from Georges Bordonove, Les rois qui ont fait la France : Louis XV, Flammarion, 2007.
The Coming Conflict
There was, however, an aspect of the regime which remained beyond the grasp of the sagacity of the philosophes and the other members of the opposition. They complained of «rape of power» and despotism from ministers, all the while sympathetic to those relieved of power. But all the while, none of them could perceive the profound institutional changes underway : the movement set in motion by Louis XIV and Colbert was growing stronger ; the monarchy, reputed absolute, was becoming an administrative monarchy, unique in Europe, preparing in advance the powerful structures that revolutionaries will but need change those entitled to and Napoleon to codify. Royal authority, the decisions of the Upper Council and the different ministerial comittees ( Edicts, Foreign Affairs, Finance, etc) worked from the preliminary findings of the State councellors. These later examined the issues and formulated useful proposals, thus an excellent training to later go into business! One recruited these from provincial administrators, police lieutenants, financial controllers and the directors who assisted them, even Secretaries of State. The councellors prepared edicts, but also sat on contention bodies, then as our current Council of State, to render judgements on conflicts between individuals and the administration, then again as a higher court to render judgement on jurisdictionnal conflicts. Those among them eventually named ‘intendants’ had thus received a complete training, at once judicial and technical. One could elaborate greatly on the work accomplished by these high officials under the Generalities rubric and of their subdelegates. One owes them in particular, the renovation of the roads system. Under the reign of Louis XIV, apart from some paved roads, the major thouroughfares were still but country roads, muddy or dusty according to the season, full of potholes which one filled with fagots or stones! Under the leadership of Trudaine ( and controller-general Ory who was his superior) , a true administration of bridges and roads was created and, as money was (as always) somewhat short, a system of royal work taxation was instituted, which one could buy oneself out of, and all roads were classified under five categories. The ‘intendants’ were charged with seeing to the execution of a plan meant to give France a true system of roads and including, not only the upgrading of roads but also, the repairing and even the construction of the necessary art works. It became quickly apparent that good intentions were not enough to compensate for the lack of expertise. Trudaine thus created a bureau of draftmen, transformed in 1747 into a true school of engineers, recruited to by examination. In 1750, he gave these civil servants professional status and established a pay and rewards scheme for them. After three years of study, one became an assistant-engineer, then engineer, then chief-engineer, general inspector of bridges and roads. An innovation that no one measured the importance of : Trudaine had just invented the «public service», at a time were almost all civil, judicial and military charges were bought. This movement became unstoppable. Without drawing notice, the most scandalous of priviledges had disappeared : buying one’s charge and recouping the outlay on the price of public goods or from the administered. Indeed, this same movement was beginning in finance, mines, waters and forests, postal service... Stone by stone, almost in secret, from one year to the next, modern France was coming into being! It appears difficult to refuse to Louis XV the merit of having understood, promoted, encouraged these changes. After Ory’s falling out of favour, Trudaine stayed on : he had full liberty to complete the gigantic task he had undertaken. The renovation of the roads system completely changed the conditions of travel and merchandise transport ; it then explains the formidable development of commerce in the second half of the century. The difficulties as well as the consequences of the operation, Louis XV had fully appreciated. He had personally approved the projects Trudaine had submitted to him. He was, and it bears repitition, a ‘Cabinet’ man, who liked to read proposals, studying them with great care.
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The Coming Conflict
There was, however, an aspect of the regime which remained beyond the grasp of the sagacity of the philosophes and the other members of the opposition. They complained of «rape of power» and despotism from ministers, all the while sympathetic to those relieved of power. But all the while, none of them could perceive the profound institutional changes underway : the movement set in motion by Louis XIV and Colbert was growing stronger ; the monarchy, reputed absolute, was becoming an administrative monarchy, unique in Europe, preparing in advance the powerful structures that revolutionaries will but need change those entitled to and Napoleon to codify. Royal authority, the decisions of the Upper Council and the different ministerial comittees ( Edicts, Foreign Affairs, Finance, etc) worked from the preliminary findings of the State councellors. These later examined the issues and formulated useful proposals, thus an excellent training to later go into business! One recruited these from provincial administrators, police lieutenants, financial controllers and the directors who assisted them, even Secretaries of State. The councellors prepared edicts, but also sat on contention bodies, then as our current Council of State, to render judgements on conflicts between individuals and the administration, then again as a higher court to render judgement on jurisdictionnal conflicts. Those among them eventually named ‘intendants’ had thus received a complete training, at once judicial and technical. One could elaborate greatly on the work accomplished by these high officials under the Generalities rubric and of their subdelegates. One owes them in particular, the renovation of the roads system. Under the reign of Louis XIV, apart from some paved roads, the major thouroughfares were still but country roads, muddy or dusty according to the season, full of potholes which one filled with fagots or stones! Under the leadership of Trudaine ( and controller-general Ory who was his superior) , a true administration of bridges and roads was created and, as money was (as always) somewhat short, a system of royal work taxation was instituted, which one could buy oneself out of, and all roads were classified under five categories. The ‘intendants’ were charged with seeing to the execution of a plan meant to give France a true system of roads and including, not only the upgrading of roads but also, the repairing and even the construction of the necessary art works. It became quickly apparent that good intentions were not enough to compensate for the lack of expertise. Trudaine thus created a bureau of draftmen, transformed in 1747 into a true school of engineers, recruited to by examination. In 1750, he gave these civil servants professional status and established a pay and rewards scheme for them. After three years of study, one became an assistant-engineer, then engineer, then chief-engineer, general inspector of bridges and roads. An innovation that no one measured the importance of : Trudaine had just invented the «public service», at a time were almost all civil, judicial and military charges were bought. This movement became unstoppable. Without drawing notice, the most scandalous of priviledges had disappeared : buying one’s charge and recouping the outlay on the price of public goods or from the administered. Indeed, this same movement was beginning in finance, mines, waters and forests, postal service... Stone by stone, almost in secret, from one year to the next, modern France was coming into being! It appears difficult to refuse to Louis XV the merit of having understood, promoted, encouraged these changes. After Ory’s falling out of favour, Trudaine stayed on : he had full liberty to complete the gigantic task he had undertaken. The renovation of the roads system completely changed the conditions of travel and merchandise transport ; it then explains the formidable development of commerce in the second half of the century. The difficulties as well as the consequences of the operation, Louis XV had fully appreciated. He had personally approved the projects Trudaine had submitted to him. He was, and it bears repitition, a ‘Cabinet’ man, who liked to read proposals, studying them with great care.
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