the origins of contemporary france-2-第92章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



is　drinking　all　night；　a　universal　revel。　　Beer；　indeed；　is　to　be

had　at　three　sous　the　pot；　and　wine　at　six　sous　a　pint；　which　is　a

reduction　of　one…half；　no　conquest　could　be　more　popular；　since　it

brings　intoxication　within　easy　reach　of　the　thirsty。＇46＇



The　object；　now；　is　to　provide　for　the　expenses　which　have　been

defrayed　by　the　suppressed　octrois。　　In　1790；　the　octroi　of　Paris

had　produced　35；910；859　francs；　of　which　25；059；446　went　to　the

State；　and　10；851；413　went　to　the　city。　　How　is　the　city　going　to

pay　for　its　watch；　the　lighting　and　cleaning　of　its　streets；　and　the

support　of　its　hospitals？　What　are　the　twelve　hundred　other　cities

and　boroughs　going　to　do　which　are　brought　by　the　same　stroke　to　the

same　situation？　What　will　the　State　do；　which；　in　abolishing　the

general　revenue　from　all　entrance…dues　and　excise；　is　suddenly

deprived　of　two…fifths　of　its　revenue？　　…　　In　the　month　of　March；

1790；　when　the　Assembly　suppressed　the　salt　and　other　duties；　it

established　in　the　place　of　these　a　tax　of　fifty　millions；　to　be

divided　between　the　direct　imposts　and　dues　on　entrance　to　the

towns。　　Now；　consequently；　that　the　entrance…dues　are　abolished；　the

new　charge　falls　entirely　upon　the　direct　imposts。　　Do　returns　come

in；　and　will　they　come　in？　　…　　In　the　face　of　so　many　outbreaks；　any

indirect　taxation　（VAT）　is；　certainly；　difficult　to　collect。

Nevertheless　it　is　not　so　repulsive　as　the　other　because　the　levies

of　the　State　disappear　in　the　price　of　the　article；　the　hand　of　the

Exchequer　being　hidden　by　the　hand　of　the　dealer。　　The　Government

clerk　formerly　presented　himself　with　his　stamped　paper　and　the

seller　handed　him　the　money　without　much　grumbling；　knowing　that　he

would　soon　be　more　than　reimbursed　by　his　customer：　the　indirect　tax

is　thus　collected。　　Should　any　difficulty　arise；　it　is　between　the

dealer　and　the　taxpayer　who　comes　to　his　shop　to　lay　in　his　little

store；　the　latter　grumbles；　but　it　is　at　the　high　price　which　he

feels；　and　possibly　at　the　seller　who　pockets　his　silver；　he　does

not　find　fault　with　the　clerk　of　the　Exchequer；　whom　he　does　not　see

and　who　is　not　then　present　In　the　collection　of　the　direct　tax；　on

the　contrary；　it　is　the　clerk　himself　whom　he　sees　before　him；　who

abstracts　the　precious　piece　of　silver。　　This　authorized　robber；

moreover；　gives　him　nothing　in　exchange；　it　is　an　entire　loss。　　On

leaving　the　dealer's　shop　he　goes　away　with　a　jug　of　wine；　a　pot　of

salt；　or　similar　commodities；　on　leaving　the　tax　office　he　has

nothing　in　hand　but　an　acquittance；　a　miserable　bit　of　scribbled

paper。　　…　　But　now　he　is　master　in　his　own　commune；　an　elector；　a

National　Guard；　mayor；　the　sole　authority　in　the　use　of　armed　force；

and　charged　with　his　own　taxation。　　Come　and　ask　him　to　unearth　the

buried　mite　on　which　he　has　set　all　his　heart　and　all　his　soul；　the

earthen　pot　wherein　he　has　deposited　his　cherished　pieces　of　silver

one　by　one；　and　which　he　has　laid　by　for　so　many　years　at　the　cost

of　so　much　misery　and　fasting；　in　the　very　face　of　the　bailiff　in

spite　of　the　prosecutions　of　the　sub…delegate；　commissioner；

collector；　and　clerk！



》From　the　1st　of　May；　1789；　to　the　1st　of　May；　1790；＇47＇　the　general

returns；　the　taille　and　its　accessories；　the　poll…tax　and

〃twentieths；〃　instead　of　yielding　161。000；000　francs；　yield　but

28；000；000　francs　in　the　provinces　which　impose　their　own　taxes

（pays　d'Etats）；　instead　of　28；000；000　francs；　the　Treasury　obtains

but　6；000；000。　　On　the　patriotic　contribution　which　was　to　deduct

one　quarter　of　all　incomes　over　four　hundred　livres；　and　to　levy　two

and　a　half　per　cent。　　on　plate；　jewels；　and　whatever　gold　and　silver

each　person　has　in　reserve；　the　State　received　9。700；000　francs。　　As

to　patriotic　gifts；　their　total；　comprising　the　silver　buckles　of

the　deputies；　reaches　only　361；587　francs；　and　the　closer　our

examination　into　the　particulars　of　these　figures；　the　more　do　we

