“By finishing my legislative functions, I
solved to remain foreign with the public affairs and to deliver to me
entirely to work of my profession. The number of my customers increased
quickly. From all the points of the Republic, it came me from the
businesses. The solicitors of Paris, little willing in general to employ the
ministry of those which had not belonged to the old bar, established
relations with me. Finally the trial attorneys sought my opinions, and
reflect price to be rested of a name which started to make authority in
jurisprudence.
These advantages were due to several
causes. The reputation of jurisconsult who had preceded me with Convention
was singularly increased, because of the share which I had had with the
three projects of code, and of the various reports/ratios that I had made
with the Convention and to the Council of the Five hundreds. Regarded as the
intermediate point between the decrepitude of our old laws, and the
imperfection of the modern legislation, one thought with some reason that I
knew the first, and that knew better than another to reconcile them with
often incomplete or badly written decrees. I supported rather well a fame
acquired without effort, that judgements given in conformity with my
opinions completed to consolidate.
(...)
Lastly, at my beginning in the occupation
of jurisconsult, I have care to announce that I intended neither to plead,
neither to make memories, nor to set me up as a solicitant of businesses,
and that all would be reduced of my share to give answers to the questions
would be subjected to me. This manner did not frighten anybody, and did not
inspire any jealousy. The young legists transfer in me only one consultant
moreover. The former lawyers worried little an addition which could not be
prejudicial for them. He were besides in small number, and the very
multiplied businesses. Several among water, in particular Tronchet and Ferey
contracted connections with me, and it did without little days that it did
not have between us conferences there, or were often called Poirier, of
Bonnières, Bigot of Préameneu de Bloisin and other jurisconsults of
reputation. Tronchet that I knew of old date that I had re-examined during
the judgement of the King, had given up the businesses since the Constituent
Assembly. He took them again with my investigation, and was then satisfied
to have submitted with my councils. The pleadings directed by our
consultations, were usually entrusted to Delamalle, Berryer, Bellart and
Bonnet.“
Cambaceres, Memories
ANALYSIS OF HIS CUSTOMERS
It is possible to reconstitute partially the
customers starting from her books of reason. We have personal data for only
one third of the sales turnover of the cabinet, which represents a
relatively representative sample.
The preponderance of the maritime shipowning is
due to the resumption of the naval war during the Directory. The French
corsairs are authorized to hail all the ships crossing in English water and
the neutral countries must claim the restitution of the ships and the
cargoes unduly seized near the Court of the catches in Paris. Cambaceres
becomes the legal council of Keydel, representative of the Hanseatic League
in France, and the American shipowner Hayward. One also finds among his
customers of the shipowners from Bordeaux and Saint Malo.
Even if they are obviously underestimated (see
below), the contracts obtained thanks to his cousin
Sabatier represent
a significant part of the activity. Many Languedocien traders also call upon
its legal services : Basterrèche, Cambon, Durand, Lajard… Some work is
invoicees with the “Ouvrard
group”, in particular with the bank Girardot & Co and the
army suppliers Michel. One can also quote bankers Hupais, Gelot & Co
which were very active during the Directory and Hervas, the Spanish
ambassador in Paris and manager of the Royal bank of Saint-Charles,
the Spanish central bank.
If the customers of Cambaceres belong primarily
to the business world, one finds some customers coming from other horizons.
Cambaceres deals with the interests of several families of Ancient Regim
like Orleans, Choiseul-Praslin and Arenberg. He also defends the children of
Malesherbes (the unhappy defender of Louis XVI who was executed in 1794) and
the interests of several Jewish communities of province. Towards the end of
the Directory, some policies as Roederer appear among the customers.
INCOMES OF ITS LAW FIRM
“My existence was pleasant, and the products
of my work put to me in a position to support my family.” (Cambaceres,
Memories)
Month
Year IV (09/1795 - 09/1796)
Year V (09/1796 - 09/1797)
Year VI (09/1797 - 09/1798)
Year VII (09/1798 - 09/1799)
Vendemiaire
256 livres
?
?
2.104 livres
Brumaire
60 livres
?
708 livres
2.482 livres
Frimaire
210 livres
?
714 livres
2.211 livres
Nivôse
354 livres
?
918 livres
2.094 livres
Pluviôse
368 livres
?
1.520 livres
2.856 livres
Ventôse
690 livres
?
1.636 livres
2.436 livres
Germinal
1.506 livres
?
2.344 livres
3.966 livres
Floreal
1.224 livres
?
2.850 livres
1.938 livres
Prairial
2.510 livres
?
1.744 livres
1.602 livres
Messidor
1.693 livres
?
2.112 livres
2.020 livres
Thermidor
2.322 livres
?
2.920 livres
198 livres
Fructidor
3.025 livres
?
3.505 livres
0 livres
Total
14.218 livres
?
20.971 livres
23.907 livres
This table comes from the books of reason
preserved at the Public records. The incomes indicated are important in
comparison with the annual wages of a servant (500 livres) or of a workman
(1.000 livres approximately). But of many indices let think that Cambaceres
dissimulated a share of the incomes of its cabinet.
Thus, the fall of the fees invoicees to the
East India Cy (Year IV:
1.176 livres, Year VI: 30 livres, Year VII: 204 livres) is contradicted by
the many legal work carried out by Cambaceres which one finds in the files
of the company. In three years, Cambaceres notes 1.200 livres of incomes
coming from the Mines of Anzin
Cy whereas the company pays to him annual fees of 2.400 livres. One also
notices the quasi-absence of Ouvrard
: no trace of the long work carried out for the drafting of the various
supply agreements to the armies (in particular work on the Blanchard
contract which are preserved at Japan).
Lastly, the analysis of the financial
statements makes it possible to evaluate the fortune of Cambaceres to more
than 500.000 livres in September 1799. This fast enrichment cannot be
explained with the only incomes consigned in the reason books. Undoubtedly
did Cambaceres speculate on the revenue 5% consolidated at the time from the
18 Brumaire?
