360 



Travels in France 



accordingly happened, early as it is in the day, and indeed is 

 inherent in the nature of thetax,as promulgated bythe assembly.^ 

 Thus annual assessments, annual confusion, annual quarrels 

 and heart-burnings, and annual 'oppression, must be the conse- 

 quence; and all this because a plain, simple, and practicable 

 mode of assessment was not laid down by the legislature itself, 

 instead of leaving it to be debated and fought through 500 

 legislatures, on the plan, purely ideal and theoretical, of the 

 economistes ! 



Police of corn. — The National Assembly has been of late 

 repeatedly employed in receiving complaints from various depart- 

 ments, relative to the scarcity and high price of com, and debates 

 on it arise, and votes pass, which are printed to satisfy the people 

 that all precautions are taken to prevent exportation. Such a 

 conduct shows that they tread in the steps of Monsieur Necker, 

 and that they consequently may expect, with a crop but slightly 

 deficient, to see a famine. In the Gazette Nationale, of March 6, 

 1792, I read, in the journal of the Assembly, Inquietudes — pre- 

 cautions prises — coimnissaires envoy es — veiller a la siibsistance dii 

 peuple—fonds pour acheter des grains chez Ve stranger — dix 

 millions — etc. Now this is precisely the blind and infatuated 

 conduct of Monsieur Necker. If these steps are necessary to be 

 taken (which is impossible), why talk of and print them ? Why 

 alarm the people, by showing yourselves alarmed? Forty-five 

 millions loss, in the hands of M. Necker, purchased not three days' 

 com for France; ten millions will not purchase one day's con- 

 sumption ! but the report and parade of it will do more mischief 

 than the loss of five times the quantity : without being in France, 

 I am clear, and can rely enough upon principles to know, that 

 these measures will raise, not sink the price. One of the many 

 instances in legislation that proves the immense difference (re- 

 garding the cases of France and the United States) between a 

 representation of mere population and one of property! M — 

 pour prevenir les inquietudes qui pourraient arriver Vannee pro- 

 chaine et les suivantes, Vassemblee doit s'occuper des ce moment 

 d'un plan general sur les subsistances. — There is but one plan, 

 ABSOLUTE freedom; and you will show_. by accepting or reject- 

 ing it, what class of the people it is that you represent. 

 Proclaim a free trade, and from that moment ordain that an 



* " Aussitot que les operations preliminaires seront terminees les oflSciers 

 municipaux et les commissaires adjoints feront, en leur ame et conscience 

 revaluation du revenue net des diSerentes proprietes foncieres de la com- 

 munant6 section par section (Journal des Etats Gen., torn. xvi. p. 510). 

 — Author's note. 



