PREFECT, or PREFET, the title of a high civil official in France, created by a law of the 28th Pluviose in the year VIII (17 Feb. 1800). It was derived from the old Roman title Praefect (q.v.). There were 86 prefects in modern France, each at the head of the civil administration of a dcpartement. The prefect is an official of considerable power, although his prerogatives have been curtailed at various times since they were first established. He is appointed by the President and must be a French citizen. There are three classes of pre fects, according to the size and importance of their departement, with salaries ranging from 18,000 to 35,000 francs. The prefect is the chief representative of the government, whose decisions, laws and regulations he executes. Though directly responsible to the Minister of the Interior, he supervises all governmental in stitutions and services in his departement. He exercises considerable control over the conseil general, mayors and municipal councils of his departement and possesses great power in re spect to the administration of the police and of public institutions, both charitable and other wise. Formedy he enjoyed almost unlimited powers in regard to the management of his de partement's local interests. These, however, have now been transferred to a great ex tent to the conseil general and to a departe mental committee, elected by the former for the interval between its sessions. Under the prefects serve sous-prefets of which there are 362, each at the head of an arrondissement, a subdivision of the departement. Various at
tempts to discontinue these officials, made on the part of the Chamber of Deputies by refus ing to vote the amounts required for their salaries, have failed. Consult Haas, C. P. M., 'Administration de la France' (Vol. II, Paris 1861) ; Larroque, P., We l'Organization du Gov ernment Republicam) (Paris 1870); Monnet, Emile, 'Histoire de l'Administration en France) (Paris 1885) ; Dethan, Georges, 'De l'Organi sation des Conseils Generaux) (Paris 1889) ; Lowell, A. Lawrence, 'Governments and Parties in Continental Europe,' Vol. I (Boston and New York 1896) ; Bodley, J. E. C., 'France' (New York 1898) ; Imbart de la Tour, Jean, 'Les Conseils de Prefecture)(in des Sciences Politiques,' Vol. XIV, p. 215, Paris 1899) ; Rudloff, H. L., 'Die Entwickelung der Selbstverwaltung Frankreichs im 19 Jahrhun dert' (in 'Zeitschrift fiir die Gesamte Staats wissenschafi,' Vol. LXI, p. 193, Tubingen 1905) ; Garrigues, J., 'La Question de la Sup pression des Sous-Prefets) (Faculte de Droit de l'Universite de Paris, Paris 1909) ; Caudel, M., 'Nos Libertes Politiques) (Paris 1910) ; Haas, J., 'Frankreich, Land and Staat' (Heidelberg 1910) ; Poincare, Raymond, 'How France is Governed' (London 1913) ; Jeze, G., Was Verwaltungsrecht der Franzosischen Re publik) (in Was Offentliche Recht der Gegen wart,' Vol. XXIII, Tiibingen 1913) ; Lachapelle, Georges, de Demain) (Paris 1917).