Memoirs of Napoleon Bonaparte — Complete
disposal of the highest bidder, and when no business could be brought
to a conclusion except by him who set about it with his hands full of
money. To this security, with which M. Ouvrard impressed all official
persons who rendered him services, I attribute the facility with which
he obtained the direction of the numerous enterprises in which he
engaged, and which produced so many changes in his fortune. The
discretion of M. Ouvrard was not quite agreeable to the First Consul,
who found it impossible to extract from him the information he wanted.
He tried every method to obtain from him the names of persons to whom
he had given those kind of subsidies which in vulgar language are called
sops in the pan, and by ladies pin money. Often have I seen Bonaparte
resort to every possible contrivance to gain his object. He would
sometimes endeavour to alarm M. Ouvrard by menaces, and at other times
to flatter him by promises, but he was in no instance successful.
While we were at the Luxembourg, on, as I recollect, the 25th of January
1800, Bonaparte said to me during breakfast, "Bourrienne, my resolution
is taken. I shall have Ouvrard arrested."--"General, have you proofs
against him?"--"Proofs, indeed! He is a money-dealer, a monopoliser; we
must make him disgorge. All the contractors, the provision agents,
are rogues. How have they made their fortunes? At the expense of
the country, to be sure. I will not suffer such doings. They possess
millions, they roll in an insolent luxury, while my soldiers have
neither bread nor shoes! I will have no more of that! I intend to speak
on the business to-day in the Council, and we shall see what can be
done."
I waited with impatience for his return from the Council to know what
had passed. "Well, General?" said I "The order is given." On hearing
this I became anxious about the fate of M. Ouvrard, who was thus to
be treated more like a subject of the Grand Turk than a citizen of
the Republic; but I soon learned that the order had not been executed
because he could not be found.
Next day I learned that a person, whom I shall not name, who was present
at the Council, and who probably was under obligations to Ouvrard, wrote
him a note in pencil to inform him of the vote for his arrest carried
by the First Consul. This individual stepped out for a moment and
despatched his servant with the note to Ouvrard. Having thus escaped the
writ of arrest, Ouvrard, after a few days had passed over, reappeared,
and surrendered himself prisoner. Bonaparte was at first furious on
learning that he had got out of the way; but on hearing that Ouvrard had
surrendered himself he said to me, "The fool! he does not know what is
awaiting him! He wishes to make the public believe that he has nothing
to fear; that his hands are clean. But he is playing a bad game; he will
gain nothing in that way with me. All talking is nonsense. You may be
sure, Bourrienne, that when a man has so much money he cannot have
got it honestly, and then all those fellows are dangerous with their
fortunes. In times of revolution no man ought to have more than
3,000,000 francs, and that is a great deal too much."
Before going to prison Ouvrard took care to secure against all the
searches of the police any of his papers which might have committed
persons with whom he had dealings; and I believe that there were
individuals connected with the police itself who had good reason for
not regretting the opportunity which M. Ouvrard had taken for exercising
this precaution. Seals, however, were put upon his papers; but on
examining them none of the information Bonaparte so much desired to
obtain was found. Nevertheless on one point his curiosity was satisfied,
for on looking over the documents he found from some of them that Madame
Bonaparte had been borrowing money from Ouvrard.
As Ouvrard had a great number of friends they bestirred themselves to
get some person of influence to speak to the First Consul in his favour.
But this was a commission no one was willing to undertake; because,
prejudiced as Bonaparte was, the least hint of the kind would have
appeared to him to be dictated by private interest. Berthier was very
earnestly urged to interfere, but he replied, "That is impossible. He
would say that it was underhand work to get money for Madame Visconti."
I do not recollect to what circumstance Ouvrard was indebted for
his liberty, but it is certain that his captivity did not last
long. Sometime after he had left his prison Bonaparte asked him for
12,000,000, which M. Ouvrard refused.
On his accession to the Consulate Bonaparte found M. Ouvrard contractor
for supplying the Spanish fleet under the command of Admiral Massaredo.
This business introduced him to a correspondence with the famous Godoy,
Prince of the Peace. The contract lasted three years, and M. Ouvrard
gained by it a net profit of 15,000,000. The money was payable in
piastres, at the rate of 3 francs and some centimes each, though the
piastre was really worth 5 francs 40 centimes. But to recover it at this
value it was necessary for M. Ouvrard to go and get the money in Mexico.
This he was much inclined to do, but he apprehended some obstacle on the
part of the First Consul, and, notwithstanding his habitual shrewdness,
he became the victim of his over-precaution. On his application M. de
Talleyrand undertook to ask the First Consul for authority to give him a
passport. I was in the cabinet at the time, and I think I still hear
the dry and decided "No," which was all the answer M. de Talleyrand
obtained. When we were alone the First Consul said to me, "Do you
not see, Bourrienne, this Ouvrard must have made a good thing of his
business with the Prince of the Peace? But the fool! Why did he get
Talleyrand to ask me for a passport? That is the very thing that raised
my suspicion. Why did he not apply for a passport as every one else
does? Have I the giving of them? He is an ass; so much the worse for
him."
