Make France Great Again-Chapter 102 Everyone Loves to Build Railroads

Mornay listened to Jerome Bonaparte depicting the railway blueprint, feeling extremely excited inside.

Of course, he wasn’t excited about the railway itself, but about the rolling financial interests it could bring.

Not to mention, just "designating some qualified companies," what company qualifies to issue stock bonds, this aspect alone could be discussed for days.

Let alone the road and bridge unit’s guidance and procurement for private companies, which involves a considerable amount, and face-to-face safety performance issues also have many intricacies.

Mornay, quick in drawing parallels, instantly thought of the follow-up and blurted out: "The subsequent public maintenance is also a significant expense, the Ministry of Public Works has the obligation to inject funds for the subsequent public maintenance!"

"Exactly!" Looking at Mornay, who was gradually getting on the "right track," Jerome Bonaparte nodded with satisfaction: "The Railway Commission can issue bonds in due time to serve as public maintenance funds. For a financially stable country, a slight debt problem is even more beneficial to the government’s operation."

Jerome Bonaparte gave an example: "I’ve heard a joke, if you owe the bank 1,000 francs, the bank will compel you to repay. If you owe the bank 10 million francs, the bank will treat you like a lord."

"Indeed!" The enormous benefits completely made Mornay forget his previously expressed negative comments on the railway; he only wanted to establish a Railway Commission as soon as possible and contribute as much as possible to the country.

"Mr. Mornay, I hope you can turn the plan for forming a Railway Commission into a report and submit it to Prime Minister Barro!"

Jerome Bonaparte nodded in satisfaction and withdrew his hand from the table, leaning back to make a relaxed gesture, then raised his hand to press his temples to relieve mental stress.

"Will Barro really approve this plan? Now he is worried about France’s finance!" Mornay frowned, uncertain about Barro’s attitude.

"Politics is politics, business is business!" Jerome Bonaparte said to Mornay in a peculiar tone: "Moreover, building railways is politically correct! This is also for France’s stability; even the meekest person would turn into a riot in face of unemployment!"

"Indeed! This is all for France!" Mornay responded passionately, at this moment, he seemed to become a noble person, one who speaks for the people, a person who sacrifices himself.

If you observe closely, you will spot the greed in Mornay’s eyes.

How could a guy full of greed possibly become a truly noble person?

"Alright! I should leave now! As for the legal articles concerned, you can discuss them with our Minister Roué! We need to avoid any articles that are detrimental to us as much as possible!" Jerome Bonaparte stood up to stretch his body, waving his hand to motion Mornay and Eugène Roué to leave.

Holding a top hat, Roué exchanged a glance with Mornay, stood up to bow to Jerome Bonaparte, and then turned to leave together.

As the two were about to leave, Jerome Bonaparte suddenly shouted: "Wait a moment!"

Eugène Roué and Mornay turned to look at Jerome Bonaparte, and Eugène Roué spoke, "Your Majesty, do you have any further instructions!"

"After formulating the Railway Commission plan, do not submit it to Prime Minister Barro first. Prime Minister Barro is currently preparing related work regarding the ’restoration of salt tax’!" Jerome Bonaparte replied to the two.

"Yes!"

The two left the Elysee Palace study, leaving just Jerome Bonaparte alone.

It was already 3:40 pm, and it was twilight outside the window.

The bitter cold wind mercilessly pounded on the glass window of the Elysee Palace, making a "crackling" sound, with some snowflakes falling from the clouds onto the ground of Paris, marking the impending arrival of a real winter.

After a short while, night descended quietly, and as night fell, the snow became heavier, turning into snowflakes swept across the sky, gently falling on the roof of the Elysee Palace like goose feathers, sticking to the study’s glass windows.

Carrying an oil lamp, Percy carefully opened the study room’s door, the faint light of the oil lamp bringing Jerome Bonaparte back from his reverie.

"Your Majesty, it’s snowing!" Percy softly reminded after placing the oil lamp beside the desk.

"Hmm?" Jerome Bonaparte turned his head to glance at the window lattice behind him and nodded: "Yes! It is snowing!"

...

The continuous snow fell intermittently for several days, covering the entire Paris in a blanket of white.

Wealthy families switched to heavy cotton clothes, gathered around coal-burning fireplaces discussing ancient and modern times.

Poor families huddled together, using each other’s body heat to keep warm.

Despite Paris being particularly cold that year, the atmosphere in the National Assembly hall at the Bourbon Palace was exceptionally intense.

Since January 15th, when Cabinet Prime Minister Barro submitted the proposal to the National Assembly regarding the "restoration of salt tax," the Assembly had not concluded a single day without a noisy environment for the following days.

Even though Speaker Marast repeatedly emphasized that the National Assembly should maintain silence, no political party was willing to follow his arrangement.

For the Republican Faction, Prime Minister Barro, who made "restoration of salt tax" the first step of the Cabinet’s policy, was an excellent target. Occupying a certain percentage, they could seize this opportunity to unite and achieve two goals with one arrow—both overthrowing the Cabinet and portraying themselves as protectors of farmers’ interests to attack the person chosen by the farmers (referring to President Jerome Bonaparte).

As expected, the restoration of salt tax was vetoed by the joint efforts of the Republican Faction and the Mountain Party in the National Assembly.

Simultaneously, members of the Constitutional Committee from the Republican Faction and the Mountain Party in the National Assembly displayed a silent attitude towards Barro with a "no confidence motion," and even the Order Party, which had not yet seized the majority in the National Assembly, could not support Audion Barrot.

[Constitutional Committee: An organization formed after the June Revolution, comprising a minority of National Assembly members to draft the constitution, mostly comprised of Republican Faction members.]

If Barro does not take counteraction, his position as Prime Minister that he recently obtained less than a month ago will be removed by the National Assembly.

January 15, 1849.

Unable to bear it any longer, Barro went to the Elysee Palace, and under Percy’s guidance, found Jerome Bonaparte, who was listening to old soldiers recounting stories of the Emperor and Empress Josephine at Malmaison Castle, explosively saying: "Mr. President, I request to abolish clubs, suspend the City Government functions, and dissolve the Special Team!"

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