. . (Ardeche.) "If the state of the country were to be judged of by the results of the conscription one would have a poor idea of it." -(Ariège.) "At Brussac, district of Foix, four or five individuals arm themselves with stones and knives to help a conscript escape, arrested by the gendarmes. . . . A garrison was ordered to this commune." - At Massat, district of Saint-Girons, on a few brigades of gendarmes entering this commune to establish a garrison, in order to hasten the departure of refractory conscripts, they were stoned; a shot even was fired at this troop. . . . A garrison was placed in these hamlets as in the rest of the commune. - During the night of Frimaire 16-17 last, six strange men presented themselves before the prison of Saint-Girons and loudly demanded Gouazé, a deserter and condemned. On the jailor coming down they seized him and struck him down." - (Haute-Loire.)"'The flying column is under constant orders simultaneously against the refractory and disobedient among the classes of the years IX, X, XI, XII, and XIII, and against the laggards of that of year IV, of which 134 men yet remain to be supplied." - (Bouches-du-Rh?ne.) "50deserter sailors and 84 deserters or conscripts of different classes have been arrested." - (Dordogne.) "Out of 1353 conscripts, 134 have failed to reach their destination; 124 refractory or deserters from the country and 41 others have been arrested; 81 conscripts have surrendered as a result of placing a garrison amongst them; 186 have not surrendered. Out of 892 conscripts of the year XIV on the march, 101 deserted on the road." - (Gard.) "76 refractory or deserters arrested." - (Landes.) "Out of 406 men who left, 51 deserted on the way," etc. - This repugnance becomes more and more aggravated. (Cf.
analogous reports of 1812 and 1813, F7, 3018 and 3019, in "Journal d'un bourgeois d'Evreux," p. 150 to 214, and "Histoire de 1814," by Henry Houssaye, p.8 to 24.)[66] Law of Fructidor, year VI.
[67] Decree of July 29, 1811 (on the exemption of pupils in the école Normale). - Decree of March 30, 1810, title II., articles 2, 4, 5, 6(on the police and system of the école Normale). - Decree on the organization of the University, titles 6 and 13, March 7, 1808.
[68] Law of Vent?se 17, year VIII, title III., articles I and 13. -Law of Fructidor 8, year XIII, articles 50, 54, and 55.
[69] Law of Fructidor 8, year XIII, article 51[70] Law of Vent?se 17, year VIII, title 3, article I.
[71] Thibaudeau, p. 108. (Speech of the First Consul before the Council of State.) "Art, science and the professions must be thought of. We are not Spartans. . . . As to substitution, it must be allowed.
In a nation where fortunes are equal each individual should serve personally; but, with a people whose existence depends on the inequality of fortunes, the rich must be allowed the right of substitution; only we must take care that the substitutes be good, and that conscripts pay some of the money serving to defray the expense of a part of the equipment of the army of reserve."[72] Pelet de La Lozère, 228.
[73] Archives nationales, F7, 3014. (Reports of prefects, 1806.)Average price of a substitute: Basses Alpes, from 2,000 to 2,500francs; Bouches-du-Rh?ne, from 1,800 to 3,000; Dordogne, 2,400; Gard, 3,000; Gers, 4,000; Haute-Garonne, from 2,000 to 3,000; Hérault, 4,000; Vaucluse, 2,500; Landes, 4,000. Average rate of interest (Ardèche): "Money, which was from 11/4 to 11/2 %, has declined; it is now at 3 1/4 % a month or 10 % per annum." - (Basses Alpes): "The rate of money has varied in commerce from 1 to 3/4 % per month." - (Gard):
"Interest is at 1 % a month in commerce; proprietors can readily borrow at 9 or 10 % per annum." - (Hérault): "The interest on money is 1 1/4 % per month." - (Vaucluse): "Money is from 3/4 to 11/4 % per month."[74] Thiers, VII., p.23 and 467. In November 1806, Napoleon orders the conscription of 1807; in March 1807, he orders the conscription of 1808, and so on, always from worse to worse. - Decrees of 1808 and 1813 against young men of family already bought off or exempted. -"Journal d'un Bourgeois d'Evreux," 214. Desolate state of things in 1813, "general depression and discouragement." - Miot de Mélito, III., 304. (Report of Miot to the Emperor after a tour in the departments in 1815.) "Everywhere, almost, the women are your declared enemies."[75] Law of Vent?se 17, year VIII, title 3, articles 6, 7, 8, 9. -Exemption is granted as a favor only to the ignorantin brothers and to seminarians assigned to the priesthood. - Cf. the law of March 10, 1818, articles 15 and 18.