The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1848-03-27
OF the supposed incomes, in the following table



100 ....... l50 900 ....l,350 1877 900
80. 100 100. ........ 900 254 900
60 .......... 30 $40. ...,..,.. TAO $4,000
4 =" W ooo. o4V Oof,uVO
30 ........ 40 $50. ........... 500 1896 900
10. ......... 70 3d.. $50 2,3l5 900
fUnder. III Under 30 3,o5O,OOO
Total of the proprietors. ......... 9,l65, 200
The total number of the taxpayers being 8, 1885,,
900, whilst the number of "active citizens" is
only $3.50, 900, 1t follows that among the tax
payers there are at least 500, 900 females, mi
nos, to make up the diere nee, and to account for
She INDECENT adult who do not pay.
The st'class of the population, the working
class, pay almost the whole of the taxes under
forty francs. Every Individual of that class in
the country fortunately has a house, most
miserable one, perhaps, but still house of his
own, and small plot of garden attached to 1t,
where he grows vegetables In sufficient quantity
for his family. Many have an orchard and some
save have half an acre, an acre, or even more OF
afshle land, to grow corn, or to feed COW, or a
lev, pigs. The average amount oftheir earnings is
400 francs, (ElS) year. With this, laborer
keeps his family, and saves a few francs every
year to purchase small parcel of land.
The taxes, from forty to 200 francs, are princl-
paly paid by the second class, and by the fourth:
A small part oil them only is paid by the learned
or scientific gentlemen belonging to the second
thus the third class, the least numerous, has the
greatest share In the distribution of wealth, and
of education.
We have now complete idea of the state of
FRENCH population, WITH Regard 10 It's OlVl-
sion according to sex. age, education, aud pro-
perty; but we have something more to say on
the condition of the S,S96,000 adult individuals
really composing the French people, and called
ACTIVE citizens" because they exercise their
civil rights.
The rights of a Frenchman, when he becomes
citizen by completing his twenty-frst year, are
the following
lst 10 draw lot for the CONSUMPTION, and, if the
chance is against him to be made soldier and pass the
best part of his life, if he does not lose it, in securing
Europe under Napoleon and, under the Citizen King
in career Of butchery pillsge, and devastation in
Africa, in France. Nearly third part of the
annually compelled to exercise this right Those who
draw good number have the right of composing the
movable national guard and of being called to active
military Service if the exgencies of the government
I'd The right of paying the capitaon tax, lie contri
button personnee and the icence duties es patentes
The right paying all the other taxes is enjoyed by all
persons without regard to or age, when they have
any property. The former is privilege.
ga The right Of acquiring dsposng Of property by
sale mortgage; of contracting binding obligations Of
any sort; suing or bsing any court civil law
being appointed trustee to orphan or lunsc relations
in one word, Of conducting his own and his family
business he thinks proper subject to the legal and
fiscal other regulations imposed by the government
| Such are the civil rights of the French citizen.
| They are more properly called individual rights,
as they refer only to the private acts OF lndlvl-
| duas, and not to their conduct as citizens, as
members OF community, or OF political body
| AS members OF community, the citizens have.
or at least ought to have, communal Cor, as they
are call.d, municipaD rights; and, as members
exercise political rights This 81 ~ not the case.
| The municipal and political organization. OF
France, having for its object only to strengthen
the influence of the, government, cannot be
founded on popular basis. That organization
now demands our attention, and we will begin
with the municipalities.
THE MUNICIPAL ORGANIZATION.
A commune, has already been stated, is
either a. city, a town, village, or group of
small villages, or hamets.
The communal, or municipal authorities, are,
a mayor, enc adjoint, or assistant, in communes
containing less than 1000 inhabitants; two ad-
joints in the communes having from $500 to
10, 900 Inhabitants; and one adjolnt more for
every 10000 inhabitants above 10000, in all the
other communes; together with municipal
council composed OF ten members for 500 inha-
bltants; twelve, for from 500 to 800; sixteen,
for from 1900 to $500; twenty one, for from
$500 to $500; twenty-three, for from 800 to
10000; twenty seven, for from 10 900 to 10000;
and thlrty-six, for above 30, 1000.
The municipal councils are ele cted, not by all,
but by part only of the "active citizens Of the
commune, in the following proportions
There are ten electors for every 100 lnhabi-
tants In the communes under 900 Inhabitants.
Above 1000, there are, tor every additional 1000
five electors for every 100 inhabitants, till the
population is above 5,00O when the proportion is
four electors per cent. for 10 900, and then three
per cent for above IL, 900 inhabitants.
The electors are the highest rated people OF
the commune. This does not imply that they
are the rich of the country-quite the contrary;
most of them are hardly above the working
classes, or coniounded with them, for the
greatest number of these electors belong to the
rural communes, under 1000 inhabitants. The
number of those communes IS $4,000, and their
population is about "a, 800 900 inhabitants; and,
In many CT those communes, the hghesttax-
payer could not be communal eector in more
populous locality, or In a town.
The municipal electors of the rural communes
not only belong to the poor classes, but also to
the Ignorant classes as 1t is principally IN the
villages that education is most neglected, 1880
OF them having no communal schools.
There, then, the government has not to fear
meeting with much opposition from the electors.
Being poor, they are dependent; and, being ig-
norant, they can be imposed upon, and therefore
their number may be large without any danger
But, Ill the towns and in the cities, where
there are wealth and education, independence
and knowledge, there is need of precautiOn; and
the number of the electors must therefore be re-
auced proportion to the Importance OF the places
not, as it is said, because they would be too nu-
merous, but, in order to be enabled to influence
a majority of them. The proof Is, that without
any quail hcatIon, most OF the tuncuonarles, and
any one having retiring pension OF 600 francs,
are, er- oticio, municipal electors.
The municipal electoral body being thus con-
stituted, it is plain that the government has no
reason to fear much for the comp sition of the
municipal councils Liberals, opposltlonists,
may be elected; nay, IN some cases, the ma
jorlty of the councilmen may belong to the OPP
position ;but the government is always certai TO
obtain the election of five or six of its supporters
and that all its purposes, since 1t enables
it 10 choose a mayor and the adolnts from
amongst It's own parlisans.
In the towns OF 5000 Inhabitants, or more, the
mayors and the adjoints nominated by the
King In all the other places. they are appointed
by the projects; and these officials, although I'M
paid, are, particularly in the rural communes,
the most subservient OF all the tunctlonarles.
The government we'll knows how much a half
educated peasant is jealous of his authority, and
fond OF exercising IL over mis- betters. So the
mayors and their assistants are generally chosen,
not from amongst the old lords OF the manor,
who are, for the most part, egitimlsts; or from
amongst the best educated, these being generally