Chapter 475: The Integrity
The second floor of the Tuileries Palace.
Joseph watched Brian's back disappear, then looked at the annual financial report on the table, and couldn't help shaking his head and sighing.
Although France's industry and agriculture are currently booming, France's debt growth has increased significantly after a brief decrease at the beginning of last year.
The total fiscal revenue last year was 580 million francs, an increase of 70 million francs compared with the previous year.
But at the same time, expenditures also surged to 540 million, and with the annual fixed payment of national debt interest of nearly 100 million francs, the deficit reached more than 60 million!
As of the beginning of this year, France’s total debt has reached a record high of 2.25 billion francs.
Of course, compared with France's historical debt of nearly 3 billion francs in 1790, the situation is much better. Moreover, last year's debt growth was mainly due to large-scale investments in North Africa, Luxembourg, and the Wallonia region of the Southern Netherlands, especially in infrastructure construction. Not only did it cost a lot of money, but no benefits were seen in a short period of time. .
In addition, wars in North Africa, the Southern Netherlands, and Silesia were also costly. According to the financial data submitted by Brian, military expenditure last year exceeded 43 million francs!
This is still the case because Austria has borne a large amount of expenditures in the latter two wars, otherwise this number would be even more terrifying.
Furthermore, due to the food shortage last year, the national strategic grain reserves were greatly consumed, requiring huge investments to replenish the grain reserves. After all, until 1795, the climate conditions in Europe were not stable. Although there was no famine as severe as last year's hailstorm, small-scale crop failures still occurred from time to time, so we had to be prepared.
This cost another nearly ten million francs to purchase grain.
Generally speaking, if there had not been war and food hoarding, the long-lost balance of payments should have been achieved.
But Joseph was not relaxed at all.
Because he knew very well that many of his previous reforms were based on eroding the interests of the nobility. Especially the old aristocracy, from their control over the country's economy to various privileges and feudal taxes, has been almost completely eliminated.
The reason why there is no major turmoil in French society at present is because it uses the income from the "Industrial Development Fund" and the "King's Fund" to stabilize the nobles.
Once the income from these funds is insufficient, it will cause dissatisfaction among the old aristocracy, and the accumulated resentment against the royal family will explode. As for the result, although the reform will not be abandoned halfway like Austria's, after all, the capital aristocratic group has already achieved some scale, it is still entirely possible for the country's development to stagnate or even go back several years.
Among them, the profitability of the Industrial Development Fund is particularly important.
Originally, according to Joseph's plan, with the dividends of the Industrial Revolution, the rate of return on investment in industry should be above 30%. After industrialization takes initial effect, this number can even reach 200%!
In history, Britain took advantage of this wave of takeoff and established an empire on which the sun never sets.
With such a profit situation, it is completely feasible to integrate the old aristocracy into the overall situation of national industrialization and realize the transition from the land aristocracy to the capital aristocracy.
However, the current industrial rate of return in France is less than 10%, which was achieved by Joseph using a lot of "black technology".
After all, France's social system today is still the same as that of the feudal era. From the tax system to administrative management, they have seriously hindered industrial development.
Joseph couldn't help but shook his head and smiled bitterly: "Actually, a complete death penalty is the simplest and most effective solution."
It was through the Glorious Revolution that the British formulated a complete set of political and economic models suitable for industrial development. As for the tax reform that troubles him the most now, France historically eliminated all tax collectors and nationalized the tax collectors they paid, thus solving the problem simply and crudely. Well, yes, it was the work of the Jacobins.
But it was many times more difficult for Joseph to do the same thing while maintaining the stability of the country.
To abolish the tax farming system, there are two most critical difficulties - money and people.
In terms of money, it would be best if the tax collector could lend the original tax package money to the government in the form of a loan and charge some interest. In this way, the government can gradually repay the money through the taxes received later.
Of course, Joseph knew that most tax collectors would not agree to lend money. After all, you have touched their cake, and you still want them to cooperate with you?
So first of all, a large amount of funds must be obtained to support financial expenditures. It is estimated that it will cost at least 200 million francs.
Second is people. Tax officials are the most vulnerable positions to corruption. In the Louis XIV era, tax corruption was so difficult to deal with that they had to adopt the tax collector system.
Joseph took out the previously formulated tax reform planning document from the drawer and began to modify it carefully.
At this moment, Emman's voice gently knocked on the door came from outside the house: "Your Highness, Mr. Robespierre is here."
Joseph immediately smiled: "Invite him in."
The door opened, and a fat young man with blond hair followed Eman in. He glanced at Joseph nervously, and immediately touched his chest and saluted: "It is an honor to be summoned by you, Your Royal Highness the Crown Prince."
Joseph stood up and gestured to the sofa: "I'm glad to see you too. Please sit down."
After settling the Chartres inheritance lawsuit last time, Robespierre did not go to the Notary Investigation Bureau after all. Instead, he used the influence of the case to become a trainee prosecutor at the Paris High Court.
Robespierre sat down with an awkward expression and asked hurriedly: "Your Highness, is there anything I can do for you?"
Joseph immediately coughed lightly and said in a very serious tone: "Mr. Robespierre, are you willing to fight desperately for France, for His Majesty the King, and for all the people, and not flinch even in the face of great danger?"
He prepared several opening remarks, and finally felt that this most middle-class one might be more suitable for Robespierre.
Sure enough, the latter immediately stood up again excitedly, nodded vigorously and said: "Yes, Your Highness, I am willing to sacrifice my life for France!"
"Very good." Joseph continued, "You are the most noble and incorruptible person I know, so only you can complete this important task."
Robespierre did not expect that the Crown Prince would have such a high opinion of himself. He suddenly felt dizzy and immediately said without hesitation: "Please do whatever you ask, I will never let you down!"
Joseph maintained a solemn look: "I hope you can serve as the inspector of the newly established National Taxation Bureau."
Joseph knew that if there was only one official in France who was not corrupt, that person must be Robespierre.
(End of chapter)