see　the　contributions　of　the　villager；　artisan；　and　former　subjects

of　the　taille　diminish。　　…　　Since　the　month　of　October；　1789；　the

privileged　classes；　in　fact；　appear　in　the　tax…rolls；　and　they

certainly　form　the　class　which　is　best　off；　the　most　alive　to

general　ideas　and　the　most　truly　patriotic。　　It　is　therefore

probable　that；　of　the　forty…three　millions　of　returns　from　the

direct　imposts　and　from　the　patriotic　contribution；　they　have

furnished　the　larger　portion；　perhaps　two　thirds　of　it；　or　even

three…quarters。　　If　this　be　the　case；　the　peasant；　the　former　tax…

payer；　gave　nothing　or　almost　nothing　from　his　pocket　during　the

first　year　of　the　Revolution。　　For　instance；　in　regard　to　the

patriotic　contribution；　the　Assembly　left　it　to　the　conscience　of

each　person　to　fix　his　own　quota；　at　the　end　of　six　months；

consciences　are　found　too　elastic；　and　the　Assembly　is　obliged　to

confer　this　right　on　the　municipalities。　　The　result　is＇48＇　that

this　or　that　individual　who　taxed　himself　at　forty…eight　livres；　is

taxed　at　a　hundred　and　fifty；　another；　a　cultivator；　who　had　offered

six　livres；　is　judged　to　be　able　to　pay　over　one　hundred。　　Every

regiment　contains　a　small　number　of　select　brave　men；　and　it　is

always　these　who　are　ready　to　advance　under　fire。　　Every　State

contains　a　select　few　of　honest　men　who　advance　to　meet　the　tax…

collector。　　Some　effective　constraint　is　essential　in　the　regiment

to　supply　those　with　courage　who　have　but　little；　and　in　the　State

to　supply　those　with　probity　who　do　not　possess　it。　　Hence；　during

the　eight　months　which　follow；　from　May　1st；　1790；　to　January　1st；

1791；　the　patriotic　contribution　furnishes　but　11；000；000　livres。

Two　years　later；　on　the　1st　of　February；　1793；　out　of　the　forty

thousand　communal　tax…rolls　which　should　provide　for　it；　there　are

seven　thousand　which　are　not　yet　drawn　up；　out　of　180；000；000　livres

which　it　ought　to　produce；　there　are　70；000；000　livres　which　are

still　due。　　…　　The　resistance　of　the　tax…payer　produces　a　similar

deficit；　and　similar　delays　in　all　branches　of　the　national

income。＇49＇　In　the　month　of　June；　1790；　a　deputy　declares　in　the

tribune　that　〃out　of　thirty…six　millions　of　imposts　which　ought　to

be　returned　each　month　only　nine　have　been　received。〃＇50＇　　In　the

month　of　November；　1791；　a　reporter　on　the　budget　states　that　the

receipts；　which　should　amount　to　forty　or　forty…eight　millions　a

month；　do　not　reach　eleven　millions　and　a　half。　　On　February　1；

1793；　there　remains　still　due　on　the　direct　taxes　of　1789　and　1790

one　hundred　and　seventy…six　millions。　　It　is　evident　that　the　people

struggle　with　all　their　might　against　the　old　taxes；　even　authorized

and　prolonged　by　the　Constituent　Assembly；　and　all　that　is　obtained

from　them　is　wrested　from　them。



Will　the　people　be　more　docile　under　the　new　taxation？　The　Assembly

exhorts　them　to　be　so　and　shows　them　how；　with　the　relief　they　have

gained　and　with　the　patriotism　they　ought　to　possess；　they　can　and

should　discharge　their　dues。　　The　people　are　able　to　do　it　because；

having　got　rid　of　tithes；　feudal　dues；　the　salt…tax；　octrois　and

excise　duties；　they　are　in　a　comfortable　position。　　They　should　do

so；　because　the　taxation　adopted　is　indispensable　to　the　State；

equitable；　assessed　on　all　in　proportion　to　their　fortune；　collected

and　expended　under　rigid　scrutiny；　without　perversion　or　waste；

according　to　precise；　clear；　periodical　and　audited　accounts。　　No

doubt　exists　that；　after　the　1st　of　January；　1791；　the　date　when　the

new　financial　scheme　comes　into　operation；　each　tax…payer　will

gladly　pay　as　a　good　citizen；　and　the　two　hundred　and　forty　millions

of　the　new　tax　on　real　property；　and　the　sixty　millions　of　that　on

personal　property；　leaving　out　the　rest　…　registries；　license；　and

customs　duties　…　will　flow　in　regularly　and　easily　of　their　own

accord。



Unfortunately；　before　the　tax…gatherer　can　collect　the　first　two

levies　these　have　to　be　assessed；　and　as　there　are　complicated

writings