Paul-Henry de Belvèze (11 March 1801 – 8 February 1875) was a French sailor who was given the mission by Napoleon III's government of renewing commercial relations with Canada.
[1] A former pupil of the École Polytechnique, young Paul-Henry de Belvèze joined the navy in 1823 and was subsequently put in charge of various expeditions, notably to South America, Europe, and the Holy Land.
[1] In 1855, while he was cruising in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence, captaining La Capricieuse, as “commander of the French forces in the waters of Newfoundland,” Napoleon III's government decided to entrust to him the mission of renewing relations with Canada, a mission which, in the terms of the official mandate, was to be above all “commercial, with no diplomatic character.”[1] This objective was exceeded: in Canada East where deeply moved spectators watched the return of the French colours, the sailor's passage was a triumph; towns such as Ottawa, Kingston, and Toronto, despite some reservations, felt obliged to extend a welcome to the French delegation, which was invariably correct and sometimes warm.
Moreover, relations between France and England had never been better; the French sovereigns had been the guests of Queen Victoria in 1850, and the latter, in that same year 1855, was to return their visit on the occasion of the universal exposition in Paris, at which Canada had an exhibit.
[1] In 1848 he was judged to be “one of the captains best fitted to command.”[1] A true meridional, Belvèze had the natural gifts of a brilliant speaker, but in him spontaneity was held in check by a wisdom and tact worthy of a professional diplomat.