the origins of contemporary france-5-第92部分

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underhandedly；　presents　him　as　a　candidate　for　the　general　council　of

Haute…Garonne；　and　the　government　places　him　in　that　office。　…〃All　the

notable　land…owners　of　the　department　formed　part　of　this　council；　and

the　Restoration　still　found　us　there　seven　years　afterwards。　General

orders　evidently　existed；　enjoining　the　prefects　to　give　preference　in

their　choice　to　the　most　important　land…owners　in　the　country。〃

Likewise；　Napoleon　everywhere　selects　the　mayors　from　the　rich　and

well…to…do　class〃；　in　the　large　towns　he　appoints　only　〃people　with

carriages。〃＇26＇　　Many　of　them　in　the　country　and　several　in　the　towns

are　legitimists＇27＇；　at　least　at　heart；　and　Napoleon　knows　it；　but；　as

he　says；　〃these　folks　do　not　want　the　earthquake〃；　they　are　too　much

interested；　and　too　personally；　in　the　maintenance　of　order。＇28＇

Moreover；　to　represent　his　government；　he　needs　decorative　people；　and

it　is　only　these　who　can　be　so　gratis；　be　themselves；　look　well；　at

their　own　expense；　and　on　the　spot。　Besides；　they　are　the　most

informed；　the　best　able　to　supervise　accounts；　to　examine　article　by

article　the　budgets　of　the　department　and　commune；　to　comprehend　the

necessity　of　a　road　and　the　utility　of　a　canal；　to　offer　pertinent

observations；　to　proclaim　wise　decisions；　to　obey　orders　as　discreet

and　useful　collaborators。　All　this　they　will　not　refuse　to　do　if　they

are　sensible　people。　In　every　form　of　government；　it　is　better　to　be

with　the　governors　than　with　the　governed；　and　in　this　case；　when　the

broom　is　wielded　from　above　and　applied　so　vigorously　and　with　such

meticulousness　to　everybody　and　everything；　it　is　well　to　be　as　near

the　handle　as　possible。



And　what　is　still　better；　they　will　volunteer；　especially　at　the

beginning；　if　they　are　good　people。　For；　at　least　during　the　first

years；　one　great　object　of　the　new　government　is　the　re…establishment

of　order　in　the　local　as　well　as　in　the　general　administration。　It　is

well…disposed　and　desires　to　mend　matters；　it　undertakes　the

suppression　of　robbery；　theft；　embezzlement；　waste；　premeditated　or

unintentional　arrogation　of　authority；　extravagance；　negligence　and

failure。



　〃Since　1790；〃＇29＇　says　the　First　Consul　to　the　minister　of　the

interior；　〃the　36；000　communes　represent；　in　France；　36；000　orphans　。

。　。　girls　abandoned　or　plundered　during　ten　years　by　their　municipal

guardians；　appointed　by　the　Convention　and　the　Directory。　In　changing

the　mayors；　assistants；　and　councilors　of　the　commune；　scarcely　more

has　been　done　than　to　change　the　mode　of　stealing；　they　have　stolen

the　communal　highway；　the　by…roads；　the　trees；　and　have　robbed　the

Church；＇30＇　they　have　stolen　the　furniture　belonging　to　the　commune

and　are　still　stealing　under　the　spineless　municipal　system　of　year

VIII。〃



All　these　abuses　are　investigated　and　punished；＇31＇　he　thieves　are

obliged　to　restore　and　will　steal　no　more。　The　county　budget；　like　of

the　State；　must　now　be　prepared　every　year；＇32＇　with　the　same　method；

precision；　and　clearness；　receipts　on　one　side　and　expenses　on　the

other；　each　section　divided　into　chapters　and　each　chapter　into

articles；　the　state　of　the　liabilities；　each　debt；　the　state　of　the

assets　and　a　tabular　enumeration　of　distinct　resources；　available

capital　and　unpaid　claims；　fixed　income　and　variable　income；　certain

revenue　and　possible　revenue。　In　no　case　must　〃the　calculation　of

presumable　expenditure　exceed　the　amount　of　presumable　income。〃　In　no

case　must　〃the　commune　demand　or　obtain　an　extra　tax　for　its　ordinary

expenses。〃　Exact　accounts　and　rigid　economy；　such　are　everywhere

indispensable；　as　well　as　preliminary　reforms；　when　a　badly　kept　house

has　to　be　transformed　into　one　which　is　kept　in　good　order。　The　First

Consul　has　at　heart　these　two　reforms　and　he　adheres　to　them。　Above

all　there　must　be　no　more　indebtedness；　now；　more　than　one…half　of　the

communes　are　in　debt。　〃Under　penalty　of　dismissal；　the　prefect　is　to

visit　the　communes　at　least　twice　a　year；　and　the　sub…prefect　four

times　a　year。＇33＇　　A　reward　must　be　given　to　mayors　who　free　their

commune　of　debt　in　two　years；　and　the　government　will　appoint　a

special　commissioner　to　take　charge　of　the　administration　of　a　commune

which；　after　a　delay　of　five　years；　shall　not　be　liberated。　The　fifty

mayors　who；　each　year；　shall　have　most　contributed　to　unencumber　their

commune　and　assure　that　is　has　resources　available；　shall　be　summoned

