Jan Kappeyne van de Coppello
Encyclopedia
Joannes Kappeyne van de Coppello (The Hague
, 2 October 1822 – The Hague
, 28 July 1895) was a Dutch
liberal
politician. He was prime minister of the Netherlands between 1877 and 1879.
of the Hague and taught Greek, as secondary education. Guillaume Groen van Prinsterer
, a prominent Protestant-Christian politician, became his guardian after the death of his father in 1840. In that year he began to study Roman
and contemporary law
at the University of Leiden. In 1845 he became lawyer in the Hague. In 1860 Kappeyne was elected into the city council of the Hague, as a liberal
.
F. de Casembroot.
In 1871 he was elected into the House of Representatives as a liberal for Haarlem
, defeating the conservative W. van Golstein. In the 1875 elections he defeat the conservative M.J. van Lennep. He was political leader of the liberals between 1876 and 1877. In parliament he was known for his comical amendments.
In 1877 Kappeneye was formateur
of a liberal cabinet. Kappeyne became minister of Home Affairs, and he gave up his seat in parliament. He was appointed chairperson of the council of ministers (de facto prime minister), formally temporarily, but he was the political leader of the cabinet.
As minister he enacted important laws, such as a new law on primary education. This law put higher demands on the quality of school buildings and the pay and education of teachers. This raised the financial burdens of primary schools, only public schools received state subsidies however. Religious schools, which were not able to sustain the financial burdens, were in effect forbidden. This led to staunch opposition of anti-revolutionary and catholic
members of parliament, and a citizen's petition. Kappeyene however did not change his mind.
On 10 June 1879 the law on the channels which he proposed was rejected by parliament. Kappeyne asked the King to dismiss him. King William III
refused however. On 2 July, he asked the King to allow a constitutional revision, William III refused, and Kappeyne asked the King to dismiss him again, and William III finally dismissed Kappeyne. Behind the fall of the Kappeyne cabinet lay a conflict between the factions of the progressive liberals and the more moderate liberals.
by the liberal J.G. Gleichman, in 1883 in Amsterdam by the liberal-conservative A. Gildemeester, and in 1884 by the liberal J. Duijvis. He remained lawyer until his death in 1895. In this period he refused a request by the University of Leiden to become honorary professor of law.
In 1888 Kappeyne was elected into the Senate as a liberal for North Holland
. In the Senate, Kappeyne took a more conservative course as he had previously done and remained a backbencher.
The Hague
The Hague is the capital city of the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. With a population of 500,000 inhabitants , it is the third largest city of the Netherlands, after Amsterdam and Rotterdam...
, 2 October 1822 – The Hague
The Hague
The Hague is the capital city of the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. With a population of 500,000 inhabitants , it is the third largest city of the Netherlands, after Amsterdam and Rotterdam...
, 28 July 1895) was a Dutch
Politics of the Netherlands
The politics of the Netherlands take place within the framework of a parliamentary representative democracy, a constitutional monarchy and a decentralised unitary state. The Netherlands is described as a consociational state...
liberal
Liberalism
Liberalism is the belief in the importance of liberty and equal rights. Liberals espouse a wide array of views depending on their understanding of these principles, but generally, liberals support ideas such as constitutionalism, liberal democracy, free and fair elections, human rights,...
politician. He was prime minister of the Netherlands between 1877 and 1879.
Career before politics
After attending the public primary school Outercourt in the Hague, Kappeyne was home schooled by his father, who was rector of the gymnasiumGymnasium (school)
A gymnasium is a type of school providing secondary education in some parts of Europe, comparable to English grammar schools or sixth form colleges and U.S. college preparatory high schools. The word γυμνάσιον was used in Ancient Greece, meaning a locality for both physical and intellectual...
of the Hague and taught Greek, as secondary education. Guillaume Groen van Prinsterer
Guillaume Groen van Prinsterer
Guillaume Groen van Prinsterer , Dutch politician and historian, was born at Voorburg, near the Hague.-Overview:...
, a prominent Protestant-Christian politician, became his guardian after the death of his father in 1840. In that year he began to study Roman
Roman law
Roman law is the legal system of ancient Rome, and the legal developments which occurred before the 7th century AD — when the Roman–Byzantine state adopted Greek as the language of government. The development of Roman law comprises more than a thousand years of jurisprudence — from the Twelve...
and contemporary law
Law
Law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
at the University of Leiden. In 1845 he became lawyer in the Hague. In 1860 Kappeyne was elected into the city council of the Hague, as a liberal
Liberalism
Liberalism is the belief in the importance of liberty and equal rights. Liberals espouse a wide array of views depending on their understanding of these principles, but generally, liberals support ideas such as constitutionalism, liberal democracy, free and fair elections, human rights,...
