Chapter 349： death and taxes

Magnet and Foulder breathed a sigh of relief at the same time when they heard Jerome Bonaparte's request to add an additional value-added tax to the original luxury tax instead of the chattel/personal income tax.

For the people of Paris, and for France as a whole, the establishment of every "new" tax meant the beginning of tyranny.

Successive French rulers used their **** ruling experience to warn the next rulers that it is best not to set up new taxes until social contradictions intensify to the point of getting out of hand.

Adding value-added tax to high-end luxury goods is one of the best taxes of all, and Jerome Bonaparte is also convinced that this policy is an effective method. Thiers relied on the policy of raising additional taxes to lift the economy to the level of 1869 before the war, even 1.1 billion francs more than the central government tax revenue in 1869, and the market also prospered because of this policy.

[PS: In 1869, the central fiscal revenue was about 1.9 billion francs, in 1870 the central fiscal revenue was 3 billion francs, and in 1871 it was 3.1 billion francs. 】

However, Thiers during the Third Republic imposed a 20%-50% surcharge on every luxury item, while Jerome Bonaparte considered that the economic strength of 1852 was far less than that of 1871. , so the collection of additional value-added tax has also been cut in half on a historical basis.

"How much tax can France increase every year if it increases by 10% - 25% for luxury products such as tobacco?" Jerome Bonaparte asked Magnet and Foulder.

"According to the collection of luxury products such as tobacco last year, it can add about 400-500 million francs in taxes to France!" Manet cautiously responded to Jerome Bonaparte, and then added: "If Taking into account other aspects, it will increase the fiscal revenue by about 300-400 million!"

"300-400 million!" Jerome Bonaparte touched his chin subconsciously. After thinking for a while, he asked again, "What is the current state of my country's national debt?"

"As of now, my country's national debt is about 5 billion francs! Compared with the entire market, my country's national debt still has a lot of room!" Mane responded immediately.

"Considering that the additional value-added tax needs to reserve enough time, the Ministry of Finance should be ready to sell government bonds at any time!" Jerome Bonaparte pointed to the ceiling above his head, and said decisively: "France's economy is not good. If there can be turmoil, the French army can't have turmoil! If the two Optimus Pillars collapse, then the whole house will be in danger, and we who stay under the house will not be able to stay out of it!"

Although Jerome Bonaparte's words had some alarmist meaning, Manet and Fuld did not want to see the collapse of the Second Empire, and they poured too much effort into this new empire.

Political investment alone can no longer be measured by money. Now that it is finally time to reap the fruits, there must be no mistakes.

Magnet hurriedly assured Jérôme Bonaparte that the Ministry of Finance would draw up regulations for the issuance of national debt as soon as possible.

Fould, who was sitting on the side, also assured Jerome Bonaparte that he would mobilize the shareholders of the Banque de France to buy the national debts thrown by the Ministry of Finance to the society.

"No need!" Facing Fuld's idea of ​​asking the bank to take over the treasury bonds, Jerome Bonaparte shook his head and refused: "This batch of treasury bonds will still appear on the Paris Stock Exchange, and we want all French citizens to be able to buy Treasury bonds."

Immediately, Magnet asked Jérôme Bonaparte about the amount and type of newly issued government bonds (long-term or short-term).

After some deliberation, Jérôme Bonaparte stretched out five fingers and responded: "Mainly short-term government bonds, and issue 500 million francs of government bonds! The duration of the government bonds is calculated as two years, as long as the urgent need can be alleviated. Can!"

"Understood!" Manet replied with a nod to Jerome Bonaparte.

"Okay! Haven't the current problem been solved yet?" Jerome Bonaparte clapped his hands lightly, and said to Manet with a smile on his face.

"Your Majesty, the Legislative Council is not easy to explain!" Manie's face still had a sad look on his face: "The short-term national debt of 500 million francs... If the Legislative Council were to question..."

"Don't worry! They won't ask! If they ask, you can say that I asked you to publish it!" Jerome Bonaparte responded nonchalantly: "Furthermore, which French government did not publish it? National debt, only a little more national debt was issued this year! This is all for the future of France!”

"Yes! We are all for the future of France!" Fuld also nodded and said with a smile.

Manet, who was endorsed by Jerome Bonaparte, relieved his sadness and smiled again.

After Magnet and Foulder left the Tuileries Palace, there was only Jerome Bonaparte left in the study. Leaning on the sofa alone, he shook his head and sighed, "Why don't you take any responsibility for each of them? What! I need to decide everything before I can act!"

