Jean Baptiste Treilhard - French Revolution

French Revolution

Treilhard was elected deputy by the Third Estate of Paris to the Estates-General of 1789, then to the National Constituent Assembly. His most important early role was in the Comité ecclésiastique (Ecclesiastical Committee) where he took the lead in promoting the Civil Constitution of the Clergy, a major reorganization of the Roman Catholic Church (including the suppression of its monasteries and the nationalization of its property). He served one term as President of the National Constituent Assembly (20 July - 1 August 1790).

Ineligible, like all the members of the Constituent Assembly, for the Legislative Assembly, he became president of the criminal tribunal of Paris, but was judged as lacking of firmness.

Elected to the National Convention by the department of Seine-et-Oise, Treilhard was President (27 December 1792 - 10 January 1794) of the National Convention, and in this capacity served as first magistrate during a part of the trial of Louis XVI, in which he voted for death without reprieve.

He was an inaugural member of the Committee of Public Safety (7 April 1793 - 12 June 1793), but was excluded by the Montagnard. He is imprisoned, but will survive the Reign of terror. The July 31, 1794, after 9 Thermidor Year II (27 July 1794), he returned to the Committeeuntil the November 5, 1794. He would serve again from 4 May to 2 August 1795.

Treilhard served on three missions:

• 17 June - 7 August 1793: to Gironde and Lot-et-Garonne, with fellow deputy Mathieu.
• 22 September - 25 November 1793: to Marly (Seine-et-Oise, today Yvelines), with Auguis and Enlart
• 30 December 1794 - 4 April 1795: to Bec-d'Ambes (Gironde) and again the Lot-et-Garonne