They possessed various privileges, amongst others the following: their capitation tax was fixed and moderate; they were exempt from having soldiers billeted upon them and from providing ustensiles, fournitures, and contributions; from the franchise des droits, the cloison double and triple, the old and new octroi and accessoire on all articles of consumption, even from the don gratuit, from which, says the Présidial, they chose to exempt themselves on their own private authority; they receive moreover allowances for wax-lights, and some of them salaries and apartments. We see by these details that it was a very pleasant thing to be perpetual échevins of Angers in those days. Always and everywhere we find the system which makes the exemption from taxation fall on the richest classes. In a subsequent part of the same report we read: ‘These places are sought by the richest inhabitants, who aspire to them in order to obtain a considerable reduction of capitation, the surcharge of which falls on the others. There are at present several municipal officers, whose fixed capitation is 30 livres, whereas they ought to be taxed 250 or 300 livres; there is one especially among them, who, considering his fortune, might pay, at least, 1000 livres of capitation tax.’ We find in another part of the same report, that ‘amongst the richest inhabitants there are upwards of forty officers, or widows of officers (men holding office), whose places confer on them the privilege of not contributing to the heavy capitation levied on the town; the burden of this capitation accordingly falls on a vast number of poor artisans, who think themselves overtaxed, and constantly appeal against the excessive charges upon them, though almost always unjustly, inasmuch as there is no inequality in the distribution of the amount, which remains to be paid by the town.’ * * * * * The General Assembly consisted of seventy-six persons:-- The Mayor; Two deputies from the Chapter; One Syndic of the clerks; Two deputies from the Présidial; One deputy from the University; One Lieutenant-general of Police; Four Échevins; Twelve Conseillers-échevins; One Procureur du Roi au Présidial; One Procureur de Ville; Two deputies from the Eaux et Forêts; Two from the Élection (elective district?); Two from the Grenier à sel; Two from the Traites; Two from the Mint; Two from the body of Avocats and Procureurs; Two from the Juges Consuls; Two from the Notaries; Two from the body of Merchants; and, lastly, Two sent by each of the sixteen parishes. These last were supposed to represent the people, properly so called, especially the industrial corporations. We see that care had been taken to keep them in a constant minority. When the places in the town corporation fell vacant, the general assembly selected three persons to fill each vacancy.