to　Paris　at　the　expense　of　the　State；　and　presented　in　solemn　session

to　the　three　consults。　A　column；　raised　at　the　expense　of　the

government　and　placed　at　the　principal　entrance　of　the　town　or

village；　will　transmit　to　posterity　the　mayor's　name；　and；　besides；

this　inscription：　'To　the　guardian　of　the　commune；　a　grateful

country。'　〃



Instead　of　these　semi…poetic　honors　adapted　to　the　imaginations　of　the

year　VIII；　take　the　positive　honors　adapted　to　the　imaginations　of　the

year　XII；　and　the　following　years；　brevets　and　grades；　decorations　of

the　Legion　d'Honneur；　the　titles　of　chevalier；　baron；　and　count；＇34＇

presents　and　endowments；　…　the　rewards　offered　to　the　representatives

of　local　society；　the　same　as　to　the　other　functionaries；　but　on　the

same　condition　that　they　will　likewise　be　functionaries；　that　is　to

say；　tools　in　the　hands　of　the　government。　In　this　respect；　every

precaution　is　taken；　especially　against　those　who；　forming　a

collective　body；　may　be　tempted　to　consider　themselves　a　deliberative

assembly；　such　as　municipal　and　general　councils；　less　easily　handled

than　single　individuals　and；　at　times；　capable　of　not　being　quite　so

docile。　None　of　these　can　hold　sessions　of　more　than　fifteen　days　in

the　year；　each　must　accept　its　budget　of　receipts　and　expenses；　almost

complete　and　ready　made；　from　the　prefecture。　In　the　way　of　receipts；

its　powers　consist　wholly　in　voting　certain　additional　and　optional

centimes；　more　or　less　numerous；　at　will；　〃within　the　limits

established　by　law〃；＇35＇　again；　even　within　these　limits；　its　decision

can　be　carried　out　only　after　an　examination　and　approval　at　the

prefecture。　There　is　the　same　regulation　in　regard　to　expenses；　the

council；　indeed；　municipal　or　general；　is　simply　consultative；　the

government　delegates　the　mayor；　sub…prefect；　or　prefect；　who

prescribes　what　must　be　done。　As　the　preliminary　steps　are　taken　by

him；　and　he　has　constant　direction　of　the　local　council　for　two　weeks；

and　finally　the　right　of　confirmation；　he　controls　it；　and　then　for

eleven　months　and　a　half；　having　sole　charge　of　the　daily　and

consecutive　execution　of　its　acts；　he　reigns　in　the　local　community。

Undoubtedly；　having　received　and　expended　money　for　the　community；　he

is　accountable　and　will　present　his　yearly　accounts　at　the　following

session；　the　law　says＇36＇　that　in　the　commune；　〃the　municipal　council

shall　listen　to　and　may　discuss　the　account　of　municipal　receipts　and

expenses。〃　But　read　the　text　through　to　the　end；　and　note　the　part

which　the　law；　in　this　case；　assigns　to　the　municipal　council。　It

plays　the　part　of　the　chorus　in　the　antique　tragedy：　it　attends；

listens；　approves；　or　disapproves；　in　the　background　and　subordinate；

approved　or　rebuked；　the　principal　actors　remain　in　charge　and　do　as

they　please；　they　grant　or　dispute　over　its　head；　independently；　just

as　it　suits　them。　In　effect；　it　is　not　to　the　municipal　council　that

the　mayor　renders　his　accounts；　but　〃to　the　sub…prefect；　who　finally

passes　them；〃　and　gives　him　his　discharge。　Whatever　the　council　may

say；　the　approval　is　valid；　for　greater　security；　the　prefect；　if　any

councilor　proves　refractory；　〃may　suspend　from　his　functions〃　a

stubborn　fellow　like　him；　and　restore　in　the　council　the　unanimity

which　has　been　partially　disturbed。　…　In　the　department；　the　council…

general　must　likewise　〃listen〃　to　the　accounts　for　the　year；　the　law；

owing　to　a　significant　omission；　does　not　say　that　is　may　discuss

them。　Nevertheless；　a　circular　of　the　year　IX　requests　it　to　〃make

every　observation　on　the　use　of　the　additional　centimes〃　which　the

importance　of　the　subject　demands；　to　verify　whether　each　sum　debited

to　expenses　has　been　used　for　the　purpose　assigned　to　it；　and　even　〃to

reject　expenses；　stating　the　reasons　for　this　decision；　which　have　not

been　sufficiently　justified。〃　And　better　still；　the　minister；　who　is　a

liberal；　addresses　a　systematic　series　of　questions　to　the　general

councils；　on　all　important　matters；＇37＇　〃agriculture；　commerce；　and

manufactures；　asylums　and　public　charities；　public　roads　and　other

works；　public　instruction；　administration　properly　so　called；　state　of

the　number　of　population；　public　spirit　and　opinions；〃　collecting　and

printing　their　observations　and　desires。　After　the　year　IX；　however；

this　publication　stops；　it　renders　the　general　councils　too　important；

it　might　rally　the　entire　population　of　the　department　to　them　and

even　of　all　France　that　could　read；　it　might　hamper