Jules Bara
Jules Bara is a Belgian Politician born with Tournai the August 23rd 1835, died with Saint-Jose-ten-Noode the June 26th 1900. He is regarded as a figurehead of the Belgian liberalism.
Formation
His/her father is doctor but the family is numerous and does not live in opulence. After secondary studies with the athenaeum, athenaeum which bears its name since September 1979, it is registered with the Universit3e libre de Bruxelles where it obtains in 1857 the diploma for the occupation of doctor in right and 1859 the title of doctor incorporated after having defended a thesis on “the reports/ratios of the State and the religions from the constitutional point of view”. The following year, he is professor with the ULB and occupies a notable place with the bar of Brussels.
Political career
The liberals tournaisiens notice it and make of him them candidate to the legislative elections of 1862. At twenty-seven years, Jules Bara is Député and until in 1894 will remain it, date on which it will become Senator. He was twice Minister for Justice (of 1865 with 1870 and of 1878 with 1884).During its first ministry, Bara deposits new a penal code, a military penal code, several chapters of the Commercial law. It regulates also the legal organization. On these two points, the conservatism of the Sénat prevents reforms.
The November 28th 1866, Bara files in a bill abolishing the Civil imprisonment ; the Senate opposes it with obstinacy. Partisan of the abolition of the Capital punishment, it cannot make triumph his point of view, but in practice, it with satisfaction to see the king using of his right of reprieve.
After the victory of its party to the elections of 1878, it forms part of the cabinet naturally. The wallet of justice is again entrusted to him. During six years, Jules Bara makes a war with blows of pin to the Clergé.
He deals with the essential work of the government, the school reform. Adversary for a long time of the law of 1842, it supports the efforts of Brother-Orban and Pierre Van Humbeeck. It files in particular the bill on the parliamentary inquiries which allows the school proposal for an investigation of 1880.
As for its legal work, it charges professor Laurent with the revision of the civil code. In 1883, it succeeds in making optional the booklets of workmen. The obligatory booklet was a manifestation of the legal inferiority of the workmen. This obligation had been introduced under the mode French by the law of the 22 germinal-2 floréal year XI. This law, “relating to manufactures, factories and workshops” established inter alia a certain number of rules concerning the “obligations between the workmen and those which employ them”. The goal of the booklets was to provide to the owners a process to guard itself against the workmen who would leave their work without to have achieved all their engagements.
Arrive 1884, “the terrible year of liberalism”. The fall of the government is caused by the effects of the law Van Humbeeck on the primary education (by which the liberals laicized teaching). Consequently, the ministerial career of Bara is completed. At forty-nine years, it leaves the capacity forever, at the moment when Léopold II names it Minister of state the June 8th 1884.
He is opposed a long time to the personal service and its worship of freedom makes him condemn encasernement generalized and prolonged. It is not either in favor of the Colonisation of the Congo.
In June 1900, the Bara lawyer prepares to put an important case; the Guerre of Boers makes rage in South Africa. A lawsuit concerning the railroads of the Transvaal is opened with Brussels.
Bara does not see the verdict of it: the June 20th, it is struck of a Stroke.
Analyzes
Its engagements were underlain by a key idea: to ensure the independence of the State and the civil capacity with respect to the Churches and more particularly the Catholic church. The school is, in this combat, one of the major stakes. With his/her friends, the doctrinary liberals, Jules Bara defends the public school. But he also battles to ensure the unbelievers a worthy burial and sought to reduce the material position of the Church. It is imagined easily that the catholics did not forgive him its initiatives: besides the press of the time reflects the virulence of the political struggles which shook the country.
See too
- school War
- Liberal party (Belgium)