BytheancientlawofFrance，aswellasbythatofmostotherpartsofEurope，thelabourofthecountrypeoplewasunderthedirectionofalocalorprovincialmagistracy，whichhadnoimmediatedependencyupontheking’scouncil。Butbythepresentpracticeboththelabourofthepeople，andwhateverotherfundthekingmaychoosetoassignforthereparationofthehighroadsinanyparticularprovinceorgenerality，areentirelyunderthemanagementoftheintendant;anofficerwhoisappointedandremovedbytheking’scouncil，andwhoreceiveshisordersfromit，andisinconstantcorrespondencewithit。Intheprogressofdespotismtheauthorityoftheexecutivepowergraduallyabsorbsthatofeveryotherpowerinthestate，andassumestoitselfthemanagementofeverybranchofrevenuewhichisdestinedforanypublicpurpose。InFrance，however，thegreatpost—roads，theroadswhichmakethecommunicationbetweentheprincipaltownsofthekingdom，areingeneralkeptingoodorder，andinsomeprovincesareevenagooddealsuperiortothegreaterpartoftheturnpikeroadsofEngland。Butwhatwecallthecross—roads，thatis，thefargreaterpartoftheroadsinthecountry，areentirelyneglected，andareinmanyplacesabsolutelyimpassableforanyheavycarriage。Insomeplacesitisevendangeroustotravelonhorseback，andmulesaretheonlyconveyanceswhichcansafelybetrusted。Theproudministerofanostentatiouscourtmayfrequentlytakepleasureinexecutingaworkofsplendourandmagnificence，suchasagreathighway，whichisfrequentlyseenbytheprincipalnobility，whoseapplausesnotonlyflatterhisvanity，butevencontributetosupporthisinterestatcourt。Buttoexecuteagreatnumberoflittleworks，inwhichnothingthatcanbedonecanmakeanygreatappearance，orexcitethesmallestdegreeofadmirationinanytraveller，andwhich，inshort，havenothingtorecommendthembuttheirextremeutility，isabusinesswhichappearsineveryrespecttoomeanandpaltrytomerittheattentionofsogreatamagistrate。Undersuchanadministration，therefore，suchworksarealmostalwaysentirelyneglected。
InChina，andinseveralothergovernmentsofAsia，theexecutivepowerchargesitselfbothwiththereparationofthehighroadsandwiththemaintenanceofthenavigablecanals。Intheinstructionswhicharegiventothegovernorofeachprovince，thoseobjects，itissaid，areconstantlyrecommendedtohim，andthejudgmentwhichthecourtformsofhisconductisverymuchregulatedbytheattentionwhichheappearstohavepaidtothispartofhisinstructions。Thisbranchofpublicpoliceaccordinglyissaidtobeverymuchattendedtoinallthosecountries，butparticularlyinChina，wherethehighroads，andstillmorethenavigablecanals，itispretended，exceedverymucheverythingofthesamekindwhichisknowninEurope。Theaccountsofthoseworks，however，whichhavebeentransmittedtoEurope，havegenerallybeendrawnupbyweakandwonderingtravellers;frequentlybystupidandlyingmissionaries。Iftheyhadbeenexaminedbymoreintelligenteyes，andiftheaccountsofthemhadbeenreportedbymorefaithfulwitnesses，theywouldnot，perhaps，appeartobesowonderful。TheaccountwhichBerniergivesofsomeworksofthiskindinIndostanfallsverymuchshortofwhathadbeenreportedofthembyothertravellers，moredisposedtothemarvellousthanhewas。Itmaytoo，perhaps，beinthosecountries，asinFrance，wherethegreatroads，thegreatcommunicationswhicharelikelytobethesubjectsofconversationatthecourtandinthecapital，areattendedto，andalltherestneglected。InChina，besides，inIndostan，andinseveralothergovernmentsofAsia，therevenueofthesovereignarisesalmostaltogetherfromalandtaxorlandrent，whichrisesorfallswiththeriseandfalloftheannualproduceoftheland。Thegreatinterestofthesovereign，therefore，hisrevenue，isinsuchcountriesnecessarilyandimmediatelyconnectedwiththecultivationoftheland，withthegreatnessofitsproduce，andwiththevalueofitsproduce。Butinordertorenderthatproducebothasgreatandasvaluableaspossible，itisnecessarytoprocuretoitasextensiveamarketaspossible，andconsequentlytoestablishthefreest，theeasiest，andtheleastexpensivecommunicationbetweenallthedifferentpartsofthecountry;whichcanbedoneonlybymeansofthebestroadsandthebestnavigablecanals。Buttherevenueofthesovereigndoesnot，inanypartofEurope，arisechieflyfromalandtaxorlandrent。InallthegreatkingdomsofEurope，perhaps，thegreaterpartofitmayultimatelydependupontheproduceoftheland:butthatdependencyisneithersoimmediate，norsoevident。InEurope，therefore，thesovereigndoesnotfeelhimselfsodirectlycalledupontopromotetheincrease，bothinquantityandvalue，oftheproduceoftheland，or，bymaintaininggoodroadsandcanals，toprovidethemostextensivemarketforthatproduce。Thoughitshouldbetrue，therefore，whatIapprehendisnotalittledoubtful，thatinsomepartsofAsiathisdepartmentofthepublicpoliceisveryproperlymanagedbytheexecutivepower，thereisnottheleastprobabilitythat，duringthepresentstateofthings，itcouldbetolerablymanagedbythatpowerinanypartofEurope。
Eventhosepublicworkswhichareofsuchanaturethattheycannotaffordanyrevenueformaintainingthemselves，butofwhichtheconveniencyisnearlyconfinedtosomeparticularplaceordistrict，arealwaysbettermaintainedbyalocalorprovincialrevenue，underthemanagementofalocalorprovincialadministration，thanbythegeneralrevenueofthestate，ofwhichtheexecutivepowermustalwayshavethemanagement。WerethestreetsofLondontobelightedandpavedattheexpenseofthetreasury，isthereanyprobabilitythattheywouldbesowelllightedandpavedastheyareatpresent，orevenatsosmallanexpense？Theexpense，besides，insteadofbeingraisedbyalocaltaxupontheinhabitantsofeachparticularstreet，parish，ordistrictinLondon，would，inthiscase，bedefrayedoutofthegeneralrevenueofthestate，andwouldconsequentlyberaisedbyataxuponalltheinhabitantsofthekingdom，ofwhomthegreaterpartderivenosortofbenefitfromthelightingandpavingofthestreetsofLondon。
Theabuseswhichsometimescreepintothelocalandprovincialadministrationofalocalandprovincialrevenue，howenormoussoevertheymayappear，areinreality，however，almostalwaysverytriflingincomparisonofthosewhichcommonlytakeplaceintheadministrationandexpenditureoftherevenueofagreatempire。Theyare，besides，muchmoreeasilycorrected。
UnderthelocalorprovincialadministrationofthejusticesofthepeaceinGreatBritain，thesixdays’labourwhichthecountrypeopleareobligedtogivetothereparationofthehighwaysisnotalwaysperhapsveryjudiciouslyapplied，butitisscarceeverexactedwithanycircumstancesofcrueltyoroppression。InFrance，undertheadministrationoftheintendants，theapplicationisnotalwaysmorejudicious，andtheexactionisfrequentlythemostcruelandoppressive。SuchCorvees，astheyarecalled，makeoneoftheprincipalinstrumentsoftyrannybywhichthoseofficerschastiseanyparishorcommunautewhichhashadthemisfortunetofallundertheirdispleasure。