the origins of contemporary france-1-第111节

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One　word　more　to　complete　the　picture。　　People　seek　shelter　in　the

towns　and；　indeed；　compared　with　the　country；　the　towns　are　a　refuge。

But　misery　accompanies　the　poor；　for；　on　the　one　hand；　they　are

involved　in　debt；　and；　on　the　other；　the　closed　circles　administering

municipal　affairs　impose　taxation　on　the　poor。　　The　towns　being

oppressed　by　the　fisc；　they　in　their　turn　oppress　the　people　by

passing　to　them　the　load　which　the　king　had　imposed。　　Seven　times　in

twenty…eight　years＇64＇　he　withdraws　and　re…sells　the　right　of

appointing　their　municipal　officers；　and；　to　get　rid　of　〃this　enormous

financial　burden；〃　the　towns　double　their　octrois。　　At　present；

although　liberated；　they　still　make　payment；　the　annual　charge　has

become　a　perpetual　charge；　never　does　the　fisc　release　its　hold；　once

beginning　to　suck　it　continues　to　suck。　　〃Hence；　in　Brittany；〃　says　an

intendant；　〃not　a　town　is　there　whose　expenses　are　not　greater　than

its　revenue。〃＇65＇　　They　are　unable　to　mend　their　pavements；　and　repair

their　streets；　〃the　approaches　to　them　being　almost　impracticable。〃

What　could　they　do　for　self…support；　obliged；　as　they　are；　to　pay　over

again　after　having　already　paid？　Their　augmented　octrois；　in　1748；

ought　to　furnish　during　a　period　of　eleven　years　a　total　of　606；000

livres；　but；　the　eleven　years　having　lapsed；　the　tax　authorities；　in

spite　of　having　been　paid；　still　maintains　its　exigencies；　and　to　such

an　extent　that；　in　1774；　they　have　contributed　2；071；052　livres；　the

provisional　octroi　being　still　maintained。　　　…　　Now；　this　exorbitant

octroi　bears　heavily　everywhere　on　the　most　indispensable　necessities；

the　artisan　being　more　heavily　burdened　than　the　bourgeois。　　In　Paris；

as　we　have　seen　above；　wine　pays　forty…seven　livres　a　hogshead

entrance　duty　which；　at　the　present　standard　of　value；　must　be

doubled。　　〃A　turbot；　taken　on　the　coast　at　Harfleur　and　brought　by

post；　pays　an　entrance　duty　of　eleven　times　its　value；　the　people　of

the　capital　therefore　being　condemned　to　dispense　with　fish　from　the

sea。〃＇66＇　　At　the　gates　of　Paris；　in　the　little　parish　of

Aubervilliers；　I　find　〃excessive　duties　on　hay；　straw；　seeds；　tallow；

candles；　eggs；　sugar；　fish；　faggots　and　firewood。〃＇67＇　Compiegne　pays

the　whole　amount　of　its　taille　by　means　of　a　tax　on　beverages　and

cattle＇68＇。　　〃In　Toul　and　in　Verdun　the　taxes　are　so　onerous　that　but

few　consent　to　remain　in　the　town；　except　those　kept　there　by　their

offices　and　by　old　habits。〃＇69＇　　At　Coulommiers；　〃the　merchants　and

the　people　are　so　severely　taxed　they　dread　undertaking　any

enterprise。〃　Popular　hatred　everywhere　is　profound　against　octroi；

barrier　and　clerk。　　The　bourgeois　oligarchy　everywhere　first　cares　for

itself　before　caring　for　those　it　governs。　　At　Nevers　and　at

Moulins；＇70＇　〃all　rich　persons　find　means　to　escape　their　turn　to

collect　taxes　by　belonging　to　different　commissions　or　through　their

influence　with　the　élus；　to　such　an　extent　that　the　collectors　of

Nevers；　of　the　present　and　preceding　year；　might　be　mistaken　for　real

beggars；　there　is　hardly　any　small　village　whose　tax　collectors　are

solvent；　since　the　tenant　farmers　（métayers）　have　had　to　be

appointed。〃　At　Angers；　〃independent　of　presents　and　candles；　which

annually　consume　2；172　livres；　the　public　pence　are　employed　and

wasted　in　clandestine　outlays　according　to　the　fancy　of　the　municipal

officers。〃　In　Provence；　where　the　communities　are　free　to　tax

themselves　and　where　they　might　be　expected　to　show　some　consideration

for　the　poor；　〃most　of　the　towns；　and　notably　Aix；　Marseilles　and

Toulon；＇71＇　pay　their　impositions；〃　local　and　general；　〃exclusively　by

the　tax　called　the　〃piquet。〃　This　is　a　tax　〃on　all　species　of　flour

belonging　to　and　consumed　on　the　territory；〃　for　example；　of　254；897

livres；　which　Toulon　expends；　the　piquet　furnishes　233；405。　　Thus　the

taxation　falls　wholly　on　the　people；　while　the　bishop；　the　marquis；

the　president；　the　merchant　of　importance　pay　less　on　their　dinner　of

delicate　fish　and　becaficos　than　the　caulker　or　porter　on　his　two

pounds　of　bread　rubbed　with　a　piece　of　garlic！　Bread　in　this　country

is　already　too　dear！　And　the　quality　is　so　poor　that　Malouet；　the

intendant　of　the　marine；　refuses　to　let　his　workmen　eat　it！



〃Sire；〃　said　M。　de　la　Fare；　bishop　of　Nancy；　from　his　pulpit；　May

4th；　1789；　〃Sire；　the　people　over　which　you　reign　has　given

