hard to find info about init

[jim]

   running unbuntu-server 8.04, edited 
/etc/network/interfaces to force eth0 
to run in static mode as 192.168.1.60 
on a LAN front-ended by a linksys router. 
   works fine for a while, then can't 
ssh in. go to the console, ifconfig 
shows the box is 192.168.1.101 thanks 
to dhclient3. 

...skipping story of grief and curses... 

   finally just 
# kill -15 <PID_OF_dhclient3> 

   all seems to be well, confidence is 
up until the next box reboot. i know 
that init will kick off dhclient3 and 
i'll have manually to kill it (or just 
slightly less inelegantly run some 
kind of cron job or /etc/rc.local call 
or some such. 
   NO: i wanna know how to tell init 
not to kick off dhclient3. 
   but i can't find where init gets 
its marching orders: 
not apparent in /etc/default/ 
nor in /etc/init.d/* 
nor in /etc/event.d/* 
and there is no /etc/inittab 
amd search as i might, even mighty 
google doesn't return or yield anything 
that helps me learn how to configure 
the init process. 

   i wanna know, please, and will be 
grateful to the personnages who clue 
me in. 

with thanks, 
jim