the origins of contemporary france-1-第122章

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just　been　described。　　Accordingly；　〃in　Normandy；〃　says　the　Rouen

parliament；＇33＇　〃unfortunates　without　bread　are　daily　objects　of

seizure；　sale　and　execution。〃



But　if　the　rigor　is　as　great　as　in　the　matter　of　the　taille；　the

vexations　are　ten　times　greater；　for　these　are　domestic；　minute　and　of

daily　occurrence。　　…　　It　is　forbidden　to　divert　an　ounce　of　the　seven

obligatory　pounds　to　any　use　but　that　of　the　〃pot　and　the　salt…

cellar。〃　If　a　villager　should　economize　the　salt　of　his　soup　to　make

brine　for　a　piece　of　pork；　with　a　view　to　winter　consumption；　let　him

look　out　for　the　collecting…clerks！　His　pork　is　confiscated　and　the

fine　is　three　hundred　livres。　　The　man　must　come　to　the　warehouse　and

purchase　other　salt；　make　a　declaration；　carry　off　a　certificate　and

show　this　at　every　visit　of　inspection。　　So　much　the　worse　for　him　if

he　has　not　the　wherewithal　to　pay　for　this　supplementary　salt；　he　has

only　to　sell　his　pig　and　abstain　from　meat　at　Christmas。　　This　is　the

more　frequent　case；　and　I　dare　say　that；　for　the　métayers　who　pay

twenty…five　francs　per　annum；　it　is　the　usual　case。　　　…　　It　is

forbidden　to　make　use　of　any　other　salt　for　the　pot　and　salt…cellar

than　that　of　the　seven　pounds。　　〃I　am　able　to　cite；〃　says　Letrosne；

〃two　sisters　residing　one　league　from　a　town　in　which　the　warehouse　is

open　only　on　Saturday。　　Their　supply　was　exhausted。　　To　pass　three　or

four　days　until　Saturday　comes　they　boil　a　remnant　of　brine　from　which

they　extract　a　few　ounces　of　salt。　　A　visit　from　the　clerk　ensues　and　a

procès…verbal。　　Having　friends　and　protectors　this　costs　them　only

forty…eight　livres。〃　　　…　　It　is　forbidden　to　take　water　from　the　ocean

and　from　other　saline　sources；　under　a　penalty　of　from　twenty　to　forty

livres　fine。　　It　is　forbidden　to　water　cattle　in　marshes　and　other

places　containing　salt；　under　penalty　of　confiscation　and　a　fine　of

three　hundred　livres。　　It　is　forbidden　to　put　salt　into　the　bellies　of

mackerel　on　returning　from　fishing；　or　between　their　superposed

layers。　　An　order　prescribes　one　pound　and　a　half　to　a　barrel。　　Another

order　prescribes　the　destruction　annually　of　the　natural　salt　formed

in　certain　cantons　in　Provence。　　Judges　are　prohibited　from　moderating

or　reducing　the　penalties　imposed　in　salt　cases；　under　penalty　of

accountability　and　of　deposition。　　　…　　I　pass　over　quantities　of

orders　and　prohibitions；　existing　by　hundreds。　　This　legislation

encompasses　tax…payers　like　a　net　with　a　thousand　meshes；　while　the

official　who　casts　it　is　interested　in　finding　them　at　fault。　　We　see

the　fisherman；　accordingly；　unpacking　his　barrel；　the　housewife

seeking　a　certificate　for　her　hams；　the　exciseman　inspecting　the

buffet；　testing　the　brine；　peering　into　the　salt…box　and；　if　it　is　of

good　quality；　declaring　it　contraband　because　that　of　the　ferme；　the

only　legitimate　salt；　is　usually　adulterated　and　mixed　with　plaster。



Meanwhile；　other　officials；　those　of　the　excise；　descend　into　the

cellar。　　None　are　more　formidable；　nor　who　more　eagerly　seize　on

pretexts　for　delinquency＇34＇。　　〃Let　a　citizen　charitably　bestow　a

bottle　of　wine　on　a　poor　feeble　creature　and　he　is　liable　to

prosecution　and　to　excessive　penalties。　　。　　。　　。　　The　poor　invalid　that

may　interest　his　curate　in　the　begging　of　a　bottle　of　wine　for　him

will　undergo　a　trial；　ruining　not　alone　the　unfortunate　man　that

obtains　it；　but　again　the　benefactor　who　gave　it　to　him。　　This　is　not　a

fancied　story。〃　By　virtue　of　the　right　of　deficient　revenue　the　clerks

may；　at　any　hour；　take　an　inventory　of　wine　on　hand；　even　the　stores

of　a　vineyard　proprietor；　indicate　what　he　may　consume；　tax　him　for

the　rest　and　for　the　surplus　quantity　already　drunk；　the　ferme　thus

associating　itself　with　the　wine…producer　and　claiming　its　portion　of

his　production。　　　…　　In　a　vine…yard　at　Epernay＇35＇　on　four　casks　of

wine；　the　average　product　of　one　arpent；　and　worth　six　hundred　francs；

