Deliberation of September 6 1854:

The committee, considering that the settlement notification could serve as a motive to refuse the grant of a life annuity of 300 francs requested in its deliberation of last June the 18th for... etc

It is not only 300 francs, but 1.000 francs that the mayor claims. The settlement will be ratified under the express condition that the sum of 1.000 francs, requested by the mayor upon his provisional acceptance, be granted to the commune of Antignac and paid annually on a life basis for the construction of a charity house in the borough of Antignac.

Mr Brown and Mr Boiler protested against this requirement.

But let us continue. On July 20 1857, the settlement was made between the heirs and legatees of Mrs Duthu and Father Noël and was accepted by Mr Boissel, notary in Paris. It is very long so we could not read it entirely. Yet, it is decided that the section of Muradès will get 120.000 francs plus the past due interests.

This settlement gave way to some pressure. Father Noël will write a number of letters, and the prefect will write to the minister: "The priest of Chaillot’s intentions are excellent, but his zeal denotes an impatience that overstep the mark".

On his side, in a letter dated September 25 1857, the bishop of the diocese, His Lordship de Pompignac, asks the prefect for the file. "The file – writes His Lordship - will not be returned to the ministry without my personal opinion. The legacy, being in its nature and object of a religious matter, cannot be approved without my episcopal support."

On the same year, on November 1857, the advisory committee of the Mauriac district was called again. After a long talk on the matter, the committee answered: "The advisory committee’s opinion is that the authenticated settlement of July 20th 1857 is attractive for the section of la Monselie. The section representative carefully stipulated his interests and the higher authority may and must gave him his approval. In the same way, the government administration must supervise the use of the funds". This second answer was of an exceptional gravity: the legacy was thus put into the coffers of the state, where it is still today.

The three lawyers of this committee were Mr Robert Ernest Bonnefous, Mr Maurice Delalo and Mr Rougier. The latter fulfilled the functions of sub-prefect and, upon his request, would have been excluded from the cabinet by the prefect d’Arnoux. The administration could not approve it.

The town council of Antignac came back to the rescue.