Editing Anne Robert Jacques Turgot (section)

===On feudal obligations and protections===

All this time Turgot had been preparing his famous ''Six Edicts'', which were finally presented to the ''conseil du roi'' (January 1776).  [[Peter Kropotkin]] described these edicts as "very modest proposals" and summarized these as "abolition of statute labor, abolition of trade-wardens and a timid attempt to make the two privileged classes – the nobility and clergy – pay some of the taxes."<ref>{{cite book
 | title=The Great French Revolution, 1789–1793
 | chapter=Chapter 6
 | author=Peter Kropotkin
 | year=1909
 | translator=N. F. Dryhurst
 | publisher=New York: Vanguard Printings
 | url=http://www.revoltlib.com/?id=218
}}</ref>  Of the six edicts four were of minor importance, but the two which met with violent opposition were, firstly, the edict suppressing the ''[[corvée]]s'', and secondly, that suppressing the ''jurandes'' and ''maîtrises'', by which the craft [[guild]]s maintained their privileges. In the preamble to the former Turgot boldly announced as his object the abolition of privilege, and the subjection of all three [[Estates of the realm]] to taxation; the clergy were afterwards excepted, at the request of Maurepas.

In the preamble to the [[edict on the jurandes]] Turgot laid down as a principle the right of every man to work without restriction.{{efn|Turgot was opposed to all labour associations of employers or employed, in accordance with his belief in free competition.}} He obtained the registration of the edicts by the ''[[lit de justice]]'' of 12 March, but by that time he had nearly everybody against him. His attacks on privilege had won him the hatred of the nobles and the ''[[parlement]]s''; his attempted reforms in the royal household, that of the court; his free trade legislation, that of the ''[[financiers]]''; his views on tolerance and his agitation for the suppression of the phrase that was offensive to [[Protestants]] in the king's [[coronation]] oath, that of the clergy; and his edict on the ''jurandes'', that of the rich bourgeoisie of Paris and others, such as the [[prince de Conti]], whose interests were involved. [[Marie Antoinette|The queen]] disliked him for opposing the grant of favours to her [[protégé]]s, and he had offended [[Gabrielle de Polastron, comtesse de Polignac|Mme. de Polignac]] in a similar manner.<ref name="EB1911"/> The queen played a key role in his disgrace later.<ref>{{harvnb|Fraser|2006|p=250}}</ref>