100 LAFAYETTE COLLEGE pus in the faubourg St. Antoine. See "Eu- logy on Lafayette, delivered in Faneuil Hall, Sept. 6, 1834," by Edward Everett ; and Me- moires et manuscrits de Lafayette, published by his family (6 vols. 8vo, Paris, 1837-'8). There are numerous biographies of him, both in French and English. LAFAYETTE COLLEGE, an institution of learn- ing at Easton, Pa., chartered in 1826. Situated in the great mining and manufacturing region of Pennsylvania, the college has special facili- ties for affording a scientific and industrial education. Besides the usual classical course, there is a general course in science, and the following special courses of four years each : 1, engineering, civil, topographical, and me- chanical; 2, mining engineering and metal- lurgy; 3, chemistry. The "working sec- tions " afford opportunities for combining theoretical instruction with practical opera- tions in road and mining engineering, metal- lurgy and mineralogy, and chemistry. Post- graduate courses are also provided. Of the several college buildings, the most imposing is Pardee hall, completed in 1873, for $he use of the Pardee scientific department, through the munificence of Mr. Ario Pardee of Hazleton, Pa., whose gifts to the college amount to near- ly $500,000. It is constructed of Trenton brown stone, with trimmings of light Ohio sandstone, and consists of a central building five stories high, 53 ft. front and 86 ft. deep, and a wing on each side 61 by 31 ft., four stories high; the whole terminating in two cross wings 42 ft. front and 84 ft. deep, ma- king the front of the entire structure 256 ft. In 1874 there were 280 students and 28 in- structors, of whom 16 were professors and 3 assistant professors. The college has valu- able collections and apparatus, and a library of 8,200 volumes. LA FERE, a town of France, in the depart- ment of Aisne, at the confluence of the Serre and the Oise, 13 m. N. W. of Laon ; pop. in 1866, 3,122. It is strongly fortified, and has a school and bureau of artillery, an arsenal, and fine barracks. It was bombarded for two days by the Germans in 1870, and capitulated on Nov. 27, after an unsuccessful sortie, with 2,000 soldiers and 70 pieces of artillery. LAFFITTE, Jacques, a French banker, born in Bayonne, Oct. 24, 1767, died in Paris, May 26, 1844. He was the son of a poor carpenter, but received a fair education. In 1 788 he went to Paris, was admitted a clerk in the banking house of Perregaux, and at the end of a few years was made a partner. He at once became the leading spirit of the firm, and successfully extended the range of its operations. He was chosen one of the regents of the bank of France in 1809, member of the tribunal of commerce in 1813, and governor of the bank in 1814, holding the last post for five years. During the events of the two restorations his liberality was equally conspicuous with his integrity. In 1814 he advanced 2,000,000 francs to the pro- LAFFJTTE visional government to relieve its embarrass- ment and secure the pay of the French army. In 1815 he made himself responsible for 600,- 000 francs, exacted by Bliicher as a war con- tribution from the city of Paris. Meanwhile he was banker of both Louis XVIII. and Na- poleon, and faithfully discharged his confi- dential duties toward them. "When the latter finally left the capital, he placed in trust with Laffitte about 5,000,000 francs, which was afterward distributed according to his will. In 1816 he was elected to the chamber of dep- uties ; and although he took his seat among the opposition, he was appointed member of a government committee on finance, and was in- strumental in persuading the king to resist the imprudent tendencies of his adherents. In 1817 he was reflected ; and in 1818, when the public credit was in danger, he prevented a commercial crisis by purchasing government stocks to the amount of several millions. He participated in the establishment of institutions for bettering the condition of the common people, among others of the savings bank of Paris ; he opened his purse to old officers in reduced circumstances, relieved merchants on the verge of bankruptcy, and readily assisted even his political opponents. His political im- portance was increasing daily; his house be- came the rendezvous of the most eminent members of the opposition, either in the le- gislative chambers or in the public press ; he was the friend of B6ranger and the patron of Thiers. He embraced with ardor the cause of Louis Philippe, and pointed him out before- hand as the only man who could save the coun- try in the event of a revolution. On the publi- cation of the famous ordinances of July, 1830, he first tried to bring back Charles X. to a wiser line of policy ; but his efforts being fruit- less, he moved the organization of a provision- al government, issued a proclamation in behalf of the duke of Orleans, proposed his. appoint- ment as lieutenant general of the kingdom, and brought about a reconciliation between him and Lafayette, thus preventing the latter from proclaiming the republic ; and finally he had the duke chosen king of the French by 219 dep- uties, out of 252 present (Aug. 7). He was ap- pointed minister of state, and, assuming the ministry of finance, was intrusted with the pre- miership, Nov. 3 ; but his sentiments were too liberal to suit the king, and he resigned in the following March. His banking business had suffered from his absence and the commercial difficulties consequent upon the revolution, his credit became impaired, and his exertions to prevent the fall of his firm were unavailing. He sold his property, and established a new banking house under the appellation of 1>anqu4 sociale, of which he was the manager ; but hia anticipations of success were not realized. He was elected again to the chamber of deputies in 1837 by one of the districts of Paris, re- elected in 1839 and 1842 by the city of Kouen, and at the opening of the session of 1843-'4
