the origins of contemporary france-5-第76章

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established　by　law〃；＇35＇　again；　even　within　these　limits；　its　decision

can　be　carried　out　only　after　an　examination　and　approval　at　the

prefecture。　There　is　the　same　regulation　in　regard　to　expenses；　the

council；　indeed；　municipal　or　general；　is　simply　consultative；　the

government　delegates　the　mayor；　sub…prefect；　or　prefect；　who

prescribes　what　must　be　done。　As　the　preliminary　steps　are　taken　by

him；　and　he　has　constant　direction　of　the　local　council　for　two　weeks；

and　finally　the　right　of　confirmation；　he　controls　it；　and　then　for

eleven　months　and　a　half；　having　sole　charge　of　the　daily　and

consecutive　execution　of　its　acts；　he　reigns　in　the　local　community。

Undoubtedly；　having　received　and　expended　money　for　the　community；　he

is　accountable　and　will　present　his　yearly　accounts　at　the　following

session；　the　law　says＇36＇　that　in　the　commune；　〃the　municipal　council

shall　listen　to　and　may　discuss　the　account　of　municipal　receipts　and

expenses。〃　But　read　the　text　through　to　the　end；　and　note　the　part

which　the　law；　in　this　case；　assigns　to　the　municipal　council。　It

plays　the　part　of　the　chorus　in　the　antique　tragedy：　it　attends；

listens；　approves；　or　disapproves；　in　the　background　and　subordinate；

approved　or　rebuked；　the　principal　actors　remain　in　charge　and　do　as

they　please；　they　grant　or　dispute　over　its　head；　independently；　just

as　it　suits　them。　In　effect；　it　is　not　to　the　municipal　council　that

the　mayor　renders　his　accounts；　but　〃to　the　sub…prefect；　who　finally

passes　them；〃　and　gives　him　his　discharge。　Whatever　the　council　may

say；　the　approval　is　valid；　for　greater　security；　the　prefect；　if　any

councilor　proves　refractory；　〃may　suspend　from　his　functions〃　a

stubborn　fellow　like　him；　and　restore　in　the　council　the　unanimity

which　has　been　partially　disturbed。　…　In　the　department；　the　council…

general　must　likewise　〃listen〃　to　the　accounts　for　the　year；　the　law；

owing　to　a　significant　omission；　does　not　say　that　is　may　discuss

them。　Nevertheless；　a　circular　of　the　year　IX　requests　it　to　〃make

every　observation　on　the　use　of　the　additional　centimes〃　which　the

importance　of　the　subject　demands；　to　verify　whether　each　sum　debited

to　expenses　has　been　used　for　the　purpose　assigned　to　it；　and　even　〃to

reject　expenses；　stating　the　reasons　for　this　decision；　which　have　not

been　sufficiently　justified。〃　And　better　still；　the　minister；　who　is　a

liberal；　addresses　a　systematic　series　of　questions　to　the　general

councils；　on　all　important　matters；＇37＇　〃agriculture；　commerce；　and

manufactures；　asylums　and　public　charities；　public　roads　and　other

works；　public　instruction；　administration　properly　so　called；　state　of

the　number　of　population；　public　spirit　and　opinions；〃　collecting　and

printing　their　observations　and　desires。　After　the　year　IX；　however；

this　publication　stops；　it　renders　the　general　councils　too　important；

it　might　rally　the　entire　population　of　the　department　to　them　and

even　of　all　France　that　could　read；　it　might　hamper　the　prefect　and

diminish　his　ascendancy。　From　now　on；　it　is　the　prefect　alone　who

replies　to　these　questions；　and　of　which　the　government　gives　an

analysis　or　tables　of　statistics；＇38＇　then；　the　publication　of　these

ceases；　decidedly；　printing　always　has　its　drawbacks　…　manuscript

reports　are　much　better；　local　affairs　are　no　longer　transacted

outside　the　bureaus；　and　are　managed　with　closed　doors；　any　report

that　might　spread　outside　the　prefect's　cabinet　or　that　of　the

minister；　is　carefully　toned　down　or　purposely　stifled；　and；　under　the

