Charles Émile Joseph Léon Ferry (23 May 1834–21 July 1909) was a French politician.
Younger brother of Jules Ferry, Charles Ferry was born in Saint-Dié, in the département of Vosges. Charles was a businessman, becoming involved in national politics during the Franco-Prussian War when he served in Paris as aide to Jules Favre, Vice-President of the Government of National Defence.
After the war, Ferry was appointed prefect of Saône-et-Loire, then served as government commissioner in Corsica in October and November 1871, and prefect of Haute-Garonne thereafter until May 1873. Leaving government service, Ferry returned to business and banking.
In 1881 he was elected to the Chamber of Deputies to represent Épinal. He joined his brother in the ranks of the Opportunist Republicans. He served only a single term, not standing for reelection in 1885. He was elected to the Senate in 1888, representing the Vosges department, being replaced by his brother in 1891.
Charles Ferry was returned to the Chamber of Deputies in 1893, representing Saint-Dié. He was reelected in 1898 but defeated in 1902 by Edmond Gérard. Following this defeat Ferry left politics. He died in Paris.
Charles Ferry's son Abel was also a politician.
Famous quotes containing the word ferry:
“What have Massachusetts and the North sent a few sane representatives to Congress for, of late years?... All their speeches put together and boiled down ... do not match for manly directness and force, and for simple truth, the few casual remarks of crazy John Brown on the floor of the Harper’s Ferry engine-house,—that man whom you are about to hang, to send to the other world, though not to represent you there.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)