the origins of contemporary france-5-第89部分

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his　massive　constructions。　Accordingly；　under　this　heading；　the　poor

man　owes　as　much　as　the　rich　one；　the　rich　man；　at　least；　owes　no　more

than　the　poor　one；　if；　each　year；　the　poor　man　cannot　pay　but　one

franc；　the　rich　one；　each　year；　should　not　pay　more　than　that　sum

likewise。　…　The　second　advantage；　on　the　contrary；　is　not　equal　for

all；　but　more　or　less　great　for　each；　according　to　what　he　spends　on

the　spot；　according　to　his　industrial　or　commercial　gains；　and

according　to　his　local　income。　Indeed；　the　more　perfect　the　public

highway　is；　the　more　are　the　necessities　and　conveniences　of　life；

whatever　is　agreeable　and　useful；　even　distant　and　remote；　more　within

reach；　and　at　my　disposition；　in　my　very　hands；　I　enjoy　it　to　the

utmost；　the　measure　of　my　enjoyment　of　it　being　the　importance　of　my

purchases；　everything　I　consume；　in　short；　my　home　expenditure。＇6＇　If

I　am；　besides；　industrial　or　in　commerce；　the　state　of　the　public

highway　affects　me　even　more；　for　my　transportation；　more　or　less

costly；　difficult　and　slow；　depends　on　that；　and　next；　the　receipt　of

my　raw　materials　and　goods；　the　sale　of　my　manufactures；　the　dispatch

of　my　merchandise；　bought　and　sold；　while　the　measure　of　this　special

interest；　so　direct　and　so　intense；　is　the　annual　sum…total　of　my

business；　or；　more　strictly　speaking；　the　probable　sum　of　my

profits。＇7＇　If；　finally；　I　own　real　estate；　a　house　or　land；　its

locative　value　increases　or　diminishes　according　to　the　salubrity　and

convenience　of　its　site；　together　with　its　facilities　for　cultivating；

selling；　and　distributing　its　crops；　for　its　various　outlets；　for　its

security　against　floods　and　fires；　and；　after　this；　to　improvements　in

public　transit；　and　to　the　collective　works　which　protect　both　soil

and　buildings　against　natural　calamities。＇8＇　It　follows　that　the

inhabitant　who　benefits　from　these　services；　owes　a　second

contribution；　greater　or　lesser　according　to　the　greater　or　lesser

advantage　which　he　derives　from　them。



IV。　　Local　associations。



Local　society；　thus　constituted；　is　a　collective　legal　entity。　…　The

sphere　of　its　initiation　and　action。　…　Its　relation　to　the　State。　…

Distinction　between　the　private　and　the　public　domain。



Such　is　in　itself　local　society　and；　with　or　without　the　legislator's

permission；　we　find　it　to　be　a　private　syndicate；＇9＇　analogous　to　many

others。＇10＇　Whether　communal　or　departmental；　it　concerns；　combines；

and　serves　none　but　the　inhabitants　of　one　circumscription；　its

success　or　failure　does　not　interest　the　nation；　unless　indirectly；

and　through　a　remote　reaction；　similar　to　the　slight　effect　which；　for

good　or　ill；　the　health　or　sickness　of　one　Frenchman　produces　on　the

mass　of　Frenchmen。　That　which　directly　and　fully　affects　a　local

society　is　felt　only　by　that　society；　the　same　as　that　which　affects　a

private　individual　is　felt　only　by　him；　it　is　a　close　corporation；　and

belongs　to　itself　within　its　physical　limits；　the　same　as　he；　in　his；

belongs　to　himself；　like　him；　then；　it　is　an　individual；　less　simple；

but　no　less　real；　a　human　combination；　endowed　with　reason　and　will；

responsible　for　its　acts；　capable　of　wronging　and　being　wronged；　in

brief；　a　legal　entity。　Such；　in　fact；　it　is；　and；　through　the　explicit

declaration　of　the　legislator；　who　constitutes　it　a　legal　entity；

capable　of　possessing；　acquiring；　and　contracting；　and　of　prosecuting

in　the　courts　of　law：　he　likewise　confers　on　the　eighty…six

departments　and　on　the　thirty…six　thousand　communes　all　the　legal

capacities　and　obligations　of　an　ordinary　individual。　The　State；

consequently；　in　relationship　to　them　and　to　all　collective　persons；

is　what　it　is　with　respect　to　a　private　individual；　neither　more　nor

less；　its　title　to　intervene　between　them　is　not　different。　As

justiciary；　it　owes　them　justice　the　same　as　to　private　persons；

nothing　more　or　less；　only　to　render　this　to　them；　it　has　more　to　do；

for　they　are　composite　and　complex。　By　virtue　even　of　its　mandate；　it

is　bound　to　enter　their　domiciles　in　the　performance　of　its　duty；　to

maintain　probity　and　to　prevent　disorder；　to　protect　there　not　alone

the　governed　against　the　governors　and　the　governors　against　the

governed；　but　again　the　community；　which　is　lasting；　against　its

directors；　who　are　temporary；　to　assign　to　each　member　his　quota　of

dues　or　of　charges；　and　his　quote　of　influence　or　of　authority；　to