prefect's　thumb；　the　general　council　becomes　an　automaton。



In　private；　dealing　directly　with　the　Emperor's　representative；　it

appears　as　if　one　is　dealing　directly　with　the　Emperor。　Consider　these

few　words　…　in　the　presence　of　the　Emperor；　they　carry　an　immeasurable

weight　in　the　scales　of　contemporaries。　For　them；　he　has　every

attribute　of　Divinity；　not　only　omnipotence　and　omnipresence；　but

again　omniscience；　and；　if　he　speaks　to　them；　what　they　feel　far

surpasses　what　they　imagine。　When　he　visits　a　town　and　confers　with

the　authorities　of　the　place　on　the　interests　of　the　commune　or

department；　his　interlocutors　are　bewildered；　they　find　him　as　well

informed　as　themselves；　and　more　clear…sighted；　it　is　he　who　explains

their　affairs　to　them。　On　arriving　the　evening　before；　he　calls　for

the　summaries　of　facts　and　figures；　every　positive　and　technical

detail　of　information；　reduced　and　classified　according　to　the　method

taught　by　himself　and　prescribed　to　his　administrators。＇39＇　　During

the　night　he　has　read　all　this　over　and　mastered　it；　in　the　morning；

at　dawn；　he　has　taken　his　ride　on　horseback；　with　extraordinary

promptness　and　accuracy；　his　topographical　glance　has　discerned　〃the

best　direction　for　the　projected　canal；　the　best　site　for　the

construction　of　a　factory；　a　harbor；　or　a　dike。〃＇40＇　　To　the

difficulties　which　confuse　the　best　brains　in　the　country；　to　much

debated；　seemingly　insoluble；　questions；　he　at　once　presents　the　sole

practical　solution；　there　it　is；　ready　at　hand；　and　the　members　of　the

local　council　had　not　seen　it；　he　makes　them　touch　it　with　their

fingers。　They　stand　confounded　and　agape　before　the　universal

competence　of　this　wonder　genius。　〃He's　more　than　a　man〃　exclaimed　the

administrators　of　Dusseldorf　to　Beugnot。＇41＇　〃Yes；〃　replied　Beugnot；

〃he's　the　devil！〃　In　effect；　he　adds　to　mental　ascendancy　the

ascendancy　of　force；　we　always　see　beyond　the　great　man　in　him　the

terror…striking　dominator；　admiration　begins　or　ends　in　fear；　the　soul

is　completely　subjugated；　enthusiasm　and　servility；　under　his　eye；

melt　together　into　one　sentiment　of　impassioned　obedience　and

unreserved　submission。＇42＇　Voluntarily　and　involuntarily；　through

conviction；　trembling；　and　fascinated；　men　abdicate　their　freedom　of

will　to　his　advantage。　The　magical　impression　remains　in　their　minds

after　he　has　departed。　Even　absent；　even　with　those　who　have　never

seen　him；　he　maintains　his　prestige　and　communicates　it　to　all　who

command　in　his　name。　Before　the　prefect；　the　baron；　the　count；　the

councilor　of　state；　the　senator　in　embroidered　uniform；　gilded　and

garnished　with　decorations；　every　municipal　or　general　council　loses

his　free　will　and　becomes　incapable　of　saying　no；　only　too　glad　if　not

obliged　to　say　yes　〃inopportunely；〃　to　enter　upon　odious　and

disagreeable　undertakings；　to　simulate　at　one's　own　expense；　and　that

of　others；　excessive　zeal　and　voluntary　self…sacrifice；　to　vote　for

and　hurrah　at　patriotic　subscriptions　of　which　it　must　contribute　the

greatest　portion　and　for　supplementary　conscriptions＇43＇　which　seize

their　sons　that　are　except　or　bought　out　of　service。＇44＇　It　allows

itself　to　be　managed；　it　is　simply　one　of　the　many　wheels　of　our

immense　machine；　one　which　receives　its　impulsion　elsewhere；　and　from

above；　through　the　interposition　of　the　prefect。　…　But；　except　in　rare

cases；　when　the　interference　of　the　government　applies　it　to　violent

and　oppressive　schemes；　it　is　serviceable；　fixed　in　position；　and

confining　itself　to　turning　regularly　and　noiselessly　in　its　little

circle；　it　may；　in　general；　still　render　the　double　service　demanded

of　it　in　the　year　IX；　by　a　patriotic　minister。　According　to　the

