He was born at Mirecourt. After the revolution of February 1848 he was elected deputy for the department of the Vosges, and in the Assembly sat on the right, pronouncing for the repression of the insurrection of June 1848 and for Louis Napoleon Bonaparte. He was minister of agriculture from August to December 1849 and from August to October 1851.
Re-elected deputy in 1863, he was one of the supporters of the "Liberal Empire" of Émile Ollivier, and was finance minister in Ollivier's cabinet from January to April 10 1870. He was president of the National Assembly from April 4 1872 to March 10 1875, minister of the interior in 1875, and Prime Minister of France from 1875 to 1876. Then, elected senator for life (1876), he pronounced himself in favour of the coup d'état of May 16 1877.
Buffet had some oratorical talent, but shone most in opposition.
This entry was originally from the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.