the origins of contemporary france-5-第74章

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*　the　ruin　and　distress　of　the　communes。＇13＇



In　contrast　with　this；　and　through　disgust；　the　new　Régime　takes　the

other　side；　and　even　goes　to　the　other　extreme；　the　central　State；　in

1800；　no　longer　a　party　that　has　resigned；　as　formerly；　becomes　the

interloper。　Not　only　does　it　take　back　from　local　communities　the

portion　of　the　public　domain　which　had　been　imprudently　conceded　to

them；　but；　again；　it　lays　its　hand　on　their　private　domain；　it

attaches　them　to　it　by　way　of　appendices；　while　its　systematic；

uniform　usurpation；　accomplished　at　one　blow；　spread　over　the　whole

territory；　again　plunges　them　all；　communes　and　departments　alike；

into　a　chaos　in　which；　under　the　old　monarchy；　they　would　never　have

fallen。



Before　1789；　collective　legal　entities　（persons）；　provincial　and

communal；　still　existed。　On　the　one　hand；　five　or　six　great　local

bodies；　represented　by　elective　assemblies；　full　of　life　and

spontaneously　active；　among　others　those　of　Languedoc　and　Brittany；

still　provided　for　and　governed　themselves。　The　other　provinces；　which

the　central　power　had　reduced　to　administrative　districts；　retained；

at　least；　their　historic　cohesion；　their　time…honored　name；　the　lament

for；　or　at　least　the　souvenir　of；　their　former　autonomy；　and；　here　and

there；　a　few　vestiges　or　fragments　of　their　lost　independence；　and；

better　yet；　these　old；　paralyzed；　but　not　mutilated　bodies；　had　just

assumed　new　life；　and　under　their　renewed　organism　were　striving　to

give　the　blood　in　their　veins　a　fresh　start。　Twenty…one　provincial

assemblies；　instituted　over　the　entire　territory；　between　1778　and

1787；　and　provided　with　powers　of　considerable　importance；　undertook；

each　in　its　own　sphere；　to　direct　provincial　interests。　Communal

interest；　also；　had　its　representatives　in　the　urban　or　rural

communes。　In　the　towns；　a　deliberative　assembly；　composed　of　the

leading　notables　and　of　delegates　elected　by　all　the　corporations　and

communities　in　the　place；　formed　an　intermittent　municipal　council　the

same　as　to…day；　but　much　more　ample；　which　voted　and　passed

resolutions　on　important　occasions；　there　was　a　board　of　management　at

the　head　of　it；　〃the　town　corps；〃　comprising　the　various　municipal

officials；　the　mayor；　his　lieutenant；　sheriffs；　prosecuting　attorney；

treasurer；　and　clerk；＇14＇　now　elected　by　the　deliberative　assembly；

now　the　legal　purchasers；　heirs；　and　proprietors　of　their　office；　the

same　as　a　notary　or　advocate　of　to…day　owns　his　office；　protected

against　administrative　caprices　by　a　royal　acquittance；　and；　for　a

money　consideration；　titular　in　their　towns；　the　same　as　a

parliamentarian　in　his　parliament；　and　hence　planted　in；　or　grafted

upon；　the　commune　like　a　parliamentarian　among　his　peers；　and；　like

him；　defenders　of　local　interests　against　the　central　power。　…　In　the

village；　the　heads　of　families　met　together　on　the　public　square；

deliberated　in　common　over　common　affairs；　elected　the　syndic；

likewise　the　collectors　of　the　taille；　and　deputies　to　the　intendant；

of　their　own　accord；　but　with　his　approval；　they　taxed　themselves　for

the　support　of　the　school；　for　repairs　to　the　church　or　fountain；　and

for　beginning　or　carrying　on　a　suit　in　court。　…　All　these　remains　of

the　ancient　provincial　and　communal　initiative；　respected　or　tolerated

by　monarchical　centralization；　are　crushed　out　and　extinguished。　The

First　Consul　very　soon　falls　upon　these　local　societies　and　seizes

them　in　his　claws；　in　the　eyes　of　the　new　legislator　they　scarcely

seem　to　exist；　there　must　not　be　any　local　personalities　for　him。　The

