Jules Armand Stanislas Dufaure (December 4, 1798 - June 28, 1881) was a French statesman. Born at Saujon (Charente-Inf廨ieure), he began his career as an advocate at Bordeaux, where he won a great reputation by his oratorical gifts. He abandoned law for politics, and in 1834 was elected deputy. In 1839 he became minister of public works in the Soult ministry, and succeeded in freeing railway construction in France from the obstacles which till then had hampered it. Losing office in 1840, Dufaure became one of the leaders of the Opposition, and on the outbreak of the revolution of 1848 he accepted the Republic, and joined the party of moderate republicans. On October 13 he became minister of the interior. During the Second French Empire, Dufaure abstained from public life, and practised at the Paris bar with such success that he was elected b漮onnier in 1862. In 1871 he became a member of the Assembly becoming the minister of justice as chief of the party of the "left-centre" and his tenure of office was distinguished by the passage of the jury-law. In 1873 he fell, but in 1875 resumed his former post and on March 9, 1876 as president of the council. In the same year he was elected a life senator. On December 12 he withdrew from the ministry owing to the attacks of the republicans of the left in the chamber and of the conservatives in the senate. After the conservatives' defeat on May 16, he returned to power on December 24, 1877. Worn out by opposition, on 1st February 1879 he retired.. ?007 TopFoto