Beneath our feet lies a city of rest. It is a place where silence speaks volumes. Welcome to Division 49. This plot is a segment of Parisian history. Division 49 is part of something larger.
Let us delve into the past. Paris was once divided into districts. This division occurred during the French Revolution. It lasted from 1789 to 1790. Before that, Paris was split into neighborhoods. Louis XIV had set new boundaries. This happened by ordinance. He created twenty new districts. This aimed to improve tax collection. It was also to ensure better security. The sixteen older districts were hard to manage. Their size was unequal.
In 1789, the Revolution changed things. Paris was divided into sixteen neighborhoods. These held sixty districts. The districts took names from local churches.
This division was replaced in 1790. Forty-eight revolutionary sections took over. The context had changed since 1614. It was hard to reconcile old ways with new needs. Louis XVI mentioned this in a text. It regulated the conditions for convocation. This was on January 24, 1789. Weeks earlier, the King gathered notables. This was by an edict on October 5, 1788. He sought advice on how to summon the Estates-General.
Louis Le Peletier wanted better representation. He wanted it for the Nation. He felt it should be more than just equal deputies. This applied to each bailliage and sénéchaussée. Six merchant groups in Paris presented a request. They wanted to participate in the Estates-General. A doctor named Guillotin led a petition. It was from citizens living in Paris. This occurred on December 6, 1788. It argued for proportional representation. It suggested twelve deputies for the clergy. It suggested twelve for the nobility. It resigned itself to the Third Estate. It would be at least double the other two orders.
Following a Council, the King decided. This occurred on December 28, 1788. Marie Antoinette supported Necker’s report. The number of deputies was set at 1,000. Representation would reflect population and contributions. The Third Estate would have double the deputies. This was compared to the other two orders combined. Paris alone would designate its representatives. This would be by direct suffrage. On the 30th, Louis Éthis de Corny spoke. He presented a report to the city body. It met for the annual renewal of aldermen. He suggested dividing the sixteen old districts. These dated from 1614. They would become five districts. Each would gather voters in a church. The church was deemed suitable for silence and respect.
After disputes, the King set a new method. This was on March 28, 1789. It distinguished Paris within and beyond its walls. For the city and suburbs, the provost of merchants would summon people. They would designate an assembly of 300 members. These members were from the Third Estate. On April 7, the King’s attorney suggested a plan. Sixty neighborhoods would designate five electors. These decisions were not popular. The city and parliament of Paris wanted changes. The King confirmed his intentions on April 13.
An ordinance appeared on April 15, 1789. It concerned the inhabitants of the Third Estate. It applied to the city and suburbs of Paris. Each inhabitant of the Third Estate had to meet conditions. They had to be over twenty-five. They had to be French-born or naturalized. They had to justify a capitation equal to 6 livres. They had to go to the designated church. This was in their district. The date was April 21. The purpose was to nominate Electors. Thus, the Assembly of 300 electors of Paris was composed. They designated the 20 deputies of the Third Estate. These deputies went to the Estates-General.
These 60 districts of Paris were assigned to the 16 neighborhoods. They took names from churches within their borders. Each district provided a battalion. This went to the Parisian army. The army numbered 33,000 men.
A decree ended state control over the municipality of Paris. This happened on May 21, 1790. The Constituent Assembly created 48 sections. These lay within the new enclosure of the Farmers-General. The decree abolished the old municipality.
Division 49 is linked to the church of the Capucins-du-Marais. This was the 49th district. It fell within the 5th division. These districts played a role. They helped form the National Guard.
Today Division 49 stands as a reminder. It recalls a time of revolution. It was a time of change in Paris.