 Shortly after he had begun his professional practice he was summoned to be professor of law at the Université Libre de Bruxelles and established his reputation by a treatise on the relations of church and state, the "Essai sur les rapports de l'etat et des religions au point de vue constitutionnel" (1859).He succeeded Tesch as Minister of Justice in 1865, being appointed to that position by the King.In line with his extremely Liberal tendencies, he attempted, in 1868, to bring about the abolition of capital punishment, but failed because of a powerful opposition in the Senate.