Johannes Tak van Poortvliet

Mr. J.P.R. Tak van Poortvliet

Johannes Pieter Roetert Tak van Poortvliet (born J.P.R. Tak) (21 June 1839, Engelen - 26 January 1904, The Hague), lord of the manor of Poortvliet and Cleverskerke, was a Dutch politician.

Biography

He was born in Engelen, Noord-Brabant where his father, Adriaan Tak, was a Dutch Reformed minister. His father was a wealthy man, being the largest landowner in Zeeland. Johannes Tak studied law in Leiden (1857–1862), but he didn't practise law. He entered the public service and was one of the secretaries (commies-griffier) of de Tweede Kamer, the lower house of the Dutch parliament. In 1868 he became the secretary of the State Commissioner for water management in Zeeland and he showed himself a showed himself a skillful man.

Johannes Tak van Poortvliet was attracted to liberalism and in 1870 he was elected in the Tweede Kamer and was a strong supporter of Jan Kappeyne van de Coppello, the leader of the progressive liberals. In 1877 he entered the cabinet-Kappeyne van de Coppello as minister van Water Management and Trade. In 1878 his "Channellaw," with the intention to create a network of channels, was rejected by the Tweede Kamer and Tak and the other ministers of the cabinet resigned.

Tak van Poortvliet returned in the Tweede Kamer in 1880 and he became the leader of the progressive liberals (Kappeynianen). From 1884 till 1888 he was a member of the Eerste Kamer (upper house of parliament), but he returned in the Tweede Kamer in 1888. He was an ardent supporter of suffrage extension, an issue which strongly divided the Liberals. After the liberals won the parliamentary election in 1891 he was asked to become minister of the Interior in the cabinet-Van Tienhoven. However he only wanted to join the cabinet if the question of suffrage extension would become the main issue of the cabinet. As minister of Interior Affairs he proposed a bill which would extend the right to vote for the whole adult male population. However, the right, including the so-called "old liberals" where opposed and his proposed bill was rejected by a majority of the members of the Tweede Kamer (1894). He dissolved the Tweede Kamer and hoped that new elections would result in a progressive majority. However the Takkianen (his followers) lost the elections. Although he returned in the Tweede Kamer, he had lost most of his influence. From 1901 till 1904 he was again a member of the Eerste Kamer.

Johannes Tak van Poortvliet was also a Dijkgraaf of the water board of Delfland (1887-1891).

He died on 26 January 1904 in The Hague. At the time of his death he was a very rich man.

Political functions

• Leader of the Kappeynianen from February 1880 till 16 November 1884.
• Member of the Party Executive of the Liberal Union (Liberale Unie).

Name

• In 1874 his name was officially changed from Johannes Pieter Roetert Tak in Johannes Pieter Roetert Tak van Poortvliet. The latter part of his new last name refers to the Manor of Poortvliet (family property since the late 18th Century).

Family

Johannes Pieter Roetert Tak van Poortvliet was married to Louisa van Oordt (1850-1879). The couple had four children (3 daughters and 1 son). One of his daughters was Maria Tak van Poortvliet (1871-1936), a follower of Rudolf Steiner.

See also

• List of Dutch politicians