登陆注册
4811400000166

第166章

In 1786 Saint Domingo alone ships back to France for 131millions of its products, and in return receives 44 millions in merchandise. As a result of these exchanges we see, at Nantes, and at Bordeaux, the creation of colossal commercial houses. "I consider Bordeaux, says Arthur Young, as richer and doing more business than any city in England except London; . . . of late years the progress of maritime commerce has been more rapid in France than even in England."[5] According to an administrator of the day, if the taxes on the consumption of products daily increase the revenue, this is because the industry since 1774 has developed a number of new products[6]. And this progress is regular and constant. "We may calculate," says Necker in 1781, "on an increase of two millions a year on all the duties on consumption." -- In this great exertion of innovation, labor and engineering, Paris, constantly growing, is the central workshop. It enjoys, to a much greater extent than today, the monopoly of all works of intelligence and taste, books, pictures, engravings, statues, jewelry, toilet details, carriages, furniture, articles of fashion and rarity, whatever affords pleasure and ornamentation for an elegant worldly society; all Europe is supplied by it. In 1774 its trade in books is estimated at 45 millions, and that of London at only one-quarter of that sum[7]. Upon the profits many immense and even more numerous moderate fortunes were built up, and these now became available for investment. -- In fact, we see the noblest hands stretching out to receive them, princes of the blood, provincial assemblies, assemblies of the clergy, and, at the head of all, the king, who, the most needy, borrows at ten percent and is always in search of additional lenders. Already under Fleury, the debt has augmented to 18 millions in interests, and during the Seven years' War, to 34 millions. Under Louis XVI., M. Necker borrows a capital of 530 millions; M. Joly de Fleury, 300 millions; M. de Calonne, 800 millions; in all 1630 millions over a period of ten years. The interest of the public debt, only 45 millions in 1755, reaches 106 millions in 1776 and amounts to 206 millions in 1789[8].

What creditors which these few figures tell us about ! As the Third-Estate , it must be noted, is the sole class making and saving money, nearly all these creditors belong it. Thousands of others must be added to these. In the first place, the financiers who make advances to the government, advances that are indispensable, because, from time immemorial, it has eaten its corn on the blade, so the present year is always gnawing into the product of coming years; there are 80 millions of advances in 1759, and 170 millions in 1783. In the second place there are so many suppliers, large and small, who, on all parts of the territory, keep accounts with the government for their supplies and for public works, a veritable army and increasing daily, since the government, impelled by centralization, takes sole responsibility for all ventures, and, requested by public opinion, it increases the number of undertakings useful to the public. Under Louis XV. the State builds six thousand leagues of roads, and under Louis XVI. in 1788, to guard against famine, it purchases grain to the amount of forty millions.

Through this increase of activity and its demands for capital the State becomes the universal debtor; henceforth public affairs are no longer exclusively the king's business. His creditors become uneasy at his expenditures; for it is their money he wastes, and, if he proves a bad administrator, they will be ruined. They want to know something of his budget, to examine his books: a lender always has the right to look after his securities. We accordingly see the bourgeois raising his head and beginning to pay close attention to the great machine whose performances, hitherto concealed from vulgar eyes, have, up to the present time, been kept a state secret. He becomes a politician, and, at the same time, discontented. For it cannot be denied that these matters, in which he is interested, are badly conducted. Any young man of good family managing affairs in the same way would be checked. The expenses of the administration of the State are always in excess of the revenue[9]. According to official admissions[10] the annual deficit amounted to 70 in 1770, and 80millions in 1783; when one has attempted to reduce this it has been through bankruptcies; one to the tune of two milliards at the end of the reign of Louis XIV, and another almost equal to it in the time of Law, and another on from a third to a half of all the interests in the time of Terray, without mentioning suppressions in detail, reductions, indefinite delays in payment, and other violent and fraudulent means which a powerful debtor employs with impunity against a feeble creditor. "Fifty-six violations of public faith have occurred from Henry IV down to the ministry of M. de Loménie inclusive,"[11] while a last bankruptcy, more frightful than the others, loom up on the horizon. Several persons, Bezenval and Linguet for instance, earnestly recommend it as a necessary and salutary amputation. Not only are there precedents for this, and in this respect the government will do no more than follow its own example, but such is its daily practice, since it lives only from day to day, by dint of expedients and delays, digging one hole to stop up another, and escaping failure only through the forced patience which it imposes on its creditors.

同类推荐
  • 作义要诀

    作义要诀

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 明伦汇编人事典生死部

    明伦汇编人事典生死部

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 天顺日录

    天顺日录

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • Plain Tales from the Hills

    Plain Tales from the Hills

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 游烂柯山

    游烂柯山

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 张云飞打官司

    张云飞打官司

    新千年元旦刚过,天寒地冻。一大早,张云飞熟睡中被电话铃吵醒,抓起一听,原来是老同事周国荣,说是厂里买断工龄名单公布了,别人都拿到了钱,惟独没有他们几个,大家正准备去找局长评理,叫他赶紧过去。张云飞心里窜出一团怒火,一把掀开热被窝,急忙穿好衣服,顾不上吃早饭,跨上自行车朝工业局急驶而去。工业局门前,十二名职工聚在一起,骂骂咧咧涌进大楼。大楼外表看似破旧,但里面局长办公室却装修得十分豪华,摆着几张真皮沙发,一张宽大的老板桌。林局长是个四十多岁的矮子,头发梳理得油光贼亮,让人觉得像个美发厅老板。
  • 主体伸张的文论建构

