Power in France resided in established TRADITION, inherited rights and privilege. That of the nobility and the Clergy. (Remember, in this case, the idea of clergy r bishops, arch bishops, cardinals) Historically, in France there had been 13 different PARLEMENTS. These parliaments were really just Courts of Appeal throughout France. They made NO laws. They had lots of power is determining legality of TAXATION. Mostly, the Judges who served on the parliaments PURCHASED OR Inherited (remember "tradition", "privilege"!)their ability to serve (nobility of the Gown) The most powerful of the parlements BY FAR was the one in Paris. Remember, these Parlements were headed by the nobility. The nobility and aristocracy were VERY adamant about not changing anything; especially that regarding the idea of taxation. ONLY members of the 3rd Estate paid taxes. One of the points of the Rev was to promote equality. They saw the idea of them paying taxes as taking away their special role in France. They were not the "Equals" to peasants. Nobles could do cool things like carry a sword or wear family crest. Parlements would ALWAYS stand in the way of CENTRALIZING authority.(Although Louis XIV was successful in giving lots of restrictions to them. They end when he died) They hated it. These parlements would be roadblocks to reform at the BEGINNING of the Rev. So Parlements were responsible for posting and enforcing new taxes. As the rev grew closer and calls (especially from dudes like Turgot) for a more equitable tax system grew they refused to post ANY new tax decrees. When Parlements refused to post stuff from the king the king could FORCE Them ONLY with a "Lit de Justice"(Ok.....talk about feudal privilege and tradition. The king would LITERALLY have to show up in a BED with pillows adorning it and address the parlements. He'd get his way from there. ) I want yo to remember that Louis XV and certainly the XVI are NO LOUIS XIV--then again, who is?! Demands for economic reform to save the fRench economy begin in the 1770's. The Parlements REFUSED any attempt to remove their privileges relating to taxation. They DON"T PAY TAXES!!!! Even w the growth of the bourgeoisie class in the 3rd Estate, the nobility would be able to restrict the rise of them due to issues of taxation. The 2nd DON"T PAY TAXES!! All in the 3rd do! Basically, the Parlements were stubborn, ancient, and unwilling to yield any belief in their "traditional rights" to save France. The poor were friendly w the Parlements because they maintained traditional order. They protected the church they stood up to the King. The Bourgeoisie and the emerging middle class w/in the third estate HATED it. They saw it as unREASONable. As ancient. Unfair. In need of replacement.