Such a sudden diversion of all its circulating money from
trade to land must be an additional mischief What step was taken?
Did the Assembly, on becoming sensible of the inevitable ill effects
of their projected sale, revert to the offers of the clergy? No
distress could oblige them to travel in a course which was disgraced
by any appearance of justice. Giving over all hopes from a general
immediate sale, another project seems to have succeeded. They proposed
to take stock in exchange for the church lands. In that project
great difficulties arose in equalizing the objects to be exchanged.
Other obstacles also presented themselves, which threw them back again
upon some project of sale. The municipalities had taken an alarm. They
would not hear of transferring the whole plunder of the kingdom to the
stockholders in Paris. Many of those municipalities had been (upon
system) reduced to the most deplorable indigence. Money was nowhere to
be seen. They were, therefore, led to the point that was so ardently
desired. They panted for a currency of any kind which might revive
their perishing industry. The municipalities were then to be
admitted to a share in the spoil, which evidently rendered the first
scheme (if ever it had been seriously entertained) altogether
impracticable. Public exigencies pressed upon all sides. The
minister of finance reiterated his call for supply with a most urgent,
anxious, and boding voice.
Pages:
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188
189
190
191
192
193