definition　which　Chaptal　then　gave　the　general　councils；　fixing　their

powers　and　competence；　they　exist　for　two　purposes　and　only　two：＇45＇

they　must　first　〃insure　to　the　governed　impartiality　in　the　assessment

of　taxes　along　with　the　verification　of　the　use　of　the　latest　levies

in　the　payment　of　local　expenses；〃　and　next；　they　must；　with

discretion　and　modesty；　〃obtain　for　the　government　the　information

which　alone　enables　it　to　provide　for　the　necessities　of　each

department　and　improve　the　entire　working　of　the　public

administration。〃





VIII。　Excellence　of　Local　Government　after　Napoleon。



The　institution　remains　intact　under　the　Restoration。　…　Motives　of　the

governors。　…　Excellence　of　the　machine。　…　Abdication　of　the

administrator。



Such　is　the　spirit　of　the　institution　and　such　is　its　form。　After　1814

and　1815；　after　the　fall　of　the　Empire　and　the　Restoration；　the

institution　subsists　and　remains　as　it　was　before　in　form　and　in

spirit：　it　is　always　the　government　which　appoints　and　directs　all　the

representatives　of　local　society；　in　the　department；　in　the　commune；

and　in　the　intermediate　circumscriptions；　the　prefect；　sub…prefects；

mayors　and　assistants；　the　councilors　of　the　department；　of　the

arrondissement　and　of　the　commune。　Whatever　the　ruling　power　may　be　it

is　repugnant　to　any　change；　never　does　it　voluntarily　restrict　itself

in　its　faculty　of　bestowing　or　withholding　offices；　authority；

consideration；　influence；　or　salaries；　every　desirable　and　every

desired　good　thing；　as　far　as　it　can；　it　retains　these　in　its　own

hands　to　distribute　them　as　it　pleases；　and　in　its　own　interest　to

bestow　them　on　its　partisans　and　to　deprive　its　adversaries　of　them；

to　attract　clients　and　create　minions。　The　four　thousand　offices　of

prefect；　sub…prefect；　and　councilors　of　the　prefecture；　department；

and　arrondissement；　the　four　hundred　thousand　offices　of　mayor；

assistants；　and　municipal　councilors；　and　added　to　these；　the

innumerable　salaried　employments　of　auxiliary　or　secondary　agents；

from　the　secretary…general　of　the　prefecture　down　to　the　secretary　of

the　mayor；　from　the　scribes　and　clerks　of　the　prefecture　and　sub…

prefecture　down　to　the　staff　of　the　municipal　police　and　of　the　octroi

in　the　towns；　from　the　city　or　department　architect　down　to　the　lowest

road…surveyor；　from　the　watchmen　and　superintendents　of　a　canal　or

harbor　down　to　the　field…guards　and　stone…breakers　or　the　highway；

directly　or　indirectly；　the　constitutional　government　disposes　of　them

in　the　same　fashion　as　the　imperial　government；　with　the　same

interference　in　the　most　trifling　details　and　in　the　most　trifling

affair。　Commune　or　department；　such　local　society　remains　under　the

second　Régime　what　it　was　under　the　first　one；　an　extension　of　the

central　society；　an　appendix　of　the　State；　an　adjunct　of　the　great

establishment　of　which　the　seat　is　at　Paris。　In　these　adjuncts；

controlled　from　above；　nothing　is　changed；　neither　the　extent　and

limits　of　the　circumscription；　nor　the　source　and　hierarchy　of　powers；

nor　the　theoretic　framework；　nor　the　practical　mechanism；　not　even　the

names。＇46＇　　After　the　prefects　of　Empire　come　the　prefects　of　the

Restoration；　the　same　in　title　and　uniform；　installed　in　the　same

mansion；　to　do　the　same　work；　with　equal　zeal；　that　is　to　say；　with

dangerous　zeal；　to　such　an　extent　that；　on　taking　leave　of　their　final

audience；　on　setting　out　for　their　department；　M。　de　Talleyrand；　who

knows　men　and　institutions　profoundly；　gives　them；　as　his　last

injunction；　the　following　admirable　order：　〃And；　especially；　no　zeal！

〃　…　According　to　the　recommendation　of　Fouché；　〃the　Bou