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Goudchaux, Michel

The 1901 Jewish Encyclopedia

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French statesman: born at Nancy March 18, 1797; died at Paris Dec. 27, 1862. After having been established for some time as banker in his native town, he settled in Paris in 1826. His reputation for probity and philanthropy won for him the confidence of his coreligionists in Paris, and he was soon elected vice-president of the Central Consistory of France. A democrat by nature and education, Goudchaux was soon involved in the political movements of his time, and became one of the founders of the "National," a paper established in the interests of the working classes. He took an active part in the Revolution of July (1830), and fought at the barricades. In 1831 the government of Louis Philippe appointed him paymaster-general at Strasburg, a position which he resigned in 1834, being dissatisfied with the policy of the government. In 1848, urged by Lamartine and Arago, Goudchaux accepted the portfolio of minister of finance in the provisional government, but resigned his office ten days later. Recalled by General Cavaignac, he remained in the ministry until Dec. 20 of the same year. As the representative of Paris in the Constituent Assembly, he opposed the politics of the Elysée. In 1857 he was elected deputy to the legislature, but did not take his seat because of his refusal to swear allegiance to Napoleon III.