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'17' Ibid。。  The letters of M。 de Crosne; intendant of Rouen

(February 17; 1784); of M。 de Blossac; intendant of Poitiers (May 9;

1784); of M。 de Villeneuve; intendant of Bourges (March 28; 1784); of

M。 de Cypierre; intendant of Orleans (May 28; 1784); of M。 de Maziron;

intendant of Moulins (June 28; 1786); of M。 Dupont; intendant of

Moulins (Nov。  16; 1779); etc。



'18' Archives nationales; H; 200 (A memorandum by M。 Amelot;

intendant at Dijon; 1786)。



'19' Gautier de Bianzat; 〃Doléances sur les surcharges que portent

les gens du Tiers…Etat;〃 etc。  (1789); p。  188。  … 〃Procès…verbaux de

I'assemblée provinciale d'Auvergne〃 (1787); p。  175。



'20' Théron de Montaugé; 〃L'Agriculture et les chores rurales dans

le Toulousain;〃 112。



'21' 〃Procès…verbaux de assemblée provinciale de la Haute…Guyenne;〃

I。  47; 79。



'22' 〃Procès…verbaux de l'assemblée provinciale du Soissonais〃

(1787); p。  457; 〃de l'assemblée provinciale d'Auch;〃 p。  24。



'23' 〃Résumé des cahiers;〃 by Prudhomme; III。  271。



'24' Hippeau; ibid。  VI。  74; 243 (grievances drawn up by the

Chevalier de Bertin)。



'25' See the article 〃Fermiers et Grains;〃 in the Encyclopedia; by

Quesnay; 1756。



'26' Théron de Montaugé; p。25。  … 〃Ephémérides du citoyen;〃 III。  190

(1766); IX。  15 (an article by M。 de Butré; 1767)。



'27' 〃Procés…verbaux de l'assemblée provinciale de l'Orléanais〃

(1787); in a memoir by M。 d'Autroche。



'28' One is surprised to see such a numerous people fed even though

one…half; or one…quarter of the arable land is sterile wastes。  (Arthur

Young; II; 137。)



'29' Archives nationales; H; 1149。  A letter of the Comtesse de

Saint…Georges (1772) on the effects of frost。  〃The ground this year

will remain uncultivated; there being already much land in this

condition; and especially in our parish。〃 Théron de Montaugé; ibid。。

45; 80。



'30' Arthur Young; II。  112; 115。  … Théron de Montaugé; 52; 61。



'31' The Marquis de Mirabeau; 〃Traité de la population;〃 p。29。



'32' Cf Galiani; 〃Dialogues sur le commerce des blés。〃 (1770); p。

193。  Wheat bread at this time cost four sous per pound。



'33' Arthur Young; II。  200; 201; 260…265。  …  Théron de Montaugé;

59; 68; 75; 79; 81; 84。



'34' 〃The poor people who cultivate the soil here are métayers;

that is men who hire the land without ability to stock it; the

proprietor is forced to provide cattle and seed and he and his tenants

divide the produce。〃  …  ARTHUR YOUNG。(TR。)



'35' 〃Ephémérides du citoyen;〃 VI。  81…94 (1767); and IX。  99 (1767)。



'36' Turgot; 〃Collections des économistes;〃 I。  544; 549。



'37' Marquis de Mirabeau; 〃Traité de la population;〃 83。。



'38' Hippeau; VI; 91。



'39' Dulaure; 〃Description de l'Auvergne;〃 1789。



'40' Arthur Young; I。  235。



'41' 〃Ephémérides du citoyen;〃 XX。  146; a letter of the Marquis de

…   August 17; 1767。



'42' Lucas de Montigny; 〃Memoires de Mirabeau;〃 I; 394。



'43' Arthur Young; I。  280; 289; 294。



'44' Lafayette 〃Mémoires;〃 V。  533。



'45' Lucas de Montigny; ibid。  (a letter of August 18; 1777)。



'46' De Tocqueville; 117。



'47' 〃Procès…verbaux de l'assemblée provinciale de Basse Normandie〃

(1787); p。205。



'48' Léonce de Lavergne; p。  26 (according to the tables of

indemnity granted to the émigrés in 1825)。  In the estate of Blet (see

note 2 at the end of the volume); twenty…two parcels are alienated in

1760。  … Arthur Young; I。  308 (the domain of Tour…d'Aigues; in

Provence); and II。  198; 214。  … Doniol; 〃Histoire des classes rurales;〃

p。450。  … De Tocqueville; p。36。



'49' Archives nationales; H; 1463 (a letter by M。 de Fontette;

