The Commandant Of Nice Has
About Four Hundred A Year Of Appointments, Which Enable Him To
Live Decently, And Even To Entertain Strangers.
On the other
hand, the commandant of Antibes, which is in all respects more
inconsiderable than Nice, has from the French king above five
times the sum to support the glory of his monarch, which all the
sensible part of mankind treat with ridicule and contempt.
But
the finances of France are so ill managed, that many of their
commandants, and other officers, have not been able to draw their
appointments these two years. In vain they complain and
remonstrate. When they grow troublesome they are removed. How
then must they support the glory of France? How, but by
oppressing the poor people. The treasurer makes use of their
money for his own benefit. The king knows it; he knows his
officers, thus defrauded, fleece and oppress his people: but he
thinks proper to wink at these abuses. That government may be
said to be weak and tottering which finds itself obliged to
connive at such proceedings. The king of France, in order to give
strength and stability to his administration, ought to have sense
to adopt a sage plan of oeconomy, and vigour of mind sufficient
to execute it in all its parts, with the most rigorous exactness.
He ought to have courage enough to find fault, and even to punish
the delinquents, of what quality soever they may be: and the
first act of reformation ought to be a total abolition of all the
farms. There are, undoubtedly, many marks of relaxation in the
reins of the French government, and, in all probability, the
subjects of France will be the first to take advantage of it.
There is at present a violent fermentation of different
principles among them, which under the reign of a very weak
prince, or during a long minority, may produce a great change in
the constitution. In proportion to the progress of reason and
philosophy, which have made great advances in this kingdom,
superstition loses ground; antient prejudices give way; a spirit
of freedom takes the ascendant. All the learned laity of France
detest the hierarchy as a plan of despotism, founded on imposture
and usurpation. The protestants, who are very numerous in
southern parts, abhor it with all the rancour of religious
fanaticism. Many of the commons, enriched by commerce and
manufacture, grow impatient of those odious distinctions, which
exclude them from the honours and privileges due to their
importance in the commonwealth; and all the parliaments, or
tribunals of justice in the kingdom, seem bent upon asserting
their rights and independence in the face of the king's
prerogative, and even at the expence of his power and authority.
Should any prince therefore be seduced by evil counsellors, or
misled by his own bigotry, to take some arbitrary step, that may
be extremely disagreeable to all those communities, without
having spirit to exert the violence of his power for the support
of his measures, he will become equally detested and despised;
and the influence of the commons will insensibly encroach upon
the pretensions of the crown.
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