the origins of contemporary france-5-第103章

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and　commune；　the　prime　and　the　universal　motor　of　the　entire　machine；

not　merely　at　the　center；　but　again　at　the　extremities；　dispenser　of

all　public　employments；　not　merely　to　suggest　the　candidate　for　these

and　make　him　titular；　but　again　to　create　directly　and　at　once；　both

titular　and　candidate。





VII。　Municipal　and　general　councillors　under　the　Empire。



Quality　of　municipal　and　general　councilors　under　the　Consulate　and

the　Empire。　…　Object　of　their　meetings。　…　Limits　of　their　power。　…

Their　real　role。　…　Role　of　the　prefect　and　of　the　government。



Observe　the　selections　which　he　imposes　on　himself　beforehand；　these

selections　are　those　to　which　he　has　tied　down　the　electoral　bodies。

Being　the　substitute　of　these　bodies；　he　takes；　as　they　do；　general

councilors　from　those　in　the　department　who　pay　the　most　taxes；　and

municipal　councilors　from　those　most　taxed　in　the　canton。　One　the

other　hand；　by　virtue　of　the　municipal　law；　it　is　from　the　municipal

councilors　that　he　chooses　the　mayor。　Thus　the　local　auxiliaries　and

agents　he　employs　are　all　notables　of　the　place；　the　leading

landowners　and　largest　manufacturers　and　merchants。　He　systematically

enrolls　the　distributors　of　labor　on　his　side；　all　who；　through　their

wealth　and　residence；　through　their　enterprises　and　expenditure　on　the

spot；　exercise　local　influence　and　authority。　In　order　not　to　omit　any

of　these；　and　be　able　to　introduce　into　the　general　council　this　or

that　rich　veteran　of　the　old　régime；　or　this　or　that　parvenu　of　the

new　régime　who　is　not　rich；　he　has　reserved　to　himself　the　right　of

adding　twenty　eligible　members　to　the　list；　〃ten　of　which　must　be

taken　from　among　citizens　belonging　to　the　Legion　of　Honor；　or　having

rendered　important　services；　and　ten　taken　from　among　the　thirty　in

the　department　who　pay　the　most　taxes。〃　In　this　way　none　of　the

notables　escape　him；　he　recuits　them　as　he　pleases　and　according　to

his　needs；　now　among　men　of　the　revolution　who　he　does　not　want　to　see

discredited　or　isolated；＇24＇　now　among　men　of　the　old　monarchy　whom　he

wants　to　rally　to　himself　by　favor　or　by　force。　Such　is　the　Baron　de

Vitrolles；＇25＇　who；　without　asking　for　the　place；　becomes　mayor　of

Versailles　and　councilor…general　in　Basses…Alps；　and　then；　a　little

later；　at　his　peril；　inspector　of　the　imperial　sheepfolds。　Such　is　the

Count　de　Villèle；　who；　on　returning　to　his　estate　of　Morville；　after

an　absence　of　fourteen　years；　suddenly；　〃before　having　determined

where　he　would　live；　either　in　town　or　in　the　country；〃　finds　himself

mayor　of　Morville。　To　make　room　for　him；　his　predecessor　is　removed

and　the　latter；　〃who；　since　the　commencement　of　the　Revolution；　has

performed　the　functions　of　mayor；〃　is　let　down　to　the　post　of

assistant。　Shortly　after　this　the　government　appoints　M。　de　Villèle

president　of　the　cantonal　assembly。　Naturally　the　assembly；　advised

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；＇