DUMONT, PIERRE ETIENNE Louis, an able propagator of the Benthamite philosophy, was b. at Geneva, 18th July, 1759, studied theology, and after officiating as a minister for a short time in his native town, proceeded to St. Petersburg in 1783, where he accepted the charge of the French Protestant church. In 1785, be left Russia, went to England, and became tutor to the sons of lord Shelburne, afterwards marquis of Lansdowne. His superior talents, liberal sentiments, and fine character, soon recom mended him to the illustrious whigs of that period; with sir Samuel Romilly, in par ticular, lie formed a close friendship. During the early years of the French revolution, D. was at Paris, where he became greatly attached to Mirabeau, regarding whom lie has given the world much important information in his Souvenirs sur lfirabeau et sur les deux Premieres Assemblies Legislatives (which were not published till 1832, seven years after the author's death). From this work, it appears that 1). wrote many. of the best articles and speeches attributed to Mirabeau. In 1791. D. returned to England, and
formed an intimacy with Bentham. This was certainly the most important event in his life. Deeply convinced of the value of that philosopher's views of legislation, he requested his friend to allow him to arrange and edit his unpublished )vritings on this subject. Bentham gave him his mafitiscrtpts: D: to abridge, eluci date, correct, and siniplify what he had received. The results appeared in his Traite de Legislation Girlie et Penale (Geneva, 1802); Theorie des Peines ct des Recompenses (Geava, 1810); Tactigue des Assemblies Legislatives (Geneva, 1815); Preuves Judiciaires (Geneva, 1823); and the Organization Judiciaire et Codification (1828, a posthumous work). D. returned to Geneva in 1814, and became a member of the representative council. In this office lie found many opportunities of putting the principles of Ben. tham into practice, and thus greatly benefited his native city. He died in 1825, at Milan.