born Oct. 21, 1811, Paris, France died March 10, 1865, Paris French politician. Half brother of Louis-Napoléon (later Napoleon III), Morny devoted himself to Parisian society and to making a fortune before serving in the Chamber of Deputies (1842-48, 1849). Appointed minister of the interior in 1851, he organized the plebiscite that made Louis-Napoléon dictator. As president of the legislature (1856-65), he tried unsuccessfully to persuade Napoleon III to give France more liberty