BEET-ROOT SUGAR. 391 



of the West Indies. To a large number of the 

 French, sugar was an article of the first necessity; 

 and the public dissatisfaction at the Milan decrees 

 was therefore excessive. The Emperor directed his 

 active mind to the best method of obviating the in- 

 convenience which his political schemes had imposed 

 upon his people. Manufactories of syrups from rai- 

 sins and honey were established; but sugar, or a 

 chrystallized saccharine substance, could not be pro- 

 cured. M. Deyeux, a member of the Committee 

 appointed by Napoleon to consider how the wants 

 of the people could be supplied without foreign com- 

 merce, once more turned his attention to the beet- 

 root. His experiments were more satisfactory than 

 those of the Committee of 1800; probably because 

 the necessity of producing sugar at home was more 

 pressing. An imperial manufactory of sugar was forth- 

 with established at Rambouillet; imperial schools 

 were instituted for instructing pupils in the process; 

 premiums were given for the best samples of sugar; 

 and thus, by 1812, the manufacture of beet-root 

 sugar might be considered prosperously set on foot. 

 The profits of the manufacturers were so large, that 

 in one year they were reckoned sufficient to cover all 

 the expenses of the original establishment. There 

 was no competition. Of course these enormous 

 profits were paid by the consumer. The French 

 obtained some sugar, but they paid an extravagant 

 price for the luxury. In 1814 Europe was at peace; 

 the ports of France were again open to the produce 

 of the West Indies; and in a moment the foreign 

 sugar swept the beet-root manufacture entirely away. 

 The consumers once more had cheap sugar; and the 

 government had not then made the discovery that it 

 would be a good thing to compel them to eat dear 

 sugar, that the manufacturers of beet-root sugar might 

 be kept in activity. 



