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The institution remains intact under the Restoration。 … Motives of the
governors。 … Excellence of the machine。 … Abdication of the
administrator。
Such is the spirit of the institution and such is its form。 After 1814
and 1815； after the fall of the Empire and the Restoration； the
institution subsists and remains as it was before in form and in
spirit： it is always the government which appoints and directs all the
representatives of local society； in the department； in the commune；
and in the intermediate circumscriptions； the prefect； sub…prefects；
mayors and assistants； the councilors of the department； of the
arrondissement and of the commune。 Whatever the ruling power may be it
is repugnant to any change； never does it voluntarily restrict itself
in its faculty of bestowing or withholding offices； authority；
consideration； influence； or salaries； every desirable and every
desired good thing； as far as it can； it retains these in its own
hands to distribute them as it pleases； and in its own interest to
bestow them on its partisans and to deprive its adversaries of them；
to attract clients and create minions。 The four thousand offices of
prefect； sub…prefect； and councilors of the prefecture； department；
and arrondissement； the four hundred thousand offices of mayor；
assistants； and municipal councilors； and added to these； the
innumerable salaried employments of auxiliary or secondary agents；
from the secretary…general of the prefecture down to the secretary of
the mayor； from the scribes and clerks of the prefecture and sub…
prefecture down to the staff of the municipal police and of the octroi
in the towns； from the city or department architect down to the lowest
road…surveyor； from the watchmen and superintendents of a canal or
harbor down to the field…guards and stone…breakers or the highway；
directly or indirectly； the constitutional government disposes of them
in the same fashion as the imperial government； with the same
interference in the most trifling details and in the most trifling
affair。 Commune or department； such local society remains under the
second Régime what it was under the first one； an extension of the
central society； an appendix of the State； an adjunct of the great
establishment of which the seat is at Paris。 In these adjuncts；
controlled from above； nothing is changed； neither the extent and
limits of the circumscription； nor the source and hierarchy of powers；
nor the theoretic framework； nor the practical mechanism； not even the
names。＇46＇ After the prefects of Empire come the prefects of the
Restoration； the same in title and uniform； installed in the same
mansion； to do the same work； with equal zeal； that is to say； with
dangerous zeal； to such an extent that； on taking leave of their final
audience； on setting out for their department； M。 de Talleyrand； who
knows men and institutions profoundly； gives them； as his last
injunction； the following admirable order： 〃And； especially； no zeal！
〃 … According to the recommendation of Fouché； 〃the Bourbons slept in
the bed of Napoleon；〃 which was the bed of Louis XIV。； but larger and
more comfortable； widened by the Revolution and the Empire； adapted to
the figure of its latest occupant； and enlarged by him so as to spread
over the whole of France。 When； after twenty…five years of exile； one
returns home； it is pleasant to find such a bed in the house ready
made； taking down and remaking the old one would give double trouble；
moreover； in the old one； one was less at his ease； let us profit by
all that rebels and the usurper have done that was good。 In this
particular； not alone the king； but again the most antiquated of the
Bourbons are revolutionaries and Bonapartists； despotic traditionally；
and monopolists through their situation； they accept with no regrets
the systematic demolition effected by the Constituent Assembly； and
the systematic centralization instituted by the First Consul。 The Duc
d'Angoulême； when； in 1815； he was paraded about the country； among
the bridges； canals； and splendid roads of Languedoc； on being
reminded that these fine works were formerly executed by the 〃ètats〃
of the province； dryly replied 〃We prefer the departments to the
provinces。〃＇47＇
With the exception of a few antiquarian and half…rustic royalists；
nobody objects； there is no thought of reconstructing the machine on
another plan； in sum； nobody is dissatisfied with the way it works。 It
works well； most effectively； under the Restoration as under the
Empire； it renders to those who are interested the service demanded of
it； it goes on providing better and better for the two grand objects
of local society； care for the public highways and protection against
natural calamities。 In 1814； its net results are already admirable and
do it credit … reparation of the ruins accumulated by the
Revolution；＇48＇ the continuation and completion of former projects；
new and striking enterprises； dikes against the sea and the rivers；
basins； moles； and jetties in the harbors； quays； and bridges； locks
and canals； public edifices； 27；200 kilometers of national roads and
18；600 kilometers of departmental roads；＇49＇ without counting the
district roads just laid out； all this done regularly； exactly； and
economically； Charles Nicolas； 〃Les Budgets de la France depuis le
commencement du XIXe siècle。〃 In 1816； the four direct contributions
returned； in principal； 249 millions； and； in additional centimes； 89
millions only。 For a long time the additional centimes applied to the
local service and voted by the department or by the commune are not
many and do not exceed 5 ％。 of the principal。 by competent
functionaries； employed and superintended； who at first through fear
are compelled to be prudent； and then through habit and honor have
become honest accountants； there is no waste； no underhand stealing；
no arbitrary charges； no sum is turned aside between receipts and
expenses to disappear and be lost on the road； or flow out of its
channel in another direction。 The sensitive taxpayer； large or small；
no longer smarts under the painful goad which formerly pricked him and
made him jump。 Local taxation； annexed to the general tax； is found to
be reformed； lightened； and duly proportioned。 Like the principal； the
〃additional centimes〃 are an equitable charge； graduated according to
the sum of net revenue； like the principal； they are assessed
according to the assumed sum of this net revenue by the councils of
the arondissements among the communes； and by the communal assessors
among the inhabitants。 They are collected by the same collector； with
the same formalities； and every taxpayer who thinks himself taxed too
heavily finds a court of appeal in the council of the prefecture；
before which he can make his claim and obtain the release or reduction
of his quota。 … Thus no crying iniquity exists； nor keen suffering； on
the other hand； there are the infinite conveniences