commune　and　department；　in　his　eyes；　are　merely　territorial　districts；

physical　portions　of　the　public　domain；　provincial　workshops　to　which

the　central　State　transfers　and　uses　its　tools；　in　order　to　work

effectively　and　on　the　spot。　Here；　as　elsewhere；　he　takes　the　business

entirely　in　his　own　hands；　if　he　employs　interested　parties　it　is　only

as　auxiliaries；　at　odd　times；　for　a　few　days；　to　operate　with　more

discernment　and　more　economy；　to　listen　to　complaints　and　promises；　to

become　better　informed　and　the　better　to　apportion　changes；　but；

except　this　occasional　and　subordinate　help；　the　members　of　the　local

society　must　remain　passive　in　the　local　society；　they　are　to　pay　and

obey；　and　nothing　more。　Their　community　no　longer　belongs　to　them；　but

to　the　government；　its　chiefs　are　functionaries　who　depend　on　him；　and

not　on　it；　it　no　longer　issues　its　mandate；　all　its　legal　mandatories；

all　its　representatives　and　directors；　municipal　or　general

councilors；　mayors；　sub…prefects　or　prefects；　are　imposed　on　it　from

above；　by　a　foreign　hand；　and；　willingly　or　not；　instead　of　choosing

them；　it　has　to　put　up　with　them。





VI。　Local　Elections　under　the　First　Consul。



Lists　of　notables。　…　Sénatus…consultes　of　the　year　X。　…　Liberal

institution　becomes　a　reigning　instrument。　…　Mechanism　of　the　system

of　appointments　and　candidatures。　…　Decree　of　1806　and　suppression　of

candidatures。



At　the　beginning；　an　effort　was　made　to　put　in　practice　the

constitutional　principle　proposed　by　Sieyès：　Power　in　future；

according　the　accepted　formula；　must　come　from　above　and　confidence

from　below。　To　this　end；　in　the　year　IX；　the　assembled　citizens

appointed　one…tenth　of　their　number；　about　500；000　communal　notables；

and　these；　likewise　assembled；　appointed　also　one…tenth　of　their

number；　about　50；000　departmental　notables。　The　government　selected

from　this　list　the　municipal　councilors　of　each　commune；　and；　from

this　second　list；　the　general　councilors　of　each　department。　…　The

machine；　however；　is　clumsy；　difficult　to　set　going；　still　more

difficult　to　manage；　and　too　unreliable　in　its　operation。　According　to

the　First　Consul；　it　is　an　absurd　system；　〃a　childish　piece　of

ideology；　a　great　nation　should　not　be　organized　in　this　way。〃＇15＇　At

bottom；＇16＇　〃he　does　not　want　notables　accepted　by　the　nation。　In　his

system；　he　is　to　declare　who　the　notables　of　the　nation　shall　be　and

stamp　them　with　the　seal　of　the　State；　it　is　not　for　the　nation　to

present　them　to　the　head　of　the　State　stamped　with　the　national　seal。〃

Consequently；　at　the　end　of　a　year；　he　becomes；　through　the

establishment　of　electoral　colleges；　the　veritable　grand…elector　of

all　the　notables；　he　has　transformed；　with　his　usual　address；　a

liberal　institution　into　a　reigning　instrumentality。＇17＇

Provisionally；　he　holds　on　to　the　list　of　communal　notables；　〃because

it　is　the　work　of　the　people；　the　result　of　a　grand　movement　which

must　not　prove　useless；　and　because；　moreover；　it　contains　a　large

number　of　names。　。　。　。　offering　a　wide　margin　from　which　to　make　good

selections。＇18＇　He　brings　together　these　notables　in　each　canton；　and

invites　them　to　designate　their　trusty　men；　the　candidates　from　which

he　will　choose　municipal　councilors。　But；　as　there　are　very　few

cultivated　men　in　the　rural　districts；　〃nearly　always　it　is　the　old

seignior　who　would　get　himself　designated〃；＇19＇　it　is　essential　that

the　hand　of　the　government　should　not　be　forced；　that　its　faculty　of

choosing　should　not　be　restricted。　Thus；　the　presentation　of　municipal

councilors　of　that　category　must　cease；　there　must　no　longer　be　any

