ABSTRACT
M. de Lafayette, who is a farmer, M. de Larochefoucault-Liancourt, M. Le Voyer d’Argenson clearly belong, by virtue of their occupations and the liberality of their opinions, to the industrial class; whereas MM. Barthelemy, Bellard, and Pastoret, although born commoners, are included in the anti-national party because of their views. In 1815 the House of Commons was composed almost exclusively of landowners. Moreover, as their income was insufficient to meet the expenditure they regarded as necessary in order to maintain themselves properly as nobles, they were simple-minded enough to ask the nation for capital at a time when it was shattered by the burdens it had to bear. The greatest, most important power entrusted to the Government is the power to tax the citizens. All its other powers spring from this right. Today, therefore, political science is essentially a matter of framing a good budget.
