Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-06-02
A CORNER IN WHEAT IN 1894.
How Louis XIV Dealt With Three
Responsible for it.

nSSPOnSipIc TOT ~.
In connection with the recent corner
in wheat and the resultant rise in the
similar situations We're handled few
hundred years ago. Take as an illus
tration an incident out of the reign or
Louis XIV. of France-the Famine
year. of 1894 Whatever else may be
said Of Louis the Grand" he would
brook no rival when it came to taking
money from the people. such as Great
ing new taxes, changing the value Of
coins and levying customs dues, all pre-
sumably within his kingly prerogative.
But when associations of men Organi-
Zed for the purpose of concerning the
markets it was then that Louis "came
to the front" as a protector of his
dearly beloved subjects
In the famine year referred to no rain
had fallen in France for six months
and the people We're in dire straits. An
association of Paris merchants formed
q trust, or monopoly, to corner all the
available supply of breadstuffs, buying
cheap and selling to the hungry at
high price. The false and seditious
reports" referred to were reports sent
out on the condition of the crops and
the worlds visible supply" as we say
today. COmssioners We're sent out TO
take an inventory of the supply in
France and to discover those that were
engaged in the corner on breadstuffS.
Space forbids going into details of the
subsequent trials and hanging of a
number of those engaged in the corner,
the conficsation of their boarded supply
and the selling of it to the people at 60
cents bushel as against the former
price Of S1.10 and $500 to which the cor
ner had forced it. But let the news
paper of that day tell the story quoting
from an old Mercury as follows:
Paris, June, l694-Sundry Persons
having made divers MOnopolies to pre-
vent the bringing of Corn and Wheat
to Paris and by other pernicious Means
|enhanc'd the Price Just before the prob
ability of a Plentiful Harvest, has oc-
casioned the issuance of several De-
crecs. The Fear of popular Commo-
tions throughout the Kingdom has
cans'd the ensuing Decree, which was
issu'd the eth:
Ellis Majesty being inform'd that in
contempt of his Orders several times
repeated for the fetching of Corn from
the several provinces and bringing it to
Paris for the supply and subsistence of
the Inha bitants of his good City Of Par
Is, sundry disaffected Persons have
made divers MonOpolies to elude the
execution of His Majesty's Orders and
under Names unknown, and different
false and supposed Pretenses have car
ry'd away, diverted or detain'd a con-
siderable Part of the Corn which was
to have been brought to Paris and to
the Markets roundabout within IS or
20 leagues, in such a manner that by
the false reports which they have scat
ter'd abroad seditious DiScourSeS, and
by other Means pernicious to the Pub
lick they have lust before the Probable
ity Of plentiful Harvest of all the
Fruits Of the Earth, rais'd the Price
again and caus'd the Price of Corn to
rise considerably at Paris and in the
neighboring Markets proportionately
and hinder'd the Efficacy of His Males
tvs Orders and Cares for the easing of
his People. Against which, being de-
sirous to provide by exemplary Pun
ishments of the Authors of these Dis
orders, His Majesty Ordains that he be
July lhlol Ill u Dy TIE fToNoSl OI HIS
Lieutenant General of the Civil Gov
ernment; and that Processes extraor
binary be issued forth against the Au
thors and AccOmplices of the said
Monopolies, carrying away Of Corn and
other Misdemeanors committed in re-
ference to Corn; as also against the
Authors and Accomplices of false Re-
ports spread abroad and seditious muir
murings on purpose to enhance the
Price of Corn and Bread and that the
said offenders be prosecuted to defini-
tive Sentence without Appeal
Louis.
BY Phelipeaux.
AT Versailles, June 9th, 1894.
Before this edict, came forth dec
laration of the Kings dated the 22d of
last month, and forbidding all people
whatever, out of a resign to deprive
the poor Of the advantages and relief
which they expect from the ensuing
harvest, to buy any corn standing up
on the ground under the penalty of
confiscation and the forfeiture of 1000
livres for anyone that shall trespass
against this declaration.
"The following letter also was sent
from Thoulouse:
The Harvest is good all over this
Countrey however Corn will not cease
to be dear still by reason there is no
corn left. This great scarcity occasion
ed the Sedition that happend some
time since in this city, at Abb and