The preservation of families is connected with,
and affords a guaranty to, political stability, which is the first
want of states, and which is especially that of France, after so
many vicissitudes.'
"Still, the results to which such subdivision and comminution of
property tended were not foreseen even in France. The Revolution of
1830 came, and revealed a part of them; for that revolution was
made by the influence of men possessing very moderate estates, who
believed that the guaranties of a government like that of the elder
branch of the Bourbons were not sufficient for their safety. But
when the revolution was made, and the younger branch of the
Bourbons reigned instead of the elder, the laws for the descent of
property continued to be the same, and the subdivision went on as
if it were an admitted benefit to society.
"In consequence of this, in 1844 it was found that there were in
France at least five millions and a half of families, or about
twenty-seven millions of souls, who were proprietary families, and
that of these about four millions of families had each less than
nine English acres to the family on the average. Of course, a vast
majority of these twenty-seven millions of persons, though they
might be interested in some small portion of the soil, were really
poor, and multitudes of them were dependent.
"Now, therefore, the results began to appear in a practical form.
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