unmistakable　proofs　of　its　patience。　　。　　。　　。　　They　are　martyrs　in　whom

life　seems　to　have　been　allowed　to　remain　to　enable　them　to　suffer　the

longer。〃







VIII。　　COMPLAINTS　IN　THE　REGISTERS＇72＇。





〃I　am　miserable　because　too　much　is　taken　from　me。　　Too　much　is

taken　from　me　because　not　enough　is　taken　from　the　privileged。　　Not

only　do　the　privileged　force　me　to　pay　in　their　place；　but；　again；

they　previously　deduct　from　my　earnings　their　ecclesiastic　and　feudal

dues。　　When；　out　of　my　income　of　100　francs；　I　have　parted　with　fifty…

three　francs；　and　more；　to　the　collector；　I　am　obliged　again　to　give

fourteen　francs　to　the　seignior；　also　more　than　fourteen　for

tithes；＇73＇　and；　out　of　the　remaining　eighteen　or　nineteen　francs；　I

have　additionally　to　satisfy　the　excise　men。　　I　alone；　a　poor　man；　pay

two　governments；　one　the　old　government；　local　and　now　absent；

useless；　inconvenient　and　humiliating；　and　active　only　through

annoyances；　exemptions　and　taxes；　and　the　other；　recent；　centralized；

everywhere　present；　which；　taking　upon　itself　all　functions；　has　vast

needs；　and　makes　my　meager　shoulders　support　its　enormous　weight。〃



These；　in　precise　terms；　are　the　vague　ideas　beginning　to　ferment

in　the　popular　brain　and　encountered　on　every　page　of　the　records　of

the　States…General。



〃Would　to　God；〃　says　a　Normandy　village；＇74＇　〃the　monarch　might

take　into　his　own　hands　the　defense　of　the　miserable　citizen　pelted

and　oppressed　by　clerks；　seigniors；　justiciary　and　clergy！〃



　〃Sire；〃　writes　a　village　in　Champagne；＇75＇　〃the　only　message　to　us

on　your　part　is　a　demand　for　money。　　We　were　led　to　believe　that　this

might　cease；　but　every　year　the　demand　comes　for　more。　　We　do　not　hold

you　responsible　for　this　because　we　love　you；　but　those　whom　you

employ；　who　better　know　how　to　manage　their　own　affairs　than　yours。　　We

believed　that　you　were　deceived　by　them　and　we；　in　our　chagrin；　said

to　ourselves；　If　our　good　king　only　knew　of　this！　。　　。　　。　　We　are　crushed

down　with　every　species　of　taxation；　thus　far　we　have　given　you　a　part

of　our　bread；　and；　should　this　continue；　we　shall　be　in　want。　　。　　。　　。

Could　you　see　the　miserable　tenements　in　which　we　live；　the　poor　food

we　eat；　you　would　feel　for　us；　this　would　prove　to　you　better　than

words　that　we　can　support　this　no　longer　and　that　it　must　be　lessened。

。　　。　　。　　That　which　grieves　us　is　that　those　who　possess　the　most；　pay

the　least。　　We　pay　the　tailles　and　for　our　implements；　while　the

ecclesiastics　and　nobles　who　own　the　best　land　pay　nothing。　　Why　do　the

rich　pay　the　least　and　the　poor　the　most？　Should　not　each　pay

according　to　his　ability？　Sire；　we　entreat　that　things　may　be　so

arranged；　for　that　is　just。　　。　　。　　。　　Did　we　dare；　we　should　undertake　to

plant　the　slopes　with　vines；　but　we　are　so　persecuted　by　the　clerks　of

the　excise　we　would　rather　pull　up　those　already　planted；　the　wine

that　we　could　make　would　all　go　to　them；　scarcely　any　of　it　remaining

for　ourselves。　　These　exactions　are　a　great　scourge　and；　to　escape

them；　we　would　rather　let　the　ground　lie　waste。　　。　　。　　。　　Relieve　us　of

all　these　extortions　and　of　the　excisemen；　we　are　great　sufferers

through　all　these　devices；　now　is　the　time　to　change　them；　never　shall

we　be　happy　as　long　as　these　last。　　We　entreat　all　this　of　you；　Sire；

along　with　others　of　your　subjects　as　wearied　as　ourselves。　　。　　。　　。　　We

would　entreat　yet　more　but　you　cannot　do　all　at　one　time。〃



Imposts　and　privileges；　in　the　really　popular　registers；　are　the

two　enemies　against　which　complaints　everywhere　arise＇76＇。



〃We　are　overwhelmed　by　demands　for　subsidies；　。　　。　　。　　we　are　burdened

with　taxes　beyond　our　strength；　。　　。　　。　　we　do　not　feel　able　to　support

any　more；　we　perish；　overpowered　by　the　sacrifices　demanded　of　us。

Labor　is　taxed　while　indolence　is　exempt。　　。　　。　　。　　Feudalism　is　the　most

disastrous　of　abuses；　the　evils　it　causes　surpassing　those　of　hail　and

lightning。　　。　　。　　。　　Subsistence　is　impossible　if　three…quarters　of　the

crops　are　to　be　taken　for　field…rents；　terrage；　etc。　　。　　。　　。　　The

proprietor　has　a　fourth　part；　the　décimateur　a　twelfth；　the　harvester

a　twelfth；　taxation　a　tenth；　not　counting　the　depredations　of　vast

quantities　of　game　which　devour　the　growing　crops：　nothing　is　left　for

the　poor　cultivator　but　pain　and　sorrow。〃



Why　should　the　Third…Estate　alone　pay　for　roads　on　which　the　nobles

and　the　clergy　drive　in　their　carriages？　Why　are　the　poor　alone

subject　to　militia　draft？　Why　does　〃the　subdelegate　cause　only　the

defensel