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Title: Un mot sur les postes
Author: Ch. Dugas
Release date: July 19, 2026 [eBook #79132]
Language: French
Original publication: FR:
Other information and formats: www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/79132
Credits: Adrian Mastronardi, The Philatelic Digital Library Project and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by the Bibliothèque nationale de France (BnF/Gallica))
*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK UN MOT SUR LES POSTES ***
UN MOT SUR LES POSTES.
Quels sont les moyens de rendre les Postes productives, _en assurant le
service_?
Doit-on les affermer?
Doit-on les confier à une régie intéressée?
Quelle différence y a-t-il entre une ferme et une régie intéressée?
Les membres de la première administration se présentent et sont acceptés
de droit, quelque soit leur civisme, quelque soit leur moralité, si, par
leurs offres, ils l’emportent sur leurs concurrens.
Ceux de la seconde doivent être choisis avec sagesse et circonspection,
par le gouvernement, parmi des hommes probes et instruits auxquels la
loi aurait accordé une remise dans la recette.
Les partisans de la ferme s’imaginent, et quelques-uns feignent de
croire qu’elle doit présenter plus d’avantages pécuniaires au
gouvernement. Je vais chercher à prouver, 1º, qu’une compagnie
financière ne fournira pas plus d’argent qu’une régie intéressée.
2º. Qu’elle en fournira moins.
3º. Qu’elle n’en donnera pas plus exactement ni plus vîte.
4º. Qu’elle sera sujette à des dangers que la régie ne présente pas.
5º. L’on convient que l’activité que des fermiers apporteraient, et les
améliorations qu’ils pourraient produire ne naîtraient que de l’énergie
de l’intérêt personnel; croit-on qu’en excitant celle d’une régie par
une remise sur la recette, l’on ne sera pas fondé à attendre autant de
son zèle que de celui d’une compagnie fermière?
Celle-ci sera-t-elle plus vivement stimulée? Non, puisque la régie
intéressée aura comme elle une part dans la recette.
Pourra-t-elle augmenter davantage cette recette? Non, puisqu’elle ne
sera pas plus vivement stimulée, et puisqu’elle n’aura pas, sans doute,
autant que la régie, des lumières de l’expérience, et par conséquent de
moyens d’opérer de sages améliorations?
Aura-t-elle plus de désir de réduire les dépenses? Non, puisqu’elle ne
sera pas plus vivement stimulée, puisque les demandes d’emplois, de
création de bureaux lui peuvent être faites aussi bien qu’à des
régisseurs, et qu’elle aurait besoin autant qu’eux de la bienveillance
des faveurs du gouvernement, soit pour des réclamations fréquentes, soit
pour l’obtention d’indemnités et sur-tout du renouvellement du bail, si
le cas devait s’en présenter.
La ferme donc ne donnerait pas au gouvernement _plus d’argent_ qu’une
régie intéressée?
2º. Les fermiers tiendront leurs engagemens, ou ne les tiendront
pas.--S’ils les tiennent, les fortes portions qui leur auront été
accordées dans les recettes, portions plus considérables que celles qui
seraient attribuées à une régie, portions à partager, suivant l’usage,
avec les associés, croupiers, etc., portions qui prendront un grand
accroissement si la paix se fait pendant la durée du bail, seront autant
de moins pour la république.
S’ils ne tiennent pas leurs promesses, ce qui paraît probable, ou ils
seront poursuivis, ou ils obtiendront de ne pas l’être.
S’ils sont poursuivis, le désordre résultant nécessairement de cet état
de chose, n’occasionnera-t-il pas des non-valeurs réelles pour le trésor
national?
S’ils ne sont pas poursuivis, l’état y perdra de même.
Dans tous les cas, la ferme devra donner au gouvernement _moins
d’argent_ qu’une régie intéressée.
3º. Si la ferme actuelle n’a pu remplir trois mois les conditions
modérées qu’elle avoit acceptées, et si, comme on le pense généralement,
c’est du retour de la paix que l’on peut attendre des bonifications,
peut-on présumer qu’une ferme nouvelle, deux mois après l’obtention de
la loi proposée, versera exactement _au moins un million par mois à la
trésorerie_?
Et s’il est reconnu que, pour mettre un nouveau tarif à exécution,
rendre familière aux employés la nouvelle taxe, préparer et donner
toutes les instructions et tous les matériaux nécessaires, il faut au
moins un espace de temps de six mois, peut-on croire que, pendant les
quatre premiers mois de leur bail, les fermiers verseront exactement _au
moins un million par mois à la trésorerie_?
Et s’il est reconnu que toutes les fois que les tarifs des Postes ont
été augmentés, la recette s’est d’abord, et pendant quelque temps,
affaiblie sensiblement, témoin l’époque où celui de 1759 fut établi, et
où les produits diminuèrent d’un quart pendant la première année,
doit-on penser que des fermiers, pendant la première année de leur bail,
verseront exactement _au moins un million par mois à la trésorerie_?
Si l’on considère, enfin, qu’il est de l’essence d’une compagnie
financière de remuer, de faire travailler l’argent à mesure qu’il entre
dans sa caisse, et par conséquent, de ne l’avoir pas continuellement à
sa disposition, et même de risquer de le voir rentrer plus tard qu’elle
ne l’avoit espéré, tandis qu’une régie n’aurait le droit ni le pouvoir
d’agir ainsi, et qu’elle serait prête chaque jour, à toute heure, à
remettre au gouvernement, à sa volonté, la recette de la veille; si l’on
ne veut se refuser à l’évidence, croira-t-on qu’une ferme fournira _plus
exactement et plus vite_ qu’une régie intéressée de l’argent au trésor
public?
