Robinson. J ♦ "^ [May 7, 



daily press of Paris, and liis excellent wife (as the fature proved her to be) 

 the almost certain inheritor of a lai'ge estate, tliere was every temptation to 

 him, laboring as he did under the disadvantage of a very delicate constitu- 

 tion, lo spare himself in the future ; but his mind and heart were of that 

 order M'hicli considers nothing done whilst anything remains to be done, 

 for his country and humanity ; and he regarded the advantages attained by 

 him in the prime of life, only as stepping stones to increased usefulness. 



In 1852, as Counsellor of State, Mr. Chevalier was placed in the section 

 of Public Works. 



In 1855, he acted as President of the French section of the World's Ex- 

 position of that year in Paris ; and for the ten years between 1860, in 

 which year, as above observed, he was made Senator, to 1870, when the 

 Empire ceased to exist, he took an important part in all discussions, in and 

 out of the Senate, pertaining to financial and industrial questions. The 

 most signal and important service rendered by him to his country during 

 this period, was the commercial treaty of 1860 between France and 

 England. Of this treaty, his son-in law, Mr. Paul Leroy Beaulieu, a mem- 

 ber of the Institute, and the distiuguished Redacteitr-en-Ghef of the 

 Economiste Franqais, in the number of that Journal of the 6th of De- 

 cember last, says : 



" The conception of the treaty of 1830 was due entirely to Mr. Michel 

 "Chevalier. It was he who of his own sole motion, without any official mis- 

 " sion, went to England to see Cobden and Bright, to propose to them an 

 "arrangement in this way. Cobden had at first some hesitations. A treaty 

 " of commerce appeared to him a compromise, contrary to true econpmical 

 "doctrines. Mr. Michel Chevalier converted him, and then addressed 

 "himself to Mr. Gladstone. Assured of the cooperation of the English 

 " Govei-nmeut, Mr. Chevalier then returned to France, explained his 

 " views to the Emperor, and obtained his support of them. Several of the 

 "Ministers of that date were nevertheless opposed to a step so decisive in 

 "the way of commercial liberty, but Mr. Rouher comprehended the gieat 

 "usefulness and productiveness of the projected treaty of Mr. Chevalier. 

 " Thus this great work, the treaty of 1860, which marks a new evolution 

 " in the economical relations of nations, was in its principles, as well as its 

 "initiation, a private one due to the inspiration of Michel Chevalier and the 

 "adhesion of Richard Cobden. Nearly twenty years have passed upon the 

 "treaty of 1860, twenty years which will be counted as among the most 

 "agitated of History. The War of Secession of the United Slates, the 

 " War of 1886, the French and German War, have disturbed the conditions 

 " of the experiment of commercial liberty. Nevertheless, in spite of all these 

 • ' disturbing elements, all the losses of capital, and all the uncertainties 

 "which have during this period been tlie consequence of these great in- 

 "ternational conflicts, the reform of 1860 has proved to be a beneficent 

 " one ; it has been so to such an extent, that though this treaty has been 

 " denounced for nearly ten years, nothing has yet been found to substitute 

 "it. It has been prorogued from year to year without the power, without 



