OBITUARY.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1835, 22 August 1913, Page 7

OBITUARY.

M. OLLIVIER, EX-FRENCH PPEMIER. By TeloEraph—Press Association -OopyrlEM Paris, August 20. M. Olivier Eniilo Ollivior, the French statesman, is (trad. M. Olivier Emile Ollivior was born at Marseilles in July, 1525. After some years spent ill tlio Civil Service, lie entered political life, and joined t.lio Constitutional Opposition, forming-, with- others, the group knoiyii as Lcs Cinq, which wrung from Napoleon 111 somo concessions in tho direction of Constitutional Government. He gradually separated himself from his old associates, and during the ses/lon of ISGIi-07 formed a third party, which definitely supported the principle of a Liberal 'Empire. In 18117 he was offered, but declined, the Ministry of Education. When Hon,her was dismissed in tho last week of 18G9, a responsible Ministry was formed, of which Oilivisr was really Premier, although that oftice was not nominally recognised by the Constitution. 01livier was in officii wlien the Franco-Prus-sian dispute that ended ill i'lifl disastrous war of 1870-71 arose. Ho was outmanoeuvred by Bismarck, and ceceptedtho responsibility of the war "with a light heart"—saying that tho war had been forced oil France. On the news* of tho first disaster to the French, liis Cabinet was driven from office, and 'ho sought refugo in Italy, lieturning to France in 1873, lie- again entered the political arena, but his power was gone.