Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1863-10-06
TIE LAW OF MAXIMUM.

From Theirs H's o-y Of the FrsEch R-voluon.I
Vol. ID. 25G: It was. in fact, to little bur
pose that forced circulation had been given
t, this money, if the tradesmen,-by raising
his price, could evade the necessity of taking
II. Let forced rate, then. he fixed for com.
inodities as well as for money. The moment
the law said snch piece of paner shall hr
worth six francs it ought also 10 say such
commodity shall be sold for no more than six
francs, otherwise the dealer, by raising the
pric" to twelve, would escape the cxc!:arse
1t had, therefore, been absolutely ncccs :arr.
IN spite Of the Girun1ins, who had given cx-
cellcnt reasons, deduced from the ordinary
economy of things, to fix marim,m for
grain. The greatest hardship for the lover
classes is the want Of bread. The crops were
not deficient, but the farmers, who would not
confront the tumult Of the markets. or sell
their corn at the rate Of the assignats. kept
away with their goods The little corn thatdid
appear was quickly Thought up by the communcs
und 10y individuals, induced by fear to lav in
stocks of provisions On the Sd and 4th of Nny
the Convention could not help passing q decree,
by which all farmers and corn dealers were
obliged TO declare the quantity Of corn in
their possession, to thrash OUT what was still
in the ear, to carry it to the markers. and to
the markets only, to sell it at the mean price
fixed by each commune, according thcprire
which had been fixed between the lst January
aud the lst May. No person was allowed IL
lay in supply for more than month. Those
who sold or bought ut n price above the mari
mnn., or who made false declarations, were to
lie punished with contiscation and Il fine from
three hundred to one thousand francs. Domi-
c:liancy visits were ordered to ascertain the
truth. Lastly, a statement Of all tic dccla-
ratinns was to be sent BY the municipalities to
the Minister of the Interior, in order 10 fur
utsh q general statistical survey of the sup
plies of France. The commune of Paris,
adding it's police regulation to the DEGREES of
the convention, bad moreover regulated the
distribution Of bread at the baker shops. Nh
one was allowed to 20 to them withuut safety
tickets On these tickets, delivered by the
revolutionary committee, was specified the
quantity of bread which the bearer had the
right to ask for, and this quantity was prop,r
tiUnatc to the number OF persons Of which eHch
family was composed. Even the mode 1f get
ting served at tho bakers shops was regulated.
A cord was to lie fastened to their door: each
customer was to lay hold Of it, 50 as not to lose
bis turn, and to- avoid confusion. Malicious
wcmen frequently cut this cord q iright1ul
tumult ensued, and an armed force was re-
uuireI to restore order. We here see to what
drudgery. ostlahorinus to itselfand vcxatious
to those for whom it legiSlates, a government
is doomed, az soon as it is obliged to see every
thing in order to regulate everything. But in
this situation each circumstance was the result
Of another The forced currency Of the assig-
mats led to the forcing Of sales, the forcing Of
prices, for arranging even the quantity the hour,
the mode of purchasing. The last fact result
ted from the first, and the FIRST had been in
evi'able, like the revolution itself.
Meanwhile, the rise in the price of articles
ofconsumption, which had led to the maximum,
was general for all the commodities If the first
necessity. Butchers' meat, at,.vcgetablcs, fruit.
groceries, candles, fuel, liquors. articles of
clothing, and shoe leather, had all risen in
price in proportion as assignats had fallen:
and the populacc were dailys more and more
bent on finding forestallcrs, where these were
only dealers who refused q money that had
lost its value.
MEASURES AGAINST FoREsTALLERs.
Ibid 81. "a decree was issued which
placed frres'aIlng among the number of capi
tai crimes and attached to it the punishment
of death. He was considered US n .forestaller
,cho should rHhhold from circulation articles
Of first necessity, without placing them pub
liaiy on sale. The articles and commodities Of
first mc"es$Hy were bread, wire, butchers
meat, corn, flour. vegetables, frpit, charcoal,
wood, butter, tallow, hemp, flax, salt, leather,
drinkables, salted meat, wool, and all stutiS,
excepting silk. The means of execution for
such decree were necessarily inquisitoriat
aud vtxatious. Every dealer was required to
render a statement Of the stock in his posses.
sion. These declarations were to be verified
bv means Of domicilary visits. Any fraud
was. like the crime itself, to he punished with
death. Commissioners appointed by the com
munes we're authorized t, inspect the invoices,
and, from these invoices, to fix price which,
while it left moderate profit tn the dealer,
should not exceed the means of the people
If, however, added the decree, the high price
Of the invoices should render it impossible for
the dealer to make any profit, the sale must
nevertheless take place at such price as the
purchaser could afford"
THE CONSEQUENCES OF THE MAxINCu.
Ibid, p. 35S. "Dismay pervaded not only
tho prisons. the hall Of the revolutionary tri-
bur,als, the Place de 10 Revolution-it prevail
ed everywhere in the markets, in the shops,
where the maximum and the laws against
fores,alling had recently been enforced. We
have already seen how the discredit Of the az.
signats, and the increase of the price Of
cam4ea;tiss had Jed to the decree Of