Invariably the government proceeds in the same manner with the reorganization of the other two collective fortunes.- As regards the charitable institutions， under the Directory， the asylums and hospitals had their unsold property restored to them， and in the place of what had been sold they were promised national property of equal value.[120] But this was a complicated operation； things had dragged along in the universal disorder and， to carry it out， the First Consul reduced and simplified it. He at once sets aside a portion of the national domain， several distinct morsels in each district or department， amounting in all to four millions of annual income derived from productive real-estate，[121] which he distributes among the asylums， pro rata， according to their losses. He assigns to them， moreover， all the rents， in money or in kind， due for foundations to parishes， curés， fabriques and corporations； finally， "he applies to their wants" various outstanding claims， all national domains which have been usurped by individuals or communes and which may be subsequently recovered， "all rentals be-longing to the Republic， the recognition and payment of which have been interrupted."[122] In short， he rummages every corner and picks out the scraps which may help them along； then， resuming and extending another undertaking of the Directory， he assigns to them， not merely in Paris， but in many other towns， a portion of the product derived from theatres and octrois.[123] - Having thus increased their income， he applies himself to diminishing their expenses. On the one hand， he gives them back their special servants， those who cost the least and work the best， Imean the Sisters of Charity. On the other hand， he binds them down rigidly to exact accounts； he subjects them to strict supervision； he selects for them competent and suitable administrators； he stops， here as everywhere else， waste and peculation. Henceforth， the public reservoir to which the poor come to quench their thirst is repaired and cleaned； the water remains pure and no longer oozes out； private charity may therefore pour into it its fresh streams with full security； on this side， they flow in naturally， and， at this moment， with more force than usual， for， in the reservoir， half-emptied by revolutionary confiscations， the level is always low.
There remain the institutions for instruction. With respect to these， the restoration seems more difficult， for their ancient endowment is almost entirely wasted； the government has nothing to give back but dilapidated buildings， a few scattered investments formerly intended for the maintenance of a college scholarship，[124] or for a village schoolhouse. And to whom should these be returned since the college and the schoolhouse no longer exist？ - Fortunately， instruction is an article of such necessity that a father almost always tries to procure it for his children； even if poor， he is willing to pay for it， if not too dear； only， he wants that which pleases him in kind and in quality and， therefore， from a particular source， bearing this or that factory stamp or label. If you want him to buy it do not drive the purveyors of it from the market who enjoy his confidence and who sell it cheaply； on the contrary， welcome them and allow them to display their wares. This is the first step， an act of toleration； the conseils-généraux demand it and the government yields.[125] It permits the return of the Ignorantin brethren， allows them to teach and authorizes the towns to employ them； later on， it graduates them at its University： in 1810， they already possess 41 schoolhouses and 8400pupils.[126] Still more liberally， it authorizes and favors female educational congregations； down to the end of the empire and afterwards， nuns are about the only instructors of young girls， especially in primary education. - Owing to the same toleration， the upper schools are likewise reorganized， and not less spontaneously， through the initiative of private individuals， communes， bishops， colleges or pensionnats， at Reims， Fontainebleau， Metz， évreux， Sorrèze， Juilly， La Fléche and elsewhere small seminaries in all the dioceses. Offer and demand have come together； instructors meet the children half-way， and education begins on all sides.[127]
