Controller-General of Finances facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

The Controller-General or Comptroller-General of Finances (in French: Contrôleur général des finances) was a very important job in France. This person was like the main minister in charge of all the money for the country. This role existed from 1661 to 1791.

It took over from an older job called the Superintendent of Finances. That job was removed after Nicolas Fouquet was accused of misusing royal funds. At first, the Controller-General didn't have much power. But in 1665, Jean-Baptiste Colbert was appointed. He had already been managing France's money, and he made the Controller-General position very powerful.

History of the Controller-General
What the Controller-General Did
How the Department Was Organized
- Structure of the Contrôle Général des Finances
- Regional Intendants
See also

History of the Controller-General

Early Financial Roles in France

The idea of a "controller general" for royal money existed before 1547. But the direct ancestor of the 17th-century Controller-General started in 1547. There were two people in this role. Their job was to check the accounts of the Royal Treasurer. The Treasurer was the main person in charge of the king's money back then.

The name "controller" came from their special account book. This book was called a contre-rôle, which means "counter-roll" or a copy of accounts. They used it to compare their records with the Royal Treasurer's. So, at first, this job was just about checking numbers. It wasn't a high-ranking government position.

Changes in Financial Management

After 1547, France's money system kept changing. In 1552, new officials called Intendants of Finances were created. By 1561, one of them became the main Superintendent of Finances. This Superintendent was part of the king's top advisors.

In 1661, the last Superintendent, Nicolas Fouquet, was arrested. King Louis XIV ordered his arrest because he was accused of misusing royal funds. After this, Jean-Baptiste Colbert took charge of the royal money and tax collection. He was first called intendant général. Then, from 1665, he became the Contrôleur général des Finances. The old Superintendent job was completely removed.

Colbert's Influence on the Role

Under Colbert's leadership, the Controller-General's job changed a lot. King Louis XIV wanted one main person to handle all of France's money and taxes. He removed the two existing Controller-General positions. He replaced them with a single, powerful office.

This new position was also different because the king could remove the Controller-General at any time. It wasn't a job passed down through families. Also, this new role was much more connected to the Royal Finance Counsel. This made the Contrôleur général des Finances a truly important government job.

The Role Through the Years

The Controller-General job continued until 1791. There was a short break from 1715 to 1718 during the Polysynody. This was when King Louis XV was a child. During this time, councils made of nobles replaced all the ministers.

Sometimes, the person in charge of finances had a different title. For example, Jacques Necker was a Protestant. Because of his religion, he couldn't be the Controller-General. So, he was called the Director-General of Finances and of the Treasury. This was a slightly lower rank in ceremonial terms.

The position was renamed Minister of Finances in 1791. This, along with other minister jobs, was removed in 1794. But it came back in 1795. Today, the job is usually called the Minister of the Economy and Finance.

What the Controller-General Did

Wide-Ranging Responsibilities

The Controller-General had more responsibilities than almost any other government job in the Ancien Régime. The Ancien Régime was the old system of government in France before the French Revolution. In 1665, the official description said the Controller-General could "report to our Counsel on all matters concerning our service and any others." This meant they had a very broad power.

Colbert, the first powerful Controller-General, also held two other major government jobs. These were like today's ministers. He was the Secretary of State of the Navy and the Secretary of State of the Maison du Roi (Royal Household). He also managed royal factories and buildings.

Key Duties of the Controller-General

The Controller-General had many important duties:

Controlling how the government spent money.
Managing how the government collected money (taxes and fees).
Overseeing taxes on goods coming into or leaving the country.
Managing the country's economy.
Controlling factories and businesses.
Managing most public services and infrastructure. This included bridges, roads, ports, and canals.
Controlling the merchant navy (ships used for trade).

Pay and Influence

This job was very well paid. The Controller-General received 200,000 livres tournois per year. A livre tournois was an old French currency. To compare, an average worker earned about 250 to 300 livres per year. The Controller-General could also get an extra 20,000 livres as a Minister of State.

They also received extra money, sometimes called bribes. This happened when contracts were renewed for the Ferme Générale. This was a system where private companies paid the government for the right to collect all indirect taxes in a certain area. This was a very profitable business for these companies.

Participation in Royal Councils

The Controller-General was part of several of the King's Councils. These were important meetings where decisions were made. They were always a member of the "Counsel of messages," which dealt with news from the provinces. They were also in the "Royal Finance Counsel" and the "Royal Commerce Counsel."

Most of the time, the Controller-General was also a Minister of State. This was the highest rank for a cabinet member. This allowed them to attend the "High Counsel," also known as the "State Counsel." This was the most important group in the royal government.

Choosing a Controller-General

The Controller-General was usually chosen from officials called Intendants of Finances. Or they came from the Maîtres des requêtes, who were like public prosecutors. This job was the least stable of all ministerial positions. Especially during the reigns of Louis XV and Louis XVI, Controllers-General were often removed. Their official office was even nicknamed the "Residence of Removals."

How the Department Was Organized

Structure of the Contrôle Général des Finances

Unlike other government departments, the Contrôle Général des Finances was very well organized. It had several sections, all reporting directly to the Controller-General. The Controller-General appointed a senior assistant for each section. These assistants were first called Intendant des Finances. Later, their title changed to Intendant général des Finances or Directeur général des Finances. This was to avoid confusion with other Intendants in France's regions.

There were usually between three and twelve of these senior financial assistants. By the late 18th century, just before the French Revolution, there were six. The Controller-General also had four, and later five, Intendants (généraux) du Commerce. The Contrôle Général had a large staff compared to other government departments. Its main offices were in Paris or at the Royal Palace in Versailles.

Regional Intendants

The most important helpers of the Controller-General were the Intendants in France's different regions. At first, the King's representatives in the provinces were Governors. But since 1620, Intendants were also in charge of collecting direct taxes and managing regional finances.

Governors were usually chosen from the highest noble families. However, they sometimes challenged the king's power in their regions. So, kings started keeping them at the Royal Palace as much as possible. This made the Governor's job mostly a ceremonial title.

As a result, the real power in the regions shifted to the Intendant. From 1666, their official title was "Intendent of Police, Justice and Finances, and Commissioner sent to the Généralités of the Realm for the Execution of the King's Orders." In short, they were called Intendant (de généralité).

There were 33 Intendants, each leading a Généralité. A Généralité was originally just a tax collection district. But it slowly became a general administration province for the royal government. The Intendants' powers grew so much that they were called "the right hand of the King in the province."