COLBERT, korbar, Jean Baptiste, French statesman and financier: b. Rheims, 29 Aug. 1619; d. Paris, 6 Sept. 1683. He entered in 1648 the service of Cardinal Mazarin, who availed himself of his assistance in the financial administration of the kingdom. Mazarin re warded him in 1654 with the office of secretary to the queen, and recommended him to the king at his death in 1660. Louis XIV made Colbert comptroller-general of finances. His task was to remedy the evils which the feeble and stormy reign of Louis XIII, the splendid but arbitrary measures of Richelieu, the troubles of the Fronde and the confused state of the finances under Mazarin had occasioned. He found fraud, disorder and corruption prevailing every where. Burdens, privileges and exemptions were multiplied without measure; the state was the prey of the farmers-general of the state revenues and at the same time maintained only by their aid. The revenues were anticipated for two years, and the treasury empty. He be gan with establishing a council of finances and a chamber of justice. For the purpose of alleviating the public burdens he endeavored to lower the interest of the public debt; and in order to mitigate the odium of this measure consented to a considerable diminution of the taxes, and the remission of all arrears up to 1656. He abolished many useless offices, re tracted burdensome privileges, diminished sal aries, and by a better distribution and collection of the taxes was able to reduce them almost one-half. Notwithstanding the expenses of nearly 10 years' war, and the prodigality of a luxurious king, Colbert succeeded in 22 years in adding to the revenues more than 28,000,000 livres, and making an equal diminution in the public burdens. At his death in 1683 the rev
enue actually received amounted to 116,000,000 livres. To his talents, activity and broad views the development and rapid progress of industry and commerce in France were largely due. He constructed the Canal of Languedoc ; formed the plan of that of Burgundy; granted premiums on goods exported and imported; regulated tolls; established insurance offices and made uniform laws for the regulation of commerce. He was appointed Minister of Marine in 1669. Under his administration naval schools were estab lished, and order was introduced into all branches of the marine. He was the creator of the French navy, to which he added, in three years, a fleet of over 100 vessels, among which Mere 60 ships of the line and 40 frigates. By the advice of Colbert Louis XIV caused the civil and criminal legislation to be improved, and the arts and sciences encouraged. Under the protection and in the house of the Minister (1663) the Academy of Inscriptions was founded. Three years afterward he founded the Academy of Sciences, and in 1671 the Academy of Architecture. The Academy of Painting received a new organization. He en larged the Royal Library and the Garden of Plants, and built an observatory in which he employed Huyghens and Cassini.•• He began the measurements of the meridian in France,— and sent men of science to Cayenne. After hav ing conferred the greatest benefits on his coun try he died, out of favor with the king, and dreading the exhaustion of the treasury by the new war Louis was resolved upon making against Holland. Consult Gourdautt, Ministre de Louis XIV.'