Bernard-René Jourdan de Launay permanently stationed in Paris except in time of war. In 1776 de Launay succeeded M. de Jumilhac as Governor of the Bastille. As was the custom with many senior positions under the Ancien Régime, the marquis purchased the office of governor from his predecessor as a form of investment. The thirteen years that he spent in this position were uneventful, though on 19 December 1778 he reportedly made the mistake of failing to fire the cannon of the Bastille as a salute on the birth of a daughter (Madame Royale) to King Louis XVI. In August 1785 he was given
Louis Le Provost de Launay au peuple group led by Paul de Cassagnac, and was active in opposition to the republicans led by Léon Gambetta. He supported the government of the 16th of May. After being reelected unopposed on 14 October 1877 he voted against the cabinet of Dufaure and against the left-wing cabinets that succeeded it. He was against the amnesty of the leaders of the Paris Commune. Le Provost de Launay was again reelected without competition on 21 August 1881. He was involved in discussions on the budget, public education, colonial policy and state railways. His 1883 proposal to drop the requirement for