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Arago, François

Dominique-François-Jean Arago

b. 26 Feb 1786, Estagel, Pyrénées-Orientales
d. 2 Oct 1853, Paris

Title: Membre du Gouvernement provisoire de la République (Member of the Provisional Government of the Republic)
Term: 24 Feb 1848 - 11 May 1848
Chronology: 24 Feb 1848, proclaimed a member of the Provisional Government, meeting of the Provisional Government, Hôtel de Ville, Paris [1]
4 May 1848, resignation of the Provisional Government is submitted to the Assemblée nationale constituante (Constituent National Assembly), acknowledged, meeting of the Assembly, Palais-Bourbon, Paris [2][3]
11 May 1848, Provisional Government ceased to exist upon the installation of the Commission du Pouvoir exécutif (Executive Commission) [4]
Title: Membre de la Commission du Pouvoir exécutif (Member of the Executive Commission)
Term: 11 May 1848 - 24 Jun 1848
Chronology: 10 May 1848, elected a member of the Executive Commission, session of the Assemblée nationale constituante (Constituent National Assembly), Palais-Bourbon, Paris [5]
11 May 1848, Executive Commission is constituted, meeting of the Commission, Ministry of the Marine, Paris [4][6]
24 Jun 1848, collective resignation of the Executive Commission is submitted to the Constituent National Assembly, acknowledged [7]
Biography:
Educated at the École Polytechnique and University of Toulouse; entered the Paris Observatory (1804); appointed one of the professors of the École Polytechnique and one of the astronomers of the Imperial Observatory; appointed director of the Paris Observatory (1830); as scientist, discovered the principle of the production of magnetism and devised an experiment that proved the wave theory of light; elected to the Chambre des députés [Chamber of Deputies] (1831-1848); elected a member of the General Council of Seine (1840-1848); known for his republican views, was nominated a member of the Provisional Government (1848); appointed minister of the marine and colonies (1848), interim minister of war (1848), minister of war (1848); elected to the Assemblée nationale constituante [Constituent National Assembly] (1848-1849); elected (10 May 1848) a member of the Executive Power Commission; assumed presidency of the Commission (11 May 1848); elected to the Assemblée nationale législative (Legislative National Assembly) (1849-1851).
Biographical sources: Dictionnaire des parlementaires français 1789-1889, pp. 80-81.
Elections:

Candidates Votes (10 May 1848)
Dominique-François-Jean Arago 725
Louis-Antoine Garnier, dit Garnier-Pagès 715
Alexandre-Pierre-Thomas-Amable Marie de Saint-Georges, dit Marie 702
Alphonse-Marie-Louis de Lamartine 643
Alexandre-Auguste Ledru, dit Ledru-Rollin 458
absolute majority 398
votes cast 794
Election source: Compte rendu des séances de l'Assemblée nationale, 1:104.

[1] Procès-verbaux du Gouvernement provisoire et de la Commission du pouvoir exécutif , p. 1.
[2] Compte rendu des séances de l'Assemblée nationale, 1:1.
[3] Dupont submitted the collective resignation of the Provisional Government on 4 May 1848, but it continued to work until 6 May 1848, when the last (77th) meeting took place.
[4] Procès-verbaux du Gouvernement provisoire et de la Commission du pouvoir exécutif , pp. 249-252.
[5] Compte rendu des séances de l'Assemblée nationale, 1:104.
[6] The presidency was conferred (déférée) on Arago, who was routinely referred to as Le Président in the minutes of the Commission, but did not use any style in the promulgation of laws and decrees signed collectively by all five members (Procès-verbaux du Gouvernement provisoire et de la Commission du pouvoir exécutif , p. 249).
[7] Compte rendu des séances de l'Assemblée nationale, 2:189. The last meeting of the Commission took place on 22 Jun 1848.
Image: portrait by Ary Scheffer.