Jean Pelet, known as Pelet de la Lozère (Saint-Jean-du-Gard, 23 February 1759 – Paris, 26 January 1842) was a French politician. Life Early life Jean Pelet was descended from Pelet, baron de Salgas, who spent 14 years condemned to the galleys after being stripped of his rank and title, having his lands confiscated and his castles razed for refusing to renounce his Protestant faith. (Jean himself was a member of the consistory of the reformed church of Paris and the father of Joseph Pelet de la Lozère (1785–1871), conseiller d'État, peer of France several times a minister in the July Monarchy). Jean was the son of the businessman Jean Pelet and his wife Marie Castanier. He became avocat to the parlement de Provence as a young man and was attached to the bar of Florac. Revolution Like other Protestants, he welcomed the French Revolution. President of the directory of the department of Lozère from 1791 onwards, on 5 September 1792 he was elected a deputy to the French National Convention for his department, coming fourth out of five, with 215 votes. Inclining towards the Girondist position, he was absent on a government commission during the trial of Louis XVI, and supported the opponents of Maximilien Robespierre on 9 thermidor in 1794, saying: As a result, he asked the surviving members of the former Committee of Public Safety to stand down. Becoming secretary of the assembly in October 1794, he proposed substituting the death penalty with banishment on pain of death in certain cases. He presided over the assembly from March to April 1795 during the insurrection of 12 Germinal, Year III and then, after the sitting when the head of député Féraud was shown to the delegates, he said: He was sent to the armée des Pyrénées-Orientales and began the negotiations with Spain which led to the Peace of Basel. After the constitutional session, 71 departments elected him their deputy on the Council of Five Hundred on 23 vendémiaire year 4, including Lozère by 123 votes out of 129. He presided over the council from 19 June 1796, speaking in favour of émigrés' children and the freedom of the press. He left the Council in May 1797 and retired to his birthplace. Consulate and First French Empire After the coup of 18 brumaire, Bonaparte made Pelet prefect of Vaucluse on 11 ventose year 8, then summoned him to join the