On August 30, 1852, the Minister of Finance of the French Empire submitted a proposal for tax reform and the issuance of national debt to the Legislative Council.

The Legislative Council, hinted at by Jerome Bonaparte, passed the proposal that afternoon.

The proposal was then transferred to the Senate for a second vote.

The Senate also unanimously passed plans for tax reform and the issuance of national debt.

On August 31, the French Ministry of Finance announced by telegram to the citizens of Paris and even the whole of France that the first tranche of national debts in 1852 began to be placed on the Paris Stock Exchange, with the amount of national debts amounting to 200 million francs.

As soon as the news came out, Parisians poured into the Paris Stock Exchange like crazy. The whole stock exchange was crowded with people, and everyone was holding the large denomination banknotes of the Bank of France in their hands, and they were eagerly waiting. issuance of national debt.

Due to the large resident population in Paris, the Paris Stock Exchange cannot accommodate a national debt team of tens of thousands of people, and the crowded crowd can easily cause stampede time, resulting in a large number of casualties.

So when the Paris Stock Exchange informed the Ministry of Finance and the Emperor, Jerome Bonaparte instantly realized the seriousness of the problem.

That night, Jerome Bonaparte urgently called the three heads of the Ministry of Finance, the Police Department, and the Banque de France to the Tuileries Palace to discuss countermeasures.

After deliberation, a solution was reached. The first 200 million treasury bonds were not only sold on the Paris Stock Exchange, but any large or small bank in Paris could act as a collection point, and each agent should send police to maintain law and order.

The news came out in the early morning of September 1, and the crowd around the Paris Stock Exchange cheered after hearing the news. They were no longer afraid that they would not be able to buy government bonds.

Under the evacuation of the police, the gate of the stock exchange was no longer supported, but some people still stayed at the gate of the stock exchange and waited.

On the morning of September 1, the Paris Stock Exchange and major banks in Paris opened, and people rushed to buy government bonds.

The first tranche of 200 million francs was sold out in less than a day.

The enthusiasm of the people of Paris for national debt once again refreshed Jérôme Bonaparte's cognition. (After the fact, it was found out that most of the main force buying government bonds were European aristocrats living in Paris and slave owners in the southern part of the New World. They were more enthusiastic about government bonds than the locals in Paris.)

The first tranche of national debt, while solving most of France's fiscal deficit, repaid part of the interest on the 5 billion national debt previously owed.

The entire French Empire was once again restored to a prosperous future.

Time flies, and soon it is mid-September.

Wallewski, who "disappeared" for half a year, brought "good" news to Jerome Bonaparte.

"Your Majesty, your uncle, His Majesty Wilhelm (King of Württemberg) has agreed to our request!" Wallevsky said to Jerome Bonaparte.

"That's good! Thank you so much!" Jerome Bonaparte patted Wallevsky on the shoulder.

"This is what I should do!" Valewski responded humbly.

After two closed doors, Wallevsky finally found a partner for Jerome Bonaparte and a qualified queen for the French Empire.

Looking back on his mental journey in the past six months, Wallevski feels really tired.

In the conversation with the Swedish royal family Katerina Vacha, the first marriage partner, due to the internal opposition of the Habsburgs, Wallevski, who had been busy for nearly three months, could only be sullen. left the Habsburgs.

The second Queen Victoria's niece is also facing failure because of the temporary change of Victoria's niece, which has also gone through nearly a month.

After that, Wallewski went to Prussia to seek marriage.

As the regent of Prussia, William I tactfully refused the marriage request, and "sincerely" hoped that Jerome Bonaparte could find a suitable candidate Then, Wallevsky successively Visited Baden, Bavaria, and even Liechtenstein, all of which rejected Bonaparte's marriage request without exception.

Until the end, Wallewski, who had experienced several failures, went to Württemberg with the idea of ​​​​trying it out.

At first Wilhelm I of Württemberg, like all German monarchs before him, was reluctant to agree to the marriage.

(I later found out that it was actually up for sale)

King Wilhelm (King of Württemberg) would have been hard-pressed to let go if it wasn't for the persuasion of the prime minister and foreign minister at the time.

In the end, King William agreed to Wallevsky's conditions and agreed to betroth his daughter, Augusta, the cousin of Jerome Bonaparte, to Jerome Bonaparte.

After getting the result he wanted, Wallevsky immediately asked King William to send Princess Augusta to France. He was afraid that King William would repent like the previous ones.

Again under the persuasion of the Foreign Secretary, King William agreed to let Princess Augusta go to Paris.