fjt_048607 - CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE / CHAMBRES DE COMMERCE Chambre de commerce de La Rochelle (Louis XVI) 1774

CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE

The first chamber of commerce was that of Marseille created in the late sixteenth century. For Paris, the six bodies of merchants and consuls, judges had a similar to a chamber of commerce role an association of merchants met to deliberate on the interests of their city or region and provide advice to government. Colbert legalized in 1664 by setting up trade each choose two of them to represent them. The institution, however, was actually established by the decree of the Council of 30 August 1701 and many chambers of commerce in the eighteenth century appear in Lyon, Rouen, Toulouse, Montpellier, Bordeaux, etc. .. The most important of them Marseille has had assignments throughout the Levant trade and was the Department of Foreign Affairs, the rest were General Audit Office. Deleted by the Constituent Assembly in 1791, the chambers of commerce are restored under the Consulate. Since 1832, recruitment is through elections, they became Chambers of Commerce and Industry since 1898, grouped into 21 regional chambers.