November 16; 1772)。  …  Cf。  Cochut; 〃Revue des Deux Mondes;〃

September; 1848。  The sale of the national property seems not to have

sensibly increased small properties nor sensibly diminished the number

of the large ones。  The Revolution developed moderate sized properties。

In 1848; the large estates numbered 183;000 (23;000 families paying

300 francs taxes; and more; and possessing on the average 260 hectares

of land; and 160;000 families paying from 230 to 500 francs taxes and

possessing on the average 75 hectares。) These 183;000 families

possessed 18;000;000 hectares。   …  There are besides 700;000 medium

sized estates (paying from 50 to 250 francs tax); and comprising

15;000;000 hectares。   …  And finally 3;900;000 small properties

comprising 15;000;000 hectares (900;000 paying from 25 to 50 francs

tax; averaging five and one…half hectares each; and 3;000;000 paying

less than 25 francs; averaging three and one ninth hectares each)。   …

According to the partial statement of de Tocqueville the number of

holders of real property had increased; on the average; to five…

twelfths; the population; at the same time; having increased five…

thirteenths (from 26 to 36 millions)。



'50' 〃Compte…général des revenus et dépenses fixes au 1er Mai; 1789

(Imprimerie Royale; 1789)。  … De Luynes; XVI。  49。  … Roux and Buchez; I。

206; 374。  (This relates only to the countries of election; in the

provinces; with assemblies; the increase is no less great)。  Archives

nationales; H2; 1610 (the parish of Bourget; in Anjou)。  Extracts from

the taille rolls of three métayer… farms belonging to M。 de Ruillé。

The taxes in 1762 are 334 livres; 3 sous; in 1783; 372 livres; 15

sous。













CHAPTER II。  TAXATION THE PRINCIPAL CAUSE OF MISERY。



I。   EXTORTION。



Direct taxes。  … State of different domains at the end of the reign

of Louis XV。  … Levies of the tithe and the owner。  … What remains to

the proprietor。



 Let us closely examine the extortions he has to endure; which are

very great; much beyond any that we can imagine。  Economists had long

prepared the budget of a farm and shown by statistics the excess of

charges with which the cultivator is overwhelmed。  If he continues to

cultivate; they say; he must have his share in the crops; an

inviolable portion; equal to one…half of the entire production; and

from which nothing can be deducted without ruining him。  This portion;

in short; accurately represents; and not a sou too much; in the first

place; the interest of the capital first expended on the farm in

cattle; furniture; and implements of husbandry; in the second place;

the maintenance of this capital; every year depreciated by wear and

tear; in the third place; the advances made during the current year

for seed; wages; and food for men and animals; and; in the last place;

the compensation due him for the risks he takes and his losses。  Here

is a first lien which must be satisfied beforehand; taking precedence

of all others; superior to that of the seignior; to that of the tithe…

owner (décimateur); to even that of the king; for it is an

indebtedness due to the soil。'1' After this is paid back; then; and

only then; that which remains; the net product; can be touched。  Now;

in the then state of agriculture; the tithe…owner and the king

appropriate one…half of this net product; when the estate is large;

and the whole; if the estate is a small one'2'。  A certain large farm

in Picardy; worth to its owner 3;600 livres; pays 1;800 livres to the

king; and 1;311 livres to the tithe owner; another; in the

Soissonnais; rented for 4;500 livres; pays 2;200 livres taxes and more

than 1;000 livres to the tithes。  An ordinary métayer…farm near Nevers

pays into the treasury 138 livres; 121 livres to the church; and 114

livres to the proprietor。  On another; in Poitou; the fisc (tax

authorities) absorbs 348 livres; and the proprietor receives only 238。

In general; in the regions of large farms; the proprietor obtains ten

livres the arpent if the cultivation is very good; and three livres

when ordinary。  In the regions of small farms; and of the métayer

system; he gets fifteen sous the arpent; eight sous and even six sous。

The entire net profit may be said to go to the church and into the

State treasury。



Hired labor; meantime; is no less costly。  On this métayer…farm in

Poitou; which brings in eight sous the arpent; thirty…six laborers

consume each twenty…six francs per annum in rye; two francs

respectively in vegetables; oil and milk preparations; and two francs

ten sous in pork; amounting to a sum total; each year; for each

person; of sixteen pounds of meat at an expense of thirty…six francs。

In fact they drink water only; use rape…seed oil for soup and for

light; never taste butter; and dress themselves in materials made of

the wool and hair of the sheep and goats they raise。  They purchase

nothing save the tools necessary to make the fabrics of which these

provide the material。  On another metayer…farm; on the confines of la

Marche and Berry; forty…six laborers cost a smaller sum; each one

consuming only the value of twenty…five francs per annum。  We can judge

by this of the exorbitant share appropriated to themselves by the

Church and State; since; at so small a cost of cultivation; the

proprietor finds in his pocket; at the end of the year; six or eight

sous per arpent out of which; if plebeian; he must still pay the dues

to his seignior; contribute to the common purse for the militia; buy

his taxed salt and work out his corvée and the rest。  Towards the end

of the reign of Louis XV in Limousin; says Turgot;'3' the king derives

for himself alone 〃about as much from the soil as the proprietor。〃 In

a certain election…district; that of Tulle; where he abstracts fifty…

six and one…half per cent。  of the product; there remains to the latter

forty…three and one…half per cent。  thus accounting for 〃a multitude of

domains being abandoned。〃



It must not be supposed that time renders the tax less onerous or

that; in other provinces; the cultivator is better treated。  In this

respect the documents are authentic and almost up to the latest hour。

We have only to take up 

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