regulate　the　way　in　which　the　society　shall　support　and　govern　itself；

to　decide　upon　and　sanction　the　equitable　statute；　to　oversee　and

impose　its　execution；　that　is　to　say；　in　sum　to　maintain　the　right　of

each　person　and　oblige　each　to　pay　what　he　owes。　…　This　is　difficult

and　delicate。　But；　being　done；　the　collective　personality　is；　as　much

as　any　individual；　complete　and　defined；　independent　and　distinct　from

the　State；　by　the　same　title　as　that　of　the　individual；　it　has　its　own

circle　of　initiation　and　of　action；　its　separate　domain；　which　is　its

private　affair。　The　State；　on　its　side；　has　its　own　affairs　too；　which

are　those　of　the　public；　and　thus；　in　the　nature　of　things；　both

circles　are　distinct；　neither　of　them　should　prey　upon　or　encroach　on

the　other。　…　Undoubtedly；　local　societies　and　the　State　may　help　each

other；　lend　each　other　their　agents；　and　thus　avoid　employing　two　for

one；　may　reduce　their　official　staff；　diminish　their　expenses；　and；

through　this　interchange　of　secondary　offices；　do　their　work　better

and　more　economically。　For　example；　the　commune　and　the　department　may

let　the　State　collect　and　deposit　their　〃additional　centimes；〃　borrow

from　it　for　this　purpose　its　assessors　and　other　accountants；　and　thus

receive　their　revenues　with　no　drawback；　almost　gratis；　on　the

appointed　day。　In　the　like　manner；　the　State　has　very　good　reason　for

entrusting　the　departmental　council　with　the　re…distribution　of　its

direct　taxes　among　the　districts；　and　the　district　council　with　the

same　re…distribution　among　the　communes：　in　this　way　it　saves　trouble

for　itself；　and　there　is　no　other　more　effective　mode　of　ensuring　an

equitable　allocation。　It　will　similarly　be　preferable　to　have　the

mayor；　rather　than　anybody　else；　handle　petty　public　undertakings；

which　nobody　else　could　do　as　readily　and　as　surely；　with　less

trouble；　expense；　and　mistakes；　with　fewer　legal　document；　registers

of　civil　status；　advertisements　of　laws　and　regulations；　transmissions

by　the　orders　of　public　authorities　to　interested　parties；　and　of

local　information　to　the　public　authorities　which　they　need；　the

preparation　and　revision　of　the　electoral　lists　and　of　conscripts；　and

co…operation　in　measures　of　general　security。　Similar　collaboration　is

imposed　on　the　captain　of　a　merchant　vessel；　on　the　administrators　of

a　railway；　on　the　director　of　a　hotel　or　even　of　a　factory；　and　this

does　not　prevent　the　company　which　runs　the　ship；　the　railway；　the

hotel；　or　the　factory；　from　enjoying　full　ownership　and　the　free

disposition　of　its　capital；　from　holding　meetings；　passing

resolutions；　electing　directors；　appointing　its　managers；　and

regulating　its　own　affairs；　preserving　intact　that　precious　faculty　of

possessing；　of　willing　and　of　acting；　which　cannot　be　lost　or

alienated　without　ceasing　to　be　a　personality。　　To　remain　a

personality　（i。e。　a　legal　entity）；　such　is　the　main　interest　and　right

of　all　persons；　singly　or　collectively；　and　therefore　of　local

communities　and　of　the　State　itself；　it　must　be　careful　not　to

abdicate　and　be　careful　not　to　usurp。　…　It　renounces　in　favor　of　local

societies　when；　through　optimism　or　weakness；　it　hands　a　part　of　the

public　domain　over　to　them；　when　it　gives　them　the　responsibility　for

the　collection　of　its　taxes；　the　appointment　of　its　judges　and　police…

commissioners；　the　employment　of　its　armed　forces；　when　it　delegates

local　functions　to　them　which　it　should　exercise　itself；　because　it　is

the　special　and　responsible　director；　the　only　one　who　is　in　a

suitable　position；　competent；　well　provided；　and　qualified　to　carry

them　out。　On　the　other　side；　it　causes　prejudice　to　the　local

societies；　when　it　appropriates　to　itself　a　portion　of　their　private

domain；　when　it　confiscates　their　possessions；　when　it　disposes　of

their　capital　or　income　arbitrarily；　when　it　imposes　on　them　excessive

expenses　for　worship；　charity；　education；　and　any　other　service　which

properly　belongs　to　a　different　association；　when　it　refuses　to

recognize　in　the　mayor　the　representative　of　the　commune　and　the

government　official；　when　it　subordinates　the　first　of　these　two

titles　to　the　second；　when　it　claims　the　right　of　giving　or　taking

away；　through　with　the　second　which　belongs　to　it；　the　first　which

does　not　belong　to　it；　when　in　practice　and　in　its　grasp　the　commune

and　department　cease　to　be　private　companies　in　order　to　become

administrative　compartments。　…　According　to　the　opportunity　and　the

temptation；　it　glides　downhill；　now　toward　the　sur