s moderate republicanism for radical views before he became
war minister in the cabinet of Leon Bourgeois (1895-1896). He was again
minister of war in the Brisson sabinet in July 1898, when he read in the
chamber a document which definitely incriminated Captain Alfred Dreyfus.
On the 30th of August, however, he stated that this had been discovered
to be a forgery by Colonel Henry, but he refused to concur with his
colleagues in a revision of the Dreyfus prosecution, which was the
logical outcome of his own exposure of the forgery. Resigning his
portfolio, he continued to declare his conviction of Dreyfus's guilt,
and joined the Nationalist group in the chamber, of which he became one
of the leaders. He also was an energetic supporter of the Ligue de la
Patrie Francaise. In 1899 Cavaignac was an unsuccessful candidate for
the presidency of the republic. He had announced his intention of
retiring from political life when he died at his country-seat near Flee
(Sarthe) on the 25th of September 1905. He wrote an important book on
the _Formation de la Prusse contemporaine_ (2 vols., 1891-1898), dealing
with the events of 1806-1813.

CAVAILLON, a town of south-eastern France in the department of Vaucluse,
20 m. S.E. of Avignon by rail. Pop. (1906) town, 5760; commune, 9952.
Cavaillon lies at the southern base of Mont St Jacques on the right bank
of the Durance above its confluence with the Coulon. It has a hotel de
ville of the 18th century, a church of the 12th century, dedicated to St
Veran, and the mutilated remains of a triumphal arch of the Roman
period. The town is an important railway junction and the commercial
centre of a rich and well-irrigated plain, which produces melons and
other fruits, early vegetables (artichokes, tomatoes, celery, potatoes),
and other products in profusion. Silk-worms are reared, and silk is an
important article of trade. The preparation of preserved vegetables,
fruits and other provisions, distilling, and the manufacture of straw
hats and leather are carried on. Numerous minor relics of the Roman
period have been found to the south of the present town, on the site of
the ancient _Cabellio_, a place of some note in the territory of the
Cavares. In medieval and modern history the town has for the most part
followed the fortunes of the Comtat Venaissin, in which it was included.
Till the time of the Revolution it was the see of a bishop, and had a
large number of monastic establishments.