Minister of Commerce and Industry (France)

The Minister of Commerce was a cabinet member in the Government of France. The position sometimes included responsibility for other government departments such as Public Works, Interior, Agriculture and Posts, Telegraphs and Telephones. The position has largely been merged today into the expanded Ministry of the Economy, Finance and Industry.

In 1812 Napoleon created a Ministry of Commerce and Manufacturing (Ministère du Commerce et des Manufactures), which he assigned to Jean-Baptiste Collin de Sussy. That ministry was suppressed in 1814.

A royal ordinance of 22 January 1828 recreated the Ministry of Commerce and Manufacturing, which covered manufacturing and interior and exterior commerce, which were detached from the Ministry of the Interior. The ministry was suppressed by ordinance of 8 August 1829, and these services were again made part of the department of the interior.

An ordinance of 17 March 1831 created the Ministry of Commerce and Public works (Ministère du Commerce et des Travaux publics), to which the minister had been named on 13 March 1831. This ministry included agriculture, subsistence, stud farms, interior and exterior commerce and statistics, detached from the department of the Interior.

A royal ordinance of 6 April 1834 created the Ministry of Commerce (Ministère du Commerce), with the same functions as the Ministry of Commerce and Public works .

An ordinance of 2 March 1836 recreated the Ministry of Commerce and Public works, with the added responsibilities of bridges, roads and mines.

An ordinance of 19 September 1836 changed the name without changing the function, to the Ministère des travaux publics, d'agriculture et du commerce'.

A royal ordinance of 23 May 1839 reconstituted the ministry as Agriculture and Commerce, with the same duties as that of the ordinance of 6 April 1834.

A decree of 25 January 1852 reunited the Ministry of Agriculture and Commerce with that of the Interior, under the title Ministère de l'intérieur, de l'agriculture et du commerce.

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