bureaucracy-第56章

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'solution　of　continuity'　between　the　government　and　the

administration。〃



A　deputy。　〃In　what　way？〃



The　Minister。　〃In　many　ways。　A　minister　will　want　to　serve　the　public

good；　and　will　not　be　allowed　to　do　so。　You　will　create　interminable

delays　between　things　and　their　results。　You　may　perhaps　render　the

theft　of　a　penny　actually　impossible；　but　you　cannot　prevent　the

buying　and　selling　of　influence；　the　collusions　of　self…interest。　The

day　will　come　when　nothing　will　be　conceded　without　secret

stipulations；　which　may　never　see　the　light。　Moreover；　the　clerks；　one

and　all；　from　the　least　to　the　greatest；　are　acquiring　opinions　of

their　own；　they　will　soon　be　no　longer　the　hands　of　a　brain；　the

scribes　of　governmental　thought；　the　Opposition　even　now　tends　towards

giving　them　a　right　to　judge　the　government　and　to　talk　and　vote

against　it。〃



Baudoyer　＇in　a　low　voice；　but　meaning　to　be　heard＇。　〃Monseigneur　is

really　fine。〃



Des　Lupeaulx。　〃Of　course　bureaucracy　has　its　defects。　I　myself　think

it　slow　and　insolent；　it　hampers　ministerial　action；　stifles　projects；

and　arrests　progress。　But；　after　all；　French　administration　is

amazingly　useful。〃



Baudoyer。　〃Certainly！〃



Des　Lupeaulx。　〃If　only　to　maintain　the　paper　and　stamp　industries！

Suppose　it　is　rather　fussy　and　provoking；　like　all　good　housekeepers；

it　can　at　any　moment　render　an　account　of　its　disbursements。　Where

is　the　merchant　who　would　not　gladly　give　five　per　cent　of　his　entire

capital　if　he　could　insure　himself　against　LEAKAGE？〃



The　Deputy　＇a　manufacturer＇。　〃The　manufacturing　interests　of　all

nations　would　joyfully　unite　against　that　evil　genius　of　theirs　called

leakage。〃



Des　Lupeaulx。　〃After　all；　though　statistics　are　the　childish　foible　of

modern　statesmen；　who　think　that　figures　are　estimates；　we　must　cipher

to　estimate。　Figures　are；　moreover；　the　convincing　argument　of

societies　based　on　self…interest　and　money；　and　that　is　the　sort　of

society　the　Charter　has　given　us；in　my　opinion；　at　any　rate。　Nothing

convinces　the　'intelligent　masses'　as　much　as　a　row　of　figures。　All

things　in　the　long　run；　say　the　statesmen　of　the　Left；　resolve

themselves　into　figures。　Well　then；　let　us　figure〃　＇the　minister　here

goes　off　into　a　corner　with　a　deputy；　to　whom　he　talks　in　a　low

voice＇。　〃There　are　forty　thousand　government　clerks　in　France。　The

average　of　their　salaries　is　fifteen　hundred　francs。　Multiply　forty

thousand　by　fifteen　hundred　and　you　have　sixty　millions。　Now；　in　the

first　place；　a　publicist　would　call　the　attention　of　Russia　and　China

（where　all　government　officials　steal）；　also　that　of　Austria；　the

American　republics；　and　indeed　that　of　the　whole　world；　to　the　fact

that　for　this　price　France　possesses　the　most　inquisitorial；　fussy；

ferreting；　scribbling；　paper…blotting；　fault…finding　old　housekeeper

of　a　civil　service　on　God's　earth。　Not　a　copper　farthing　of　the

nation's　money　is　spent　or　hoarded　that　is　not　ordered　by　a　note；

proved　by　vouchers；　produced　and　re…produced　on　balance…sheets；　and

receipted　for　when　paid；　orders　and　receipts　are　registered　on　the

rolls；　and　checked　and　verified　by　an　army　of　men　in　spectacles。　If

there　is　the　slightest　mistake　in　the　form　of　these　precious

documents；　the　clerk　is　terrified；　for　he　lives　on　such　minutiae。　Some

nations　would　be　satisfied　to　get　as　far　as　this；　but　Napoleon　went

further。　That　great　organizer　appointed　supreme　magistrates　of　a　court

which　is　absolutely　unique　in　the　world。　These　officials　pass　their

days　in　verifying　money…orders；　documents；　roles；　registers；　lists；

permits；　custom…house　receipts；　payments；　taxes　received；　taxes　spent；

etc。；　all　of　which　the　clerks　write　or　copy。　These　stern　judges　push

the　gift　of　exactitude；　the　genius　of　inquisition；　the　sharp…

sightedness　of　lynxes；　the　perspicacity　of　account…books　to　the　point

of　going　over　all　the　additions　in　search　of　subtractions。　These