.
Political career
In 1862 Kappeyne was elected into the Dutch House of Representatives as a liberal for the Hague. He was elected on a 'Puttian' ticket. Fransen van de Putte, who was a minister at the time, wanted to steer a more conservative colonial course. In the 1866 elections he was defeated by the conservativeConservatism
Conservatism is a political and social philosophy that promotes the maintenance of traditional institutions and supports, at the most, minimal and gradual change in society. Some conservatives seek to preserve things as they are, emphasizing stability and continuity, while others oppose modernism...
F. de Casembroot.
In 1871 he was elected into the House of Representatives as a liberal for Haarlem
Haarlem
Haarlem is a municipality and a city in the Netherlands. It is the capital of the province of North Holland, the northern half of Holland, which at one time was the most powerful of the seven provinces of the Dutch Republic...
, defeating the conservative W. van Golstein. In the 1875 elections he defeat the conservative M.J. van Lennep. He was political leader of the liberals between 1876 and 1877. In parliament he was known for his comical amendments.
In 1877 Kappeneye was formateur
Formateur
A formateur is a politician who is appointed by the head of state to lead the formation of a coalition government, after either a general election or the collapse of a previous government. The role of the formateur is especially important in the politics of Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg,...
of a liberal cabinet. Kappeyne became minister of Home Affairs, and he gave up his seat in parliament. He was appointed chairperson of the council of ministers (de facto prime minister), formally temporarily, but he was the political leader of the cabinet.
As minister he enacted important laws, such as a new law on primary education. This law put higher demands on the quality of school buildings and the pay and education of teachers. This raised the financial burdens of primary schools, only public schools received state subsidies however. Religious schools, which were not able to sustain the financial burdens, were in effect forbidden. This led to staunch opposition of anti-revolutionary and catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
members of parliament, and a citizen's petition. Kappeyene however did not change his mind.
On 10 June 1879 the law on the channels which he proposed was rejected by parliament. Kappeyne asked the King to dismiss him. King William III
William III of the Netherlands
William III was from 1849 King of the Netherlands and Grand Duke of Luxembourg until his death and the Duke of Limburg until the abolition of the Duchy in 1866.-Early life:William was born in Brussels as son of William II of the Netherlands and...
refused however. On 2 July, he asked the King to allow a constitutional revision, William III refused, and Kappeyne asked the King to dismiss him again, and William III finally dismissed Kappeyne. Behind the fall of the Kappeyne cabinet lay a conflict between the factions of the progressive liberals and the more moderate liberals.
Career after politics
In 1879 he returned to his lawyer's office in the Hague. But Kappeyne attempted to gain a seat in parliament in the 1880, 1883 and 1884 elections, he was however defeated every time. In 1880 he was defeated over the district of AmsterdamAmsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
by the liberal J.G. Gleichman, in 1883 in Amsterdam by the liberal-conservative A. Gildemeester, and in 1884 by the liberal J. Duijvis. He remained lawyer until his death in 1895. In this period he refused a request by the University of Leiden to become honorary professor of law.
In 1888 Kappeyne was elected into the Senate as a liberal for North Holland
North Holland
North Holland |West Frisian]]: Noard-Holland) is a province situated on the North Sea in the northwest part of the Netherlands. The provincial capital is Haarlem and its largest city is Amsterdam.-Geography:...
. In the Senate, Kappeyne took a more conservative course as he had previously done and remained a backbencher.
Miscellaneous facts
- He was seen as an amusing debater, a workaholic and a skilled lawyer;
- The name Kappeyne, which was his great-grandmother's (Gerardina Maria Kappeyne), was added in 1811 to the name Van de Coppello by his father, Johannes Kappeyne van de Coppello;
- He was known to work in the night until dawn, preferably in his negliceé lying on the floor of the living room, surrounded by books and papers;
- Kappeyne did not care particularly for clothes and appearances, he often looked ragtag;
- He was made Knight in the Order of the Dutch LionOrder of the Dutch LionThe Order of the Netherlands Lion is an order of the Netherlands which was first created on 29 September 1815 by King William I of the Netherlands....
in 1874 and he was promoted to Commander in the order of the Dutch Lion in 1878; - Kappeyne remained unmarried;
- He was a member of the Dutch Reformed churchDutch Reformed ChurchThe Dutch Reformed Church was a Reformed Christian denomination in the Netherlands. It existed from the 1570s to 2004, the year it merged with the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in the Kingdom of the Netherlands to form the Protestant Church in the...
.