    主体伸张的文论建构

    文学理论建设对当前中国文艺学界来说是一个迫切而又有着重大现实意义的问题。本书把20世纪80年代中期刘再复提出的文学主体性理论和近年杨春时提出的主体间性文学理论这两种知识形态纳入同一个问题论域作为研究对象,以此介入当代文艺学的建设问题的思考,并展开由之而产生的相关文学基础理论问题的直接探讨。作者认为,主体性理论和主体间性理论都不足以对文学理论中的全部问题作出解答,对文学的本质也无法作出完整的阐释。人的主体性的历史建构应该遵循和符合人的自由与全面发展这一最高目的;在此目的论视野下,才能更为合理地进行流动的、多样的同时也是时代性的主体性的建构。
  • 南海志

    南海志

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 曾经的爱情

    曾经的爱情

    这是一年当中的最后一天——除夕之夜。四周噼噼啪啪地炸响着爆竹,千万盏彩灯渲染着传统春节的喜庆气氛。年末岁首,人人都有一番回顾,一腔感慨。既缅怀已逝的时光,又对未来的日子充满了美好的憧憬。但岁月交替,季节轮回,许多事情都可以从头再来,惟独时光不可倒流,往事不再。年夜饭,已名存实亡。叶国庆出车未归。不知是事情原本如此凑巧,还是他有意为之。尽管他已打过电话说尽可能赶在午夜之前回家,但那种通过电线传递过来的声音,使温碧云更感到虚假与凄清。
  • 重生之神魔召唤师

    重生之神魔召唤师

    计划《与神共舞》是26世纪推出的最伟大的计划,而在其中虚拟网游‘驭天’则是最关键的一部分,其中十大封神级玩家之一的张天辰号称“御兽之神——落叶之辰”。然而在一次活动中,离奇下线,从此了无音讯。在现实生活中的他,因为一件宝物而被暗杀,本以为他就此死去,可是没人知道他重生在了十年之前……
  • 校订三国遗事叙

    校订三国遗事叙

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 如梦令(上)

    如梦令(上)

    忘了是在多少年前,仿佛是一个繁华盛世。独自行走在烟雨江南中的他,逃出来就是为了躲避江湖血雨,从此与诗词作伴,寻到心上人,逍遥一生。却又偏偏撞上了江湖风云。他还挂念着心中的女子,他还带着生死相依的伙伴。看似平静的小桥流水,是江湖的恐怖和人性的黑暗的外衣。路漫漫其修远兮,吾将上下而求索。“她已经回不来了,你要给他们陪葬”。
  • 孔子世家

    孔子世家

    小说讲述了孔子以及学生们的故事,刻画出欲积极作为且不失人情味的孔子形象。是以现代人的心理去描述古代人的故事,小说既不脱离历史故事的真实,又有现代人的思想和逻辑,两者夹杂在一起,亦庄亦谐,别具一格,在海外有很大影响。富贵是人所共追之的,仁人义士也不例外。仁人义士虽不必富贵,却也不必不富贵。仁者未尝不可以富,富者未尝不可以仁。但凡患得者,既得之后,大都患失。把事情的成败推到天意,其实就是说人谋没有把握。人谋既无把握,其实也就是说败算多。所谓“事君以忠”,只是说一日为某君之臣,一日应当为某君尽忠效力。并不是说一日为某君之臣,一生一世就只能为某君之臣。况且,既已发觉与君不合,如何还能尽忠?
  • 一只猫咪的重量

    一只猫咪的重量

    猫咪“2.6磅。”女兽医边宣布,边从秤盘上托起一只约两个月大的猫咪。猫咪半眯着眼,发出低低的叫声。这家位于布鲁斯河岸的宠物医院,在午后迎来了一只不速之客。两个年轻的地铁司机拎着超市购物袋闯进医院,从里面抓出这只在车站捡到的猫咪。“可怜的小东西,”其中一个司机对着满是汗的脑袋扇风,“你觉得薄荷这个名字怎么样?”“不不,它应该叫奶酪,如果我没搞错的话,它是只公猫吧?”同伴看起来并不赞同,“它需要更加可爱的名字,我第一眼就知道,它必须叫奶酪。”
  • 独家宠爱:慢慢喜欢你

    独家宠爱:慢慢喜欢你

    【独宠1V1+暗恋+剑三】作为一个在扑街之路越走越远的无名写手,陆思眠平生心愿有二,其一是写一本能被大多数人喜爱的畅销小说,其二则是在她玩的这款网络游戏里赚个盆满钵满,成为全服最会赚金的小商品商人。作为禁欲界代表,孟翎在见到陆思眠那一刻,所有伪装、高冷土崩瓦解。听说女孩子都爱听情话?那还不是小意思,土味情话一箩筐。听说小女神在玩网游?行,三分钟内我要知道她所在服务器和她的id。某天晚上,正在网上冲浪的陆思眠收到一条拜师请求......