CASIMIR-PERIER, pA'rytt', JEAN PALL PIERRE ( ). President of the French Republic in I894 and 1895. He was born in November S, 1847. His father. Auguste Casimir-POrier, was of the Interior in the administration of 'I'hiers, and his grand father was Premier under Louis Philippe. Jean Paul Casimir P6rier was decorated with the Legion of Honor for his conduct in the Franco Prussian NVar. After the war he entered the public service. and held office in the Depart ment of the Interior. of which his father was then bead. lie was elected to the Chamber of Deputies in 1874. and from December. 1877. to January, 1879, served as under secretary in the Departments of Public Instruction and War. Because of the traditions of his family, he was regarded as having Orleanist leanings. hut he always acted as a moderate republican. In 1890 lie was elected vice-president of the Cham ber of Deputies. and in 1893 he became president of the Chamber, resigning December 3, when he became president of the Council and Prime 31in islet. under President Cannot. The Ministry over
he presided distinguished itself by its firm attitude at a period of great disorder. Ile re signed May 22. 1894. and on June 27 he was elected, on the first ballot, to succeed the mur dered Cannot as President of the Republic. Ile surprised the world by resigning, January 13. 1893, and retiring from public life. He had been (quint rrassed by factional politics. and he chafed at the restrictions imposed by the French Con stitution upon the President. Ilis own tees him, and even transacted important business of State Without consulting him. Many rumors were in circulation afterwards connecting his resignation with the Dreyfus case, and com plications with Germany growing out of the lat ter. The ex-President appeared as a witness in the Zola trial. a sequel to the Dreyfus affair. Lut the rulings of the court shut out all his testimony that was of any importance or public interest.