PIERRE MARIE ERNEST A French statesman, born at Nantes. Ile studied law; in 1879 was elected Deputy for Rennes; and was Minister of the Interior in Gambetta's grand of 1881, and in the Cabinet of Jules Ferry of 1883-85. In 1894 he was elected to the Senate for the Department of the Loire, and in the following January he was supported by the Right for the Presidency of France against. 1A1. Faure and Brisson. In the confused polities of the years that followed he was regarded as a leader of the Moderate Republicans. After the fall of the Dupuy Cabinet in June. 1899, he formed a new 'Ministry. His Cabinet contained men of wide divergence of opinion, as is evinced by the fact that at one extreme was Millerand, the socialist leader, and at the other was General de Gallifet. notable for his severity in suppressing the Commune of 1871. All, however. were united upon the plat form of sustaining the Republic against the royalists and clericals. The Premier himself took the portfolio of the interior, and set him self vigorously to the work of establishing order throughout the P,e1mblic. Ile permitted the
Dreyfus case to be reopened, and in December, 1900, carried through a general amnesty law for all connected with the ease. The most important passed during his Premiership was, however, the Association Bill of 1901. (See FRANCE, Sec tion on Religion.) Throughout his incumbency the Premier showed great ability in gaining sup port for his measures. When the general elec tion of 1902 came, he entered the contest with great vigor; and, thanks to his admirable per sonality, and despite the bitterest opposition, he gained a great victory for Republican prin ciples. Feeling his task completed, he resigned in June, 1902, with the prestige of having held office longer than any other Premier since the establishment of the Third Republic. 1Iis publi cations include: Disrours parlementaires (1SS9); Discours prononces (lays la Loire (1896); Ques tions sociulcs (1900) ; Associations et congrega /ions (1901) ; and Ler (Mt, (1902). Consult .1. Ernest-Charles, IVa/dcek l01188Call (Paris, 1902).