25 décembre 1799
7 juillet 1815
La position du secrétaire d’État est tout à fait centrale : il constitue un intermédiaire incontournable entre le sommet de l’Exécutif et les ministères. Il est chargé de recevoir et conserver les minutes des décrets de l’Empereur, d’en délivrer des expéditions authentiques aux ministres chargés de leur exécution (l’Empereur ne signe que les minutes), et de faire insérer des actes au Bulletin des lois et des articles au Moniteur. Il analyse les nombreux dossiers envoyés par les ministres pour en faire ensuite des comptes rendus oraux à l’Empereur. En outre, il prépare les conseils des ministres et les conseils d’administration, y assiste, en dresse et en conserve les procès-verbaux.
La Secrétairerie d’État possède son propre service d’archives, nommé « Archives impériales » pour le distinguer des Archives de l’Empire (actuellement Archives nationales), installé dans les entresols de la grande galerie du Louvre. Sous l’Empire, les Archives impériales sont placées sous la responsabilité d’Agathon Fain et organisées en trois sections : répertoire, décrets, historique. Les papiers du Gouvernement y sont classés dans un ordre analogue à la division des ministères et des bureaux ; le baron Fain s’occupe également de la mise en ordre des archives du Directoire exécutif et de celles du comité de Salut public. En vertu d’une ordonnance royale du 21 mai 1817, ce service est distrait du ministère de la Maison du Roi pour être placé dans les attributions du ministère de la Justice.
Parallèlement à la division des Archives se trouvent une bibliothèque historique et un bureau topographique, vaste pièce dotée d’une très grande table, sur laquelle l’Empereur consulte les cartes et plans. À partir de 1806, ce bureau est dirigé par Bacler d’Albe, ingénieur géographe.
La Secrétairerie d’État comprend, outre le cabinet particulier du ministre secrétaire d’État, plusieurs divisions administratives, dont le nombre et les dénominations, ainsi que le nombre d’employés affectés à chacune varient au cours de la période. En avril 1809, la Secrétairerie d’État est ainsi organisée :
- division d’expédition (11 personnes) ;
- bureau du répertoire (2 personnes) ;
- bureau du départ (2 personnes) ;
- division de la correspondance et de la comptabilité (5 personnes) ;
- division des procès-verbaux (4 personnes) ;
- division des archives (6 personnes) ;
- bibliothèque historique (2 personnes) ;
- cabinet particulier (5 personnes).
Les effectifs augmentent chaque année et atteignent leur maximum au printemps 1814 : 53 personnes travaillent dans les bureaux de la Secrétairerie d’État, ce qui représente un budget annuel de 150 000 francs. L’année suivante, le nombre d’employés est réduit à 36 ; toutes les divisions sont affectées, à l’exception de celle des archives, dont le surcroît d’activité nécessite de conserver les 6 personnes qui y sont employées.
Après la première abdication de Napoléon (6 avril 1814), la Secrétairerie d’État, qualifiée d’« ancienne », est réorganisée par le Gouvernement provisoire. La « nouvelle » Secrétairerie, dénommée « Secrétairerie d’État provisoire des Conseils », est placée sous la direction du baron de Vitrolles, secrétaire provisoire, et composée comme suit :
- un chef des bureaux de la Secrétairerie, chargé de la surveillance générale ;
- une division de la correspondance et de la comptabilité ;
- une division d’expédition et de classement des actes du Gouvernement.
Le bureau du répertoire et des procès-verbaux est chargé de l’expédition, du classement et de la vérification du répertoire des actes du Gouvernement.
La Secrétairerie d’État est créée par un arrêté des consuls du 4 nivôse an VIII (25 décembre 1799). Sous l’Empire, elle est incluse dans les attributions de la Maison civile de l’Empereur. Elle est érigée en ministère en 1804, son titulaire prenant, à partir du 10 juillet, le titre de « ministre secrétaire d’État ». Hugues Maret, duc de Bassano, en est la figure centrale : diplomate sous la Révolution, il est nommé secrétaire général des consuls par un arrêté du 20 brumaire an VIII, puis secrétaire d’État par un arrêté du 4 nivôse suivant, et enfin secrétaire d’État impérial le 10 juillet 1804. Maret remplit ces fonctions du Consulat à l’Empire, à l’exception de la période comprise entre le 17 avril 1811 et novembre 1813, période durant laquelle il est remplacé par Pierre Daru.
La Secrétairerie d’État est conçue par les consuls comme la continuation directe du secrétariat général organisé par Joseph-Jean Lagarde pour le Directoire exécutif. Ce service est en effet conservé par les consuls après le 18 Brumaire et mobilisé dans les mêmes conditions ; la plupart des employés du secrétariat général du Directoire conservent leurs fonctions sous le Consulat au sein de la Secrétairerie d’État, qui hérite ainsi d’une administration avertie, fortement structurée et centralisée. C’est vers la Secrétairerie d’État que convergent toutes les affaires des départements ministériels et dans ses archives que sont conservés les documents qui constituent la mémoire du Gouvernement depuis la Révolution.
La Secrétairerie d’État est supprimée par ordonnance du 6 août 1817.
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