I was sorry for Ouvrard's disappointment, and I own none the less so
because he had intimated his willingness to give me a share in the
business he was to transact its Spain; and which was likely to be very
profitable. His brother went to Mexico in his stead.
In 1802 a dreadful scarcity afflicted France. M. Ouvrard took upon
himself, in concert with Wanlerberghe, the task of importing foreign
grain to prevent the troubles which might otherwise have been expected.
In payment of the grain the foreign houses who sent it drew upon
Ouvrard and Wanlerberghe for 26,000,000 francs in Treasury bills, which,
according to the agreement with the Government, were to be paid. But
when the bills of the foreign houses became due there was no money in
the Treasury, and payment was refused. After six months had elapsed
payment was offered, but on condition that the Government should
retain half the profit of the commission! This Ouvrard and Wanlerberghe
refused, upon which the Treasury thought it most economical to
pay nothing, and the debt remained unsettled. Notwithstanding this
transaction Ouvrard and Wanlerberghe engaged to victual the navy, which
they supplied for six years and three months. After the completion of
these different services the debt due to them amounted to 68,000,000.
In consequence of the long delay of, payment by the Treasury the
disbursements for supplies of grain amounted at least to more than
40,000,000; and the difficulties which arose had a serious effect on the
credit of the principal dealers with those persons who supplied
them. The discredit spread and gradually reached the Treasury, the
embarrassments of which augmented with the general alarm. Ouvrard,
Wanlerberghe, and Seguin were the persons whose capital and credit
rendered them most capable of relieving the Treasury, and they agreed
to advance for that purpose 102,000,000, in return for which they were
allowed bonds of the Receivers-General to the amount of 150,000,000. M.
Desprez undertook to be the medium through which the 102,000,000 were to
be paid into the Treasury, and the three partners transferred the bands
to him.
Spain had concluded a treaty with France, by which she was bound to pay
a subsidy of 72,000,000 francs, and 32,000,000 had become due without
any payment being made: It was thought advisable that Ouvrard should
be sent to Madrid to obtain a settlement, but he was afraid that his
business in Paris would suffer during his absence, and especially the
transaction in which he was engaged with Desprez. The Treasury satisfied
him on this point by agreeing to sanction the bargain with Desprez, and
Ouvrard proceeded to Madrid. It was on this occasion he entered into the
immense speculation for trading with Spanish America.
Spain wished to pay the 32,000,000 which were due to France as soon
as possible, but her coffers were empty, and goodwill does not ensure
ability; besides, in addition to the distress of the Government, there
was a dreadful famine in Spain. In this state of things Ouvrard proposed
to the Spanish Government to pay the debt due to France, to import
a supply of corn, and to advance funds for the relief of the Spanish
Treasury. For this he required two conditions. (1.) The exclusive right
of trading with America. (2.) The right of bringing from America on his
own account all the specie belonging to the Crown, with the power of
making loans guaranteed and payable by the Spanish Treasuries.
About the end of July 1805 the embarrassment which sometime before had
begun to be felt in the finances of Europe was alarmingly augmented.
Under these circumstances it was obviously the interest of Ouvrard
to procure payment as soon as possible of the 32,000,000 which he had
advanced for Spain to the French Treasury. He therefore redoubled his
efforts to bring his negotiation to a favourable issue, and at last
succeeded in getting a deed of partnership between himself and Charles
IV. which contained the following stipulation:--"Ouvrard and Company are
authorised to introduce into the ports of the New World every kind
of merchandise and production necessary for the consumption of
those countries, and to export from the Spanish Colonies, during the
continuance of the war with England; all the productions and all specie
derivable from them." This treaty was only to be in force during the war
with England, and it was stipulated that the profits arising from the
transactions of the Company should be equally divided between Charles
IV. and the rest of the Company; that is to say, one-half to the King
and the other half to his partners.
The consequences of this extraordinary partnership between a King and
a private individual remain to be stated. On the signing of the deed
Ouvrard received drafts from the Treasury of Madrid to the extent of
52,500,000 piastres; making 262,500,000 francs; but the piastres were to
be brought from America, while the terms of the treaty required that the
urgent wants of the Spanish Government should be immediately supplied,
and, above all, the progress of the famine checked. To accomplish this
object fresh advances to an enormous amount were necessary, for M.
Ouvrard had to begin by furnishing 2,000,000 of quintals of grain at the
rate of 26 francs the quintal. Besides all this, before he could realise
a profit and be reimbursed for the advances he had made to the Treasury
of Paris, he had to get the piastres conveyed from America to Europe.
After some difficulty the English Government consented to facilitate
the execution of the transaction by furnishing four frigates for the
conveyance of the piastres.
Ouvrard had scarcely completed the outline of his extraordinary
enterprise when the Emperor suddenly broke up his camp at Boulogne to
march to Germany. It will readily be conceived that Ouvrard's interests