Editing Anne Robert Jacques Turgot (section)

===On government spending===

His first act was to submit to the king a statement of his guiding principles: "No bankruptcy, no increase of taxation, no borrowing." Turgot's policy, in face of the desperate financial position, was to enforce the most rigid economy in all departments. All departmental expenses were to be submitted for the approval of the controller-general, a number of [[sinecure]]s were suppressed, the holders of them being compensated, and the abuse of the ''acquits au comptant'' was attacked, while Turgot appealed personally to the king against the lavish giving of places and pensions. He also contemplated a thorough-going reform of the ''[[Ferme Générale]]'', but contented himself, as a beginning, with imposing certain conditions on the leases as they were renewed – such as a more efficient personnel, and the abolition for the future of the abuse of the ''croupes'' (the name given to a class of pensions), a reform which Terray had shirked on finding how many persons in high places were interested in them, and annulling certain leases, such as those of the manufacture of gunpowder and the administration of the royal mails, the former of which was handed over to a company with the scientist [[Lavoisier]] as one of its advisers, and the latter superseded by a quicker and more comfortable service of ''diligences'' which were nicknamed [[Stagecoach|''"turgotines"'']].

Turgot also prepared a regular budget. His measures succeeded in considerably reducing the deficit, and raised the national credit to such an extent that in 1776, just before his fall, he was able to negotiate a loan with some [[Netherlands|Dutch]] bankers at 4%; but the deficit was still so large as to prevent him from attempting at once to realize his favourite scheme of substituting for indirect taxation a [[Land value tax|single tax on land]]. Turgot suppressed, however, a number of ''[[octroi]]s'' and minor duties,{{efn|For an account of Turgot's financial administration, see Ch. Gomel, ''Causes financiéres'', vol. 1.}} and opposed, on grounds of economy, [[France in the American Revolutionary War|the involvement of France]] in the [[American Revolutionary War]], though without success.<ref name="EB1911"/>