Jean Antoine Ernest Constans

From Freepedia

Jean Antoine Ernest Constans (1833–1913) was a French statesman.

He was born in Béziers, and began his career as professor of law. In 1876 he was elected deputy for Toulouse, and sat in the Left Centre as one of the 363 of May 16 1877. Re-elected in October 1877, he joined Louis de Freycinet as minister of the interior in May 1880, holding this portfolio until November 14 1881. On February 22 1889 he assumed the same office in Pierre Tirard's cabinet.

He became prominent as a stalwart opponent of the Boulangist party, constituting the senate a high court of justice, and taking police measures against the Ligue des patriotes. He resigned on March 1 1890, but his resignation involved the fall of the cabinet, and he resumed his portfolio in the Freycinet cabinet on March 11.

On December 29 1889 he was elected senator by the department of the Haute-Garonne. He was violently attacked by the press and the Boulangist deputies, but did not resign until the whole cabinet withdrew, on February 26 1892. In December 1898 he was appointed ambassador at Constantinople.

This article incorporates text from the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica, which is in the public domain.