn ...

* Jean-Joseph Farre * Paul Foubert * Émile Fourcand * Martin Fourichon * Charles Frébault * Louis Gaulthier de Rumilly *

Eugène Goüin Eugène Goüin (1818 – 1909 in Paris) was a French banker and politician. Life Son of the minister Alexandre Goüin, he was member of the municipal council of Tours from 1848 and president of the Tribunal (1856–1879) and Chamber of Commerce ...

* Théodore Grandperret * Henri Greffulhe * Henri François Xavier Gresley * Albert Grévy * Léonce Guilhaud de Lavergne * Gustave Humbert * Bernard Jauréguiberry *

Benjamin Jaurès Admiral Constant Louis Jean Benjamin Jaurès (3 February 1823 – 13 March 1889) was a French Navy officer and politician. Born in Albi, Tarn, he was a senator for life and active in Japan during the 1863 Shimonoseki campaign and the Bosh ...

* Charles Kolb-Bernard * Sébastien Krantz *

Léon Lalanne Léon Louis Lalanne (; real surname: Chrétien-Lalanne; 3 July 1811 – 12 March 1892) was a French engineer and politician. Life Lalanne was born in Paris on 3 July 1811, as Léon Louis Chrétien, the son of François Julien Léon Chrétien, a ph ...

* Pierre Lanfrey * Roger de Larcy * Jules de Lasteyrie du Saillant *

Léon Laurent-Pichat Leon, Léon (French) or León (Spanish) may refer to: Places Europe * León, Spain, capital city of the Province of León * Province of León, Spain * Kingdom of León, an independent state in the Iberian Peninsula from 910 to 1230 and again fro ...

Édouard René de Laboulaye __NOTOC__ Édouard René Lefèbvre de Laboulaye (; 18 January 1811 – 25 May 1883) was a French jurist, poet, author and anti-slavery activist. In 1865, he originated the idea of a monument presented by the French people to the United States th ...

* Oscar de La Fayette *

Victor Lefranc Bernard Edme Victor Etienne Lefranc (3 February 1809 – 12 September 1883), French lawyer and politician, moderate republican, was under the French Third Republic Minister of Agriculture and Trade, then Interior Minister. Life Victor Lefranc w ...

* John Lemoinne * Alphonse Lepetit * Élie Le Royer * Charles Letellier-Valazé *

Émile Littré Émile Maximilien Paul Littré (; 1 February 18012 June 1881) was a French lexicographer, freemason and philosopher, best known for his '' Dictionnaire de la langue française'', commonly called . Biography Littré was born in Paris. His fathe ...

* Hippolyte de Lorgeril * Victor Luro *

Jean Macé Jean François Macé (22 August 1815 in Paris – 13 December 1894 in Monthiers) was a French educator, journalist, active freemason and politician. He was perhaps best known as the founder of Ligue de l'enseignement ''La Ligue de l'enseig ...

* Pierre-Joseph Magnin * Léon de Maleville * Guillaume de Maleville * Louis Martel *

Louis Raymond de Montaignac de Chauvance Louis Raymond marquis de Montaignac de Chauvance (11 March 1811, Paris – 9 June 1891, Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimate ...

* Paul Morin * Jules Pajot * Charles Paul Alexandre de Pasquier de Franclieu *

Eugène Pelletan Pierre Clément Eugène Pelletan (29 October 1813 – 13 December 1884) was a French writer, journalist and politician. Born in Royan, Charente-Maritime, Eugène Pelletan was an associate of Lamartine, but refused an appointment to the office i ...

* Alexandre Peyron *

Ernest Picard Louis Joseph Ernest Picard (24 December 1821 – 13 May 1877) was a French politician. Life Louis Joseph Ernest Picard was born in Paris. After taking his doctorate in law in 1846 he joined the Parisian bar. Elected to the ''corps législatif'' i ...

* Ernest Poictevin de La Rochette * Louis Pierre Alexis Pothau *

Edmond de Pressensé Edmond Dehault de Pressensé (7 January 18248 April 1891) was a French Protestant religious leader. Biography He was born at Paris, and studied at Lausanne under Alexandre Vinet. He went on to the University of Halle as a pupil of Friedrich Augu ...

* Germain Rampont * Charles Renouard * Amable Ricard * Édouard Roger du Nord * Hervé de Saisy de Kérampuil *

Edmond Henri Adolphe Schérer Edmond Henri Adolphe Schérer (April 8, 1815March 16, 1889) was a French theologian, critic and politician. Biography He was born in Paris. After a course of legal studies, he spent several years in theological study at Strasbourg, where he grad ...

Jules Simon Jules François Simon (; 31 December 1814 – 8 June 1896) was a French statesman and philosopher, and one of the leaders of the Moderate Republicans in the Third French Republic. Biography Simon was born at Lorient. His father was a linen-dra ...

* Achille Testelin * Antoine Théry *

Pierre Tirard Pierre Emmanuel Tirard (; 27 September 1827 – 4 November 1893) was a French politician. Biography He was born to French parents in Geneva, Switzerland. After studying in his native town, Tirard became a civil engineer. After five years of go ...

Hippolyte Clérel de Tocqueville In Classical Greek mythology, Hippolyta, or Hippolyte (; grc-gre, Ἱππολύτη ''Hippolytē'') was a daughter of Ares and Otrera, queen of the Amazons, and a sister of Antiope and Melanippe. She wore her father Ares' ''zoster'', the Gr ...

* Bernard-Louis Calouin de Tréville * Louis Tribert * Oscar de Vallée * Étienne de Voisins-Lavernière *

* Louis Wolowski *

Charles Adolphe Wurtz Charles Adolphe Wurtz (; 26 November 181710 May 1884) was an Alsatian French chemist. He is best remembered for his decades-long advocacy for the atomic theory and for ideas about the structures of chemical compounds, against the skeptical opinio ...

References

Sources

* * * * *

History

List of life senators

References

Sources

Further reading