4º. La ferme présente des inconvéniens et des dangers réels que n’offre
point l’autre administration.
Elle est réprouvée par la constitution, vérité reconnue sur laquelle on
glisse bien légèrement.
Elle ne présente aucune garantie de moralité, aucuns motifs pour se
concilier la confiance du gouvernement et des Français en général.
Elle détruirait parmi les préposés une utile émulation en leur ôtant
toute espérance de participer à l’administration, qui, sous la régie,
n’exigerait, au lieu de richesses, que des talens et de la probité.
Elle saurait moins bien remédier aux plaintes, aux abus, encore moins
les prévoir; opérer, en un mot, beaucoup de bonifications que peuvent
dicter une longue habitude du travail, ainsi qu’une ancienne
connaissance de la moralité et de la capacité des préposés.
Son inexpérience, au contraire, ne pourrait-elle pas l’entraîner dans
des mesures nuisibles à la chose même; et cette remise qu’on propose de
lui accorder sur les réductions des dépenses, n’est-elle pas déjà un
appât impolitique qui l’exciterait à hasarder des réformes, à établir
généralement une parcimonie dont elle craindrait peu les funestes
effets, sur-tout s’ils se présentaient éloignés.
Les Postes, enfin, n’offraient-elles pas, pour la république en général,
et chaque citoyen en particulier, un intérêt et une utilité indépendans
du fisc et si elles ne sont plus considérées que relativement à l’argent
qu’elles pourront produire, si elles ne sont plus soumises à l’autorité
du gouvernement que par rapport à l’exécution des clauses d’un marché,
ne fera-t-on pas moins d’attention aux moyens de succès que des factions
pourraient y trouver?
Mais bientôt, sans doute, elle aura manqué à ses engagemens, et alors ce
service ne pourra-t-il pas être gravement compromis? On a vu plus haut
quelles peuvent être raisonnablement les causes de telles craintes. Et
le cautionnement en immeubles offrirait-il une garantie suffisante au
trésor public?
Et si l’on étoit obligé de poursuivre les fermiers, que deviendrait,
pendant ce temps, la gestion de l’administration?
Et si l’on a raison de se plaindre de la mobilité des emplois; quelle
apparence de solidité présenterait une administration dont toutes les
bases seraient fragiles et les clauses du bail éventuelles?
En un mot, il est indubitable, on reconnaît que c’est de la conclusion
de la paix ou de la continuation de la guerre que dépend le sort futur
des Postes, que dépendent leur prospérité ou leur décadence, la force ou
la faiblesse de leurs produits.
Si l’on a bientôt la paix, si son retour vient revivifier le commerce,
rétablir la confiance et les relations de sentimens, alors les produits
augmenteront, et après un essai d’un nouveau tarif, la quotité de la
recette annuelle pourra être prévue et évaluée pour l’avenir; le prix
des denrées, des chevaux, de la main-d’œuvre et de tous les objets
nécessaires à l’exploitation, n’étant plus sujets à des variations, la
somme des dépenses pourra être facilement déterminée; alors, comme
autrefois, les clauses d’un bail pourront être justement établies et
l’on pourra croire qu’elles seront exactement exécutées.
Si la république doit jouir bientôt des bienfaits inapréciables de la
paix, pourquoi vouloir, dès aujourd’hui, gratifier, enrichir des
entrepreneurs d’une portion considérable des fruits que devra
particulièrement recueillir l’administration des Postes, portion qui
devrait contribuer alors à guérir quelques-unes des plaies de l’état.
Si la guerre continue, si le commerce reste long-temps dans une funeste
létargie, si la rareté des espèces augmente encore, si des troubles
intérieurs se renouvelaient, des fermiers peuvent-ils se flatter de
voir, dans ce cas qu’on suppose avec peine, mais qui est possible, les
produits des Postes s’accroître et leur donner les moyens de remplir
exactement leurs promesses? Peuvent-ils se flatter de ne pas risquer, en
ne les remplissant pas, d’attenter à la sûreté du service?
Ainsi donc, que de raisons de croire que des fermiers manqueraient à
leurs engagemens? que de dangers ils doivent faire appréhender?
Que d’avantages présentent des régisseurs intéressés qui n’offrent aucun
de ces dangers?
Est-ce sans y avoir réfléchi que le directoire a annoncé dans divers
messages _que les circonstances actuelles ne permettaient point
absolument d’adopter le système de la ferme, et qu’il fallait en
ajourner l’idée jusqu’à la paix_.
Et la première obligation du corps législatif n’est-elle pas d’assurer
l’exactitude du service des Postes et de suivre le vœu de la
constitution?
Ch. Dugas, _ci-devant employé principal des Postes_.
Vendémiaire an 8.
* * * * *
_Nota._ J’étais prêt à faire imprimer ces réflexions, lorsque j’ai eu
connaissance de celles qui sont publiées par le citoyen Dupairié. Malgré
la clarté et la force de ses raisonnemens, et quoique je me sois
rencontré avec lui sur plusieurs points, persuadé que des vérités
peuvent être utilement présentées plusieurs fois, et désirant servir
encore une cause que j’ai déjà défendue en l’an 5, j’ai cru ne pas
devoir supprimer ce nouvel écrit.
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