We passed an order forbidding any authority to remove seals without our consent， and， in spite of the prohibition， they broke into a storehouse under sequestration， . . . . forced the locks and pillaged， under our own eyes， the very house we occupy. And who are these devastators？ Two commissioners of the Committee who emptied the storehouse without our warrant， and even without having any power from the Committee." - It is a sack in due form， and day after day； it began on the 10th of October， 1793； it continued after， without interruption， and we have just seen that， on Floréal 28， year II.， that is to say， April 26， 1794， after one hundred and twenty-three days， it is still maintained.
The last mad scramble and the most extensive of all. - In spite of the subterfuges of its agents， the Republic， having stolen immensely， and although robbed in its turn， could still hold on to a great deal；and first， to articles of furniture which could not be easily abstracted， to large lots of merchandise， also to the vast spoil of the palaces， chateaux and churches； next， and above all， to real estate， fixtures and buildings. To meet its expenses it put all that up for sale， and whoever wants anything has only to come forward as a buyer， the last bidder becoming the legal owner and at a cheap rate.
The wood cut down in one year very often pays for a whole forest.[132]
Sometimes a chateau can be paid for by a sale of the iron-railings of the park， or the lead on the roof. - Here are found chances for a good many bargains， and especially with objects of art. "The titles alone of the articles carried off， destroyed or injured， would fill volumes."[133] On the one hand， the commissioners on inventories and adjudications， "having to turn a penny on the proceeds of sales，"throw on the market all they can， "avoiding reserving" objects of public utility and sending collections and libraries to auction with a view to get their percentages. On the other hand， nearly all these commissioners are brokers or second-hand dealers who alone know the value of rarities， and openly depreciate them in order to buy them in themselves， "and thus ensure for themselves exorbitant profits." In certain cases the official guardians and purchasers who are on the look-out take the precaution to disfigure " precious articles " so as to have them bought by their substitutes and accomplices： "for instance， they convert sets of books into odd volumes， and take machines to pieces； the tube and object-glass of a telescope are separated， which pieces the rogues who have bought them cheap know how to put together again." Often， in spite of the seals， they take in advance antiques， pieces of jewelry， medals， enamels and engraved stones；" nothing is easier， for "even in Paris in Thermidor， year II.， agents of the municipality use anything with which to make a stamp， buttons， and even large pennies， so that whoever has a sou can remove and re-stamp the seals as he pleases；" having been successful， "they screen their thefts by substituting cut pebbles and counterfeit stones for real ones." Finally， at the auction sales， "fearing the honesty or competition of intelligent judges， they offer money (to these) to stay away from the sales； one case is cited where they have knocked a prospective bidder down." In the meantime， at the club， they shout with all their might； this， with the protection of a member of the municipality or of the Revolutionary Committee， shelters them from all suspicion. As for the protector， he gets his share without coming out into the light. Accuse， if you dare， a republican functionary who secretly， or even openly， profits by these larcenies； he will show clean hands. - Such is the incorruptible patriot， the only one of his species， whom the representatives discover at Strasbourg， and whom they appoint mayor at once. On the 10th of Vendémiaire， year III.，[134] there is found "in his apartments" a superb and complete assortment of ecclesiastical objects， "forty-nine copes and chasubles， silk or satin， covered with gold or silver； fifty-four palles of the same description；" a quantity of "reliquaries， vases and spoons， censers， laces， silver and gold fringe， thirty-two pieces of silk，"etc. None of these fine things belong to him； they are the property of citizen Mouet， his father. This prudent parent， taking his word for it， "deposited them for safe keeping in his son's house during the month of June， 1792 (old style)；" - could a good son refuse his father such a slight favor？ It is very certain that， in '93 and '94， during the young man's municipal dictatorship， the elder did not pay the Strasbourg Jew brokers too much， and that they did business in an off-hand way. By what right could a son and magistrate prevent his father， a free individual， from looking after "his own affairs"and buying according to trade principles， as cheap as he could？
