GENERAL HISTORY. 



[Ill 



quest, we uish for a national 

 army, which, notwithstanding its 

 narrow frame in time of peace, 

 may be capable, in the case of 

 war, of opening its ranks to nxt- 

 merous soldiers : and we do not 

 regard as lost to France the war- 

 riors, who, being led away by ex- 

 traordinary circumstances, were 

 obliged to be disbanded, but who 

 will, by their talents and their 

 bravery, contribute to the secu- 

 rity of the country, as they have 

 contributed to its glory. 



9. We are of opinion, that the 

 interests of the people ouglit, in 

 a great measure, to he contided to 

 local administrations, either mu- 

 nicipal, departmental, or provin- 

 cial ; that the centralisation of all 

 affairs and all decisions in the 

 ministry is an abuse, and that it 

 ought to cease by confiding powers 

 more extensive to the superior 

 agents delegated by the ministers. 

 On these [jrinciples we demand 

 the revision of the administrative 

 laws. 



10. ^\'e place within our pros- 

 pect the hope of diminishing the 

 land-tax, and regulating its re- 

 partition — of imposing the indi- 

 rect taxes in a manner less uni- 

 form, but better adapted to the 

 interests and habitudes of the 

 different parts of the territory, 

 and so as to make them fall more 

 upon the consumption of the rich 

 than on that of the poor — finally, 

 of establishing a good, system of 

 ])ublic credit. 



11. We shall neglect no op- 

 portunity for promoting the in- 

 terests of commerce, of develoj)- 

 ing all the branches of industry 

 and every kind of production, 

 and of diffusing all the knowledge 

 capable of perfecting them; and 



it is our wish that there should 

 be formed in the different classes 

 of arts and manufactures, free 

 associations for securing their in- 

 terests, and maintaining a useful 

 discipline among the members, 

 but so that these establishments 

 may not restrain the independ- 

 ence of industry. 



12. We define what we mean 

 by purification. It is the remov- 

 ing from public employment, 

 men who, since the restoration, 

 have established themselves in a 

 state of war with the legitimacy 

 of the throne, and the principles 

 of morality; to this we add cer- 

 tain restrictions : We demand 

 that offices of the first order, such 

 as those of ministers, governors, 

 directors- general, and coinisellors 

 of state, should not be filled, ex- 

 cept by those who, since the re- 

 storation, and particularly during 

 the three months of usurpation, 

 have given to the King and the 

 country positive pledges of their 

 attachment — that offices of the 

 second order, such as those of the 

 prefects, commandants, head ma- 

 gistrates, and cliiefs of boards of 

 administration, and receivers-ge- 

 neral, should be confided to those 

 only who at least cannot be re- 

 proached with any act against the 

 )0) al authfuity since the restora- 

 tion in 1814 — finally, that in in- 

 ferior offices all persons should be 

 removed whose conduct is con- 

 trary to morality aiid pi'obity. 



13. In stating these principles, 

 and these wishes, the majority of 

 the Chamber of Deputies does not 

 lose sight of the bounds within 

 which the part which it might 

 take in their fulfilment is con- 

 fined; they desire, therefore, that 

 the Kmg's ministry, united in the 



same 



