Council of the Navy (Polysynody)

It maintained the structure and staff of the former Secretary of State for the Navy's offices, inheriting its duties while also sharing some responsibilities with other councils.

Victor-Marie d'Estrées, the brother-in-law of the Duke of Noailles assumed the presidency of the Council of the Navy, forming a partnership with the Count of Toulouse that allows control over the latter.

Additionally, the Regent rewarded loyalists, such as the Marquis of Asfeld (whose appointment also allowed for the removal from office of Michel Le Peletier de Souzy, influential adviser to Louis XIV, as director of fortifications), who, as the new Director General of Fortifications, gained a seat on both the War Council and the Council of the Navy.

[1] This distribution was reasonable as the Council of the Navy oversees a corps of naval officers, where the number of nobles of the sword was increasing.

In September 1715, the Regent orchestrated the move of the king and the court to Vincennes and then, swiftly to Paris, which thus became the political capital of France again.

The excerpts of affairs that have been preserved showed the offices’ work, drafting a written summary with space provided for remarks and decisions, signed by the Count of Toulouse or Marshal d'Estrées.

La Vrillière oversaw the Council of the Navy's work and retained his position as Secretary of State for Protestant Affairs during the establishment of the polysynodie because he was considered harmless.

They were arranged based on both geographical and thematic considerations and were staffed by thirty-five clerks who worked in a rented house on Rue des Fossés-Montmartre in Paris.

The chief clerk of the Funds office played a crucial role as the head of personnel for the navy, overseeing various matters.

For instance, it maintained correspondence with consuls, representatives of the king, protectors of French interests, and informants on foreign fleets.

The files forwarded by the Council of the Navy were typically the most sensitive ones: judicial affairs, disputes with foreign powers, or the 1717 rebellion in Martinique,[1] which posed a significant a challenge to the Exclusif regime.

[1] It inherited a structured naval and administrative tool developed during the reign of Louis XIV, with most members of the Council having been involved in this effort.

As early as October 1715, the Council of the Navy took steps to address the issue by requesting lists of released convicts from the general intendant of the galleys, Pierre Arnoul.

[10] The Council of the Navy reviewed reports from governors and lieutenant generals of the king in the colonies, and missionaries responsible for evangelization, such as in Canada.

[11] The Council of the Navy laid a role in decisions made by the Regent to entrust Louisiana to the new Mississippi Company[12] and promoted its settlement by sending vagabonds gathered in Rochefort, leading to the founding of New Orleans.

[1] The Council of the Navy also handled consulate matters, including commercial disputes between the French and local authorities of foreign countries, in various regions such as Northern Europe, Spain, Portugal, Italy, in the Levant, etc.

[1] To streamline communication, The Council of the Navy requested consuls to follow specific letter formats for increased efficiency.

[1] The maintenance of the Council of the Navy could be attributed to the Regent's favoritism towards the Count of Toulouse, whom he spared, unlike his brother, the Duke of Maine, when both legitimized bastards lost their status in 1718.

The goal was to supply the latter with construction wood by sending a ship to Quebec each year to transport the necessary materials back to the Rochefort arsenal.

On March 23, 1723, Prime Minister Cardinal Dubois informed the intendants:[16] "The Naval Council having ceased due to the king's majority.