The Boot and Shoe Trades in London and Paris in the Long Eighteenth Century

the revolutionary government maintained was the role of the Halle aux Cuirs. It
underlined that "la Halle aux Cuirs, par son importante utilité, mérite la plus
grande attention, car elle est d'un usage presque général, par ses raports avec la
société". 85 The Halle was maintained because it provided an efficient market for
leather. This was a relevant point for shoemakers. As in the late 1730s in London,
the market provided the place where small shoemakers could buy pieces of leather
or small hides. Within the debate about the possible closure of the Halle, an issue
was raised about alternative methods to buy leather. The 'cordonnier pouvre'
lamented that in the case of the closure of the Halle, he would have been forced to
buy from 'magasins particuliers' (especially curriers) paying high prices. 86
The following years under the Directorate and the Empire saw a return to an old
fiscal idea. The 1810 fiscal law established a duty of 5 francs per piece with no
distinction on the type or quality. Special duties were applied to important import
markets: a piece of leather imported from Buenos Aires had a import duty of 35
francs, from Caracas 16 francs, and horse hides were taxed 6 francs a piece. 87 In
1814 the duty on leather amounted to 326 million francs, 240 million on ox hides,
56 million on cowhides and 30 million on kid. 88 The Restoration of 1815 did not
change substantially the legislation, although the new Government tried to impose a
stamp duty.89
1.6.2 Brnain
An important difference between the Paris and London leather market
regulations was the way in which outlaws were punished. In London it was the
guilds that dealt with actions that were contrary to their regulations. Normally a
simple fine was the end of the prosecution. In Paris the authority assumed by the
State in the regulation of the leather market restricted the authority exercised by
curriers, tanners and shoemakers in their trades. The contrôlleurs de cuirs, for
85 M. Lulier, Adresse a I'Assemblée Nationale, pour les fabricants, marchands, et uvriers qui
employent les cuirs (1791 - BN 8-FM-3336), p. 4.
p. 27
' Rapport et projet de décret relatzfs a l'interprétation du Décret du 9 Novembre 1810 qui a fixé
de Droit d'entrée sur les Cuirs vennt de l'Etranger, pp. 1-4.
88 AN, F' 2 2286: 'A Son Excellence Ministre du Roy, 1 Aôut 1814'.
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