FOURTOU, MARIE FRANcOIS OSCAR BARDY DE (1836-1897), French politician, born at Riberac (Dordogne) on Jan. 3, 1836, represented Dordogne in the National Assembly after the Franco-German War. He was minister of public works (1872), of religion (1873) and of education (1874). As minister of the interior in Broglie's cabinet in 1877 he resumed the ad ministrative methods of the Second Empire. In the general elec tions of that year he used the whole weight of officialdom to secure a majority for the Right, to support a clerical and reactionary programme. In spite of these efforts the cabinet fell, and a commission was appointed to inquire into their unconstitutional abuse of power. Fourtou was unseated in consequence of the revelations made. In the Chamber of Deputies Gambetta gave the lie direct to Fourtou. A duel was fought in consequence, but neither party was injured. Fourtou died in Paris on Dec. 5, 1897.
His works include Histoire de Louis XVI. (1840) ; Histoire de Saint Pie V. (1845) ; Mme. Swetchine, sa vie et ses oeuvres (2 vols., 1859) La Question italienne (186o) ; De la contre-revolution (1876) ; and Memoires d'un royaliste (2 vols., 1888).