sublime　martyrs　to　figures　have　been　known　to　return　to　an　army

commissary；　after　a　delay　of　two　years；　some　account　in　which　there

was　an　error　of　two　farthings。　This　is　how　and　why　it　is　that　the

French　system　of　administration；　the　purest　and　best　on　the　globe　has

rendered　robbery；　as　his　Excellency　has　just　told　you；　next　to

impossible；　and　as　for　peculation；　it　is　a　myth。　France　at　this

present　time　possesses　a　revenue　of　twelve　hundred　millions；　and　she

spends　it。　That　sum　enters　her　treasury；　and　that　sum　goes　out　of　it。

She　handles；　therefore；　two　thousand　four　hundred　millions；　and　all

she　pays　for　the　labor　of　those　who　do　the　work　is　sixty　millions；

two　and　a　half　per　cent；　and　for　that　she　obtains　the　certainty　that

there　is　no　leakage。　Our　political　and　administrative　kitchen　costs　us

sixty　millions；　but　the　gendarmerie；　the　courts　of　law；　the　galleys

and　the　police　cost　just　as　much；　and　give　no　return。　Moreover；　we

employ　a　body　of　men　who　could　do　no　other　work。　Waste　and　disorder；

if　such　there　be；　can　only　be　legislative；　the　Chambers　lead　to　them

and　render　them　legal。　Leakage　follows　in　the　form　of　public　works

which　are　neither　urgent　nor　necessary；　troops　re…uniformed　and

gold…laced　over　and　over　again；　vessels　sent　on　useless　cruises；

preparations　for　war　without　ever　making　it；　paying　the　debts　of　a

State；　and　not　requiring　reimbursement　or　insisting　on　security。〃



Baudoyer。　〃But　such　leakage　has　nothing　to　do　with　the　subordinate

officials；　this　bad　management　of　national　affairs　concerns　the

statesmen　who　guide　the　ship。〃



The　Minister　＇who　has　finished　his　conversation＇。　〃There　is　a　great

deal　of　truth　in　what　des　Lupeaulx　has　just　said；　but　let　me　tell　you〃

＇to　Baudoyer＇；　〃Monsieur　le　directeur；　that　few　men　see　from　the

standpoint　of　a　statesman。　To　order　expenditure　of　all　kinds；　even

useless　ones；　does　not　constitute　bad　management。　Such　acts　contribute

to　the　movement　of　money；　the　stagnation　of　which　becomes；　especially

in　France；　dangerous　to　the　public　welfare；　by　reason　of　the　miserly

and　profoundly　illogical　habits　of　the　provinces　which　hoard　their

gold。〃



The　Deputy　＇who　listened　to　des　Lupeaulx＇。　〃But　it　seems　to　me　that　if

your　Excellency　was　right　just　now；　and　if　our　clever　friend　here〃

＇takes　Lupeaulx　by　the　arm＇　〃was　not　wrong；　it　will　be　difficult　to

come　to　any　conclusion　on　the　subject。〃



Des　Lupeaulx　＇after　looking　at　the　minister＇。　〃No　doubt　something

ought　to　be　done。〃



De　la　Briere　＇timidly＇。　〃Monsieur　Rabourdin　seems　to　have　judged

rightly。〃



The　Minister。　〃I　will　see　Rabourdin。〃



Des　Lupeaulx。　〃The　poor　man　made　the　blunder　of　constituting　himself

supreme　judge　of　the　administration　and　of　all　the　officials　who

compose　it；　he　wants　to　do　away　with　the　present　state　of　things；　and

he　demands　that　there　be　only　three　ministries。〃



The　Minister。　〃He　must　be　crazy。〃



The　Deputy。　〃How　do　you　represent　in　three　ministries　the　heads　of　all

the　parties　in　the　Chamber？〃



Baudoyer　＇with　an　air　that　he　imagined　to　be　shrewd＇。　〃Perhaps

Monsieur　Rabourdin　desired　to　change　the　Constitution；　which　we　owe　to

our　legislative　sovereign。〃



The　Minister　＇thoughtful；　takes　La　Briere's　arm　and　leads　him　into　the

study＇。　〃I　want　to　see　that　work　of　Rabourdin's；　and　as　you　know　about

it〃



De　la　Briere。　〃He　has　burned　it。　You　allowed　him　to　be　dishonored　and

he　has　resigned　from　the　ministry。　Do　not　think　for　a　moment；

Monseigneur；　that　Rabourdin　ever　had　the　absurd　thought　（as　des

Lupeaulx　tries　to　make　it　believed）　to　change　the　admirable

centralization　of　power。〃



The　Minister　＇to　himself＇。　〃I　have　made　a　mistake〃　＇is　silent　a

moment＇。　〃No　matter；　we　shall　never　be　lacking　in　plans　for　reform。〃



De　la　Briere。　〃It　is　not　ideas；　but　men　capable　of　executing　them　that

we　lack。〃



Des　Lupeaulx；　that　adroit　advocate　of　abuses　came　into　the　minister's

study　at　this　moment。



〃Monseigneur；　I　start　at　once　for　my　election。〃



〃Wait　a　moment；〃