born Dec. 2, 1846, Nantes, France
died Aug. 10, 1904, Corbeil
French politician.
A conservative lawyer, he served in the Chamber of Deputies (1879–89) and as minister of the interior (1881–82, 1883–85). In 1884 he sponsored the law that legalized French trade unions. After returning to his prosperous law practice, he became a senator in 1894. In the upheaval over the Alfred Dreyfus affair, he was appointed premier (1899–1902) and formed a coalition cabinet that persuaded the president to pardon Dreyfus.