CHAPTAL, JEAN AsTorNE, 1756-1882, count of Chanteloup, a French chemist and statesman. He was professor of chemistry at Montpellier, where he taught the doctrines of Lavoisier instead of those of Stahl. By the death of an uncle, C. acquired capital, which he employed in manufacturing mineral acids, alum, white lead, soda, and other chemical wares. After the revolution of Nov. 9, 1799, lie was made a councilor of state by Napoleon, and succeeded Lucien Bonaparte as minister of the interior, in which capacity Ile established a school of arts, and a society of industries. He also reorganized the hospitals, introduced the metrical system of weights measures, and otherwise greatly encouraged arts and sciences. On Napoleon's return from Elba, C. was made director-general of commerce and manufactures, and minister of state. The downfall of the empire sent C. to private life, but he kept his interest in science, and in 1816 was named member of the academy.
(Fr. ehapitre), the building in which the monks and canons of monas tic establishments, and the dean and prebendaries of cathedral and collegiate churches, meet for the management of the affairs of their order or society. See CATHEDRAL.
Chapter-houses frequently exhibit the most elaborate architectural adornment, as, for example, those at York, Southwell, and Wells. The original stained-glass windows remain at York, and are of exquisite beauty. On the walls of that at Westminster, the original painting has been discovered. Chapter-houses are of various forms: those at York and Westminster are octagonal; those at Oxford, Exeter, Canterbury, Gloucester, etc., are parallelograms; Lichfield is an oblong octagon; Lincoln, a decagon; and Worcester, a circle. They are always contiguous to the church, and are generally placed to the west of the transepts. They generally either open into the church, or are entered by a passage. Chapter-houses were often used as places of sepulture, and have some times crypts under tit Wells and Westminster.