Born in Dijon, he became a deputy for the Côte-d'Or in the Legislative Assembly, he made himself prominent by denouncing the Bourbon and the Tuileries Palace's "comité autrichien" (“Austrian committee”, the purported Royalist group supporting the Austrians with whom the country was at war). On 20 June 1792, he spoke in favor of the deposition of King Louis XVI, though on 20 September he advised discussion before moving to decide in favour of abolition.