MIQUEL, JOHANN VON (1829-1901), German states man, was born at Neuenhaus, Hanover, on Feb. 19, 1829, being descended from a French family which had emigrated during the Revolution. He studied law at Heidelberg and Gottingen. The writings of Karl Marx converted him to socialism; but though he entered into correspondence with Mari, with the idea of start ing a revolutionary movement, he took no open part in the events of 1848-49. He was one of the founders of the German N ation alverein, and in 1864 he entered the Hanoverian parliament as a Liberal and an opponent of the Government. He accepted the an nexation of Hanover by Prussia without regret, and was one of the Hanoverians whose parliamentary abilities at once won a com manding position in the Prussian parliament, which he entered in 1867. He was burgomaster of Osnabruck from 1865 to 1870, and again from 1876 to 1879, being in the meantime (187o-73) a director of the Discontogesellschaft. In 1879 he was elected burgomaster of Frankfort-on-Main, where he dealt energetically with social questions, especially that of the housing of the poor. Probably owing to his early study of socialism, he was very ready to support the new state socialism of Bismarck. He was the chief agent in the reorganization of the National Liberal party in 1887, in which year he entered the imperial Reichstag. After Bismarck's
fall he was Prussian minister of finance (1890-1900). He re formed the Prussian system of taxation, but failed in an attempt to reform the system of imperial finance in 1893-94. Miguel bad given up his Liberalism, and aimed at practical measures for im proving the condition of the people irrespective of the party pro grammes; some of his measures—such as that for taxing "Waaren hauser" (stores)—were of a very injudicious nature. He pro fessed to aim at a union of parties on the basis of the satisfaction of material interests, a policy to which the name of Sammlung was given; but his enemies accused him of intriguing against the three chancellors under whom he served. His sympathy for the Agrarians increased his unpopularity among Liberals and indus trials; he insisted that the State, which for half a century had done everything to help manufactures, might now attempt to sup port the failing industry of agriculture. He resigned in June i9oi, and died on Sept. 8, at Frankfort.