Secretary of State was official designation under the Ancien Mode officers of the Crown to the role equivalent to that of the current Ministre S.

History

The function of Secretary of State appeared in 1547. It really took importance starting from 1588. Its holders then were compared to the large officers of the Crown.

The function of Secretary of State was removed under Regency (system of the Polysynodie) (1715-1718). They were replaced by a Council of State including/understanding as many councils as there were departments (the royal Council of the Foreign affairs, royal Conseil of the Navy, etc). But the slowness of this system and the oppositions frequent resulted in restoring the function of Secretary of State.

During their appearance under Henri II, the Secretaries of State were 4 and they were almost always this number. Under Louis XV, this number was changed to 5 twice: from September 1718 until the death of the cardinal Dubois then starting from the end of 1763 until in 1780 when a fifth department was created for Bertin, primarily starting from businesses treated before by finances.

Organization

Each Secretary of State was responsible for a specialized department, i.e. of a functional field of competence (House of the king, Foreign affairs, Guerre, Marine…), and of a geographical department, i.e. a whole of provinces. In their various departments, the Secretaries of State advised the sovereign, contresigned and dispatched the royal decisions (declarations and edicts).

The Secretaries of State were members of right of the private Council but they seldom went there. Those of the Navy and the Foreign affairs attended the royal Council of Trade. All were member of the Council of the Dispatches.

The secretary of foreign affairs was traditionally named Minister of state as of his entry in load. The others generally ended up being seen granting this title.

The Secretaries of State were named by the King and revocable. Nevertheless, their office was object of finance - between 500.000 and 900.000 books - and was the subject generally of a Brevet of reserve allowing the holder to be about it refunded by its successor in the event of reference.

Attributions

The Secretaries of State are generally 4 and more rarely 5:

There were always a Secretary of State of the Foreign affairs and a Secretary of State of the War. On the other hand, both or three other Secretaries of State had variable names, in front of sharing five departments: Navy, Paris, Clergy, House of the king, RPR (“reformed alleged religion”).

There was no ministry for the interior because the Secretaries of State were distributed the administration of the provinces traditionally:

  • the secretariat of State of the War dealt with the frontier provinces;

  • the secretariat of State of the House of the king knew countries of states;
  • the secretariat of State of the Navy had the colonies without metropolitan provinces, except 1749 with 1754;
  • starting from 1747, several Secretaries of State of the Foreign affairs refused to be in charge of the administration of provinces, which were generally allotted to the House of the king.

There was no Minister for Justice, this function being filled by the Chancelier of France, nor of Minister for Finance, but there was a General inspector of finances.

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