CALONNE, CHARLES ALEXANDRE DE, controller general of finance in France under Louis XVI., was b. Jan. 20, 1734, at Douay. Possessing superior abilities, he studied law, and having filled successively various offices, was made, in 1783, controller general of the treasury. In this capacity lie soon gained favor among the courtiers, who had complained of the parsimony of Turgot and Necker. C.,. though he found French finance in a deplorable state, was determined not to seem, poor, gave brilliant entertain ments, paid off the debts of his patron the count of Artois, supplied the queen with sufficient pocket-money, granted pensions and gratuities to his supporters and favorites, paid off arrears, and purchased the residences of St. Cloud and Rambouilletl His means of raising money were perfectly simple—be borrowed, anticipated, issued chan cery-edicts, and prolonged and augmented extraordinary taxations in a style never known before. The parliament resisted these measures, but C., backed by royal author ity, carried them into execution. The crisis necessarily arrived; and in 1786, when the people could bear the extraordinary taxation no longer, C. advised the king to convoke the assembly of the notables, and proposed to abolish the privileges (exemption from taxes) of the noble and wealthy, to take the duty off salt, to abolish socage (feudal or compulsory service to the lord of the manor), and to distribute the burden of taxation more equally. The people and the aristocracy demanded a convocation of the states
general, instead of the assembly of the notables; but C. boldly proceeded with his plan, opened the assembly of the notables, Feb. 2, 1787, and in a pleasant and florid oration, described the general prosperity of French industry and commerce, and brought his speech to a climax by confessing that the annual deft cit of the treasury had risen to 115 millions of francs, and that during the time from 1776 to 1786. the government had bor rowed no less a sum than about 1250 millions I The notables, instead of proceeding with C.'s plan of reorganization, demanded from him a statement of accounts. Not being able to give this satisfactorily, he was stripped of his dignities, and banished to Lorraine. After this, C. resided chiefly in England, until in 1802 he obtained from Bonaparte permission to return to France, where he died, in very embarrassed circum stances, Oct. 30, 1802.