it　levies；　at　first；　thirty　francs；　and　then；　after　the　sale　of　the

four　casks；　seventy　five　francs　additionally。　　Naturally；　〃the

inhabitants　resort　to　the　shrewdest　and　best　planned　artifices　to

escape〃　such　potent　rights。　　But　the　clerks　are　alert；　watchful；　and

well…informed；　and　they　pounce　down　unexpectedly　on　every　suspected

domicile；　their　instructions　prescribe　frequent　inspections　and　exact

registries　〃enabling　them　to　see　at　a　glance　the　condition　of　the

cellar　of　each　inhabitant。〃＇36＇　　…　　The　manufacturer　having　paid　up；

the　merchant　now　has　his　turn。　　The　latter；　on　sending　the　four　casks

to　the　consumer　　…　　again　pays　seventy…five　francs　to　the　ferme。　　The

wine　is　dispatched　and　the　ferme　prescribes　the　roads　by　which　it　must

go；　should　others　be　taken　it　is　confiscated；　and　at　every　step　on　the

way　some　payment　must　be　made。　　〃A　boat　laden　with　wine　from

Languedoc；＇37＇　Dauphiny　or　Roussillon；　ascending　the　Rhone　and

descending　the　Loire　to　reach　Paris；　through　the　Briare　canal；　pays　on

the　way；　leaving　out　charges　on　the　Rhone；　from　thirty…five　to　forty

kinds　of　duty；　not　comprising　the　charges　on　entering　Paris。〃　It　pays

these　〃at　fifteen　or　sixteen　places；　the　multiplied　payments　obliging

the　carriers　to　devote　twelve　or　fifteen　days　more　to　the　passage　than

they　otherwise　would　if　their　duties　could　be　paid　at　one　bureau。〃　　　…

The　charges　on　the　routes　by　water　are　particularly　heavy。　　〃From

Pontarlier　to　Lyons　there　are　twenty…five　or　thirty　tolls；　from　Lyons

to　Aigues…Mortes　there　are　others；　so　that　whatever　costs　ten　sous　in

Burgundy；　amounts　to　fifteen　and　eighteen　sous　at　Lyons；　and　to　over

twenty…five　sous　at　Aigues…Mortes。〃　　　…　　The　wine　at　last　reaches　the

barriers　of　the　city　where　it　is　to　be　drunk。　　Here　it　pays　an

octroi＇38＇　of　forty…seven　francs　per　hogshead。　　　…　　Entering　Paris　it

goes　into　the　tapster's　or　innkeeper's　cellar　where　it　again　pays　from

thirty　to　forty　francs　for　the　duty　on　selling　it　at　retail；　at　Rethel

the　duty　is　from　fifty　to　sixty　francs　per　puncheon；　Rheims　gauge。　　　…

The　total　is　exorbitant。　　〃At　Rennes；＇39＇　the　dues　and　duties　on　a

hogshead　（or　barrel）　of　Bordeaux　wine；　together　with　a　fifth　over　and

above　the　tax；　local　charges；　eight　sous　per　pound　and　the　octroi；

amount　to　more　than　seventy…two　livres　exclusive　of　the　purchase

money；　to　which　must　be　added　the　expenses　and　duties　advanced　by　the

Rennes　merchant　and　which　he　recovers　from　the　purchaser；　Bordeaux

drayage；　freight；　insurance；　tolls　of　the　flood…gate；　entrance　duty

into　the　town；　hospital　dues；　fees　of　gaugers；　brokers　and　inspectors。

The　total　outlay　for　the　tapster　who　sells　a　barrel　of　wine　amounts　to

two　hundred　livres。〃　We　may　imagine　whether；　at　this　price；　the　people

of　Rennes　drink　it；　while　these　charges　fall　on　the　wine…grower；

since；　if　consumers　do　not　purchase；　he　is　unable　to　sell。



Accordingly；　among　the　small　growers；　he　is　the　most　to　be　pitied；

according　to　the　testimony　of　Arthur　Young；　wine…grower　and　misery　are

two　synonymous　terms。　　The　crop　often　fails；　〃every　doubtful　crop

ruining　the　man　without　capital。〃　In　Burgundy；　in　Berry；　in

Soisonnais；　in　the　Trois…Evêche's；　in　Champagne；＇40＇　I　find　in　every

report　that　he　lacks　bread　and　lives　on　alms。　　In　Champagne；　the

syndics　of　Bar…sur…Aube　write＇41＇　that　the　inhabitants；　to　escape

duties；　have　more　than　once　emptied　their　wine　into　the　river；　the

provincial　assembly　declaring　that　〃in　the　greater　portion　of　the

province　the　slightest　augmentation　of　duties　would　cause　the

cultivators　to　desert　the　soil。〃　　　…　　Such　is　the　history　of　wine

under　the　ancient　regime。　　From　the　producer　who　grows　to　the　tapster

who　sells；　what　extortions　and　what　vexations！　As　to　the　salt…tax；

according　to　the　comptroller…general；＇42＇　this　annually　produces　4；000

domiciliary　seizures；　3；400　imprisonments；　500　sentences　to　flogging；

exile　and　the　galleys。　　　…



If　ever　two　taxes　were　well　combined；　not　only　to　despoil；　but　also

to　irritate　the　peasantry；　the　poor　a