preliminary　candidates。　Now；　according　the　sénatus…consulte；　this

category　is　a　large　one；　for　it　comprises　all　communes　of　less　than

5000　souls；　and　therefore　over　35；000　municipal　councils　out　of

36；000；　whose　members　are　appointed　arbitrarily；　without　the　citizens

whom　they　represent　taking　any　part　in　their　nomination。　…　Four　or

five　hundred　average　or　large　communes　still　remain；　in　which　for　each

municipal　post；　the　cantonal　assembly　designates　two　candidates

between　whom　the　government　chooses。　Let　us　see　this　assembly　duly

installed　and　at　work。



Its　president；　as　a　precautionary　step；　is　imposed　upon　it。　He　is

appointed　in　advance　by　the　government；　and　is　well　informed　as　to

what　the　government　wants。　He　alone　controls　the　police　of　the　chamber

and　the　order　of　all　deliberations。　On　opening　the　session；　he　draws　a

list　from　his　pocket；　which　list；　furnished　by　the　government；

contains　the　names　of　one　hundred　of　the　heaviest　taxpayers　of　the

canton；　from　whom　the　assembly　must　select　its　candidates。　The　lists

lies　spread　out　on　the　table；　and　the　electors　advance　in　turn；　spell

the　names；　and　try　to　read　it　over。　The　president　would　not　be　very

adroit　and　show　but　little　zeal　did　he　not　help　them　in　reading　it；

and　if　he　did　not　point　out　by　some　sign；　a　tone　of　the　voice；　or　even

a　direct　word；　what　names　were　agreeable　to　the　government。　Now；　this

government；　which　has　five　hundred　thousand　bayonets　at　command；

dislikes　opposition：　the　electors　know　it；　and　look　twice　before

expressing　any　counter　opinion；　it　is　very　probable　that　most　of　the

names　suggested　by　the　government　are　found　on　their　ballots；　were

only　one…half　of　them　there；　these　would　suffice；　of　the　two

candidates　proposed　for　each　place；　if　one　is　acceptable　this　one　will

be　elected；　after　making　him　a　candidate　the　government　makes　sure

that　he　will　become　titular。　The　first　act　of　the　electoral　comedy　is

played；　and　it　is　not　long　before　no　trouble　whatever　is　taken　to　play

it。　After　January；　1806；　by　virtue　of　a　decree　which　has　passed

himself；　Napoleon　is　the　only　one＇20＇　who　will　directly　fill　every

vacancy　in　the　municipal　councils；　from　now　on　these　councils　are　to

owe　their　existence　wholly　to　him。　The　two　qualities　which　constitute

them；　and　which；　according　to　Sieyès；　are　derived　from　two　distinct

sources；　are　now　derived　from　only　one　source。　Only　the　Emperor　can

confer　upon　them　both　public　confidence　and　legal　power。



The　second　act　of　the　comedy　begins；　this　act　is　more　complicated；　and

comprises　several　scenes　which　end；　some　of　them；　in　the　appointment

of　the　arrondissement　councils；　and　others　in　that　of　the　council…

general　of　the　department。　We　will　take　only　the　latter；　the　most

important；＇21＇　there　are　two；　one　following　the　other；　and　in

different　places。　…　The　first　one＇22＇　is　played　in　the　cantonal

assembly　above　described；　the　president；　who　has　just　directed　the

choice　of　municipal　candidates；　draws　from　his　portfolio　another　list；

likewise　furnished　to　him　by　the　prefect；　and　on　which　six　hundred

names　of　those　who　pay　the　heaviest　taxes　in　the　department　are

printed。　It　is　from　among　these　six　hundred　that　the　cantonal　assembly

must　elect　ten　or　twelve　members　who；　with　their　fellows；　chosen　in

the　same　way　by　the　other　cantonal　assemblies；　will　form　the　electoral

college　of　the　department；　and　take　their　seats　at　the　chief　town　of

the　prefecture。　This　time　again；　the　president；　who　is　the　responsible

leader　of　the　cantonal　flock；　takes　care　to　conduct　it；　his　finger　on

the　list　indicates　to　the　electors　which　names　the　government　prefers；

if　need　be；　he　adds　a　word　to　the　sign　he　makes；　and；　pro