the origins of contemporary france-5-第79部分

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concerned；　if；　on　this　vessel；　which　belongs　to　them；　it　permanently

installs　a　foreign　crew；　which　assumes　and　exercises　all　command；　then

the　owner　of　the　vessel；　reduced　to　the　humble　condition　of　a　mere

subject　and　quiescent　taxpayer；　will　no　longer　feel　concerned。　Since

the　intruders　exercise　all　authority；　let　them　have　all　the　trouble；

the　working　of　the　ship　concerns　them　and　not　him；　he　looks　on　as　a

spectator；　without　any　idea　of　lending　a　hand；　he　folds　his　arms；

remains　idle；　and　becomes　critical。　…　Against　the　first　defect；　the

new　régime　is　on　its　guard：　there　must　be　neither　the　preferred　nor

the　disgraced；　neither　favors　nor　exemptions；　neither　exclusions　nor

releases；　no　more　misappropriation；　embezzlement；　or　robbery；　not

alone　in　the　State；　but　elsewhere　in　any　direction；　…　in　the

department；　in　the　commune；　in　the　Church；　or　in　educational　and

benevolent　institutions。　It　excels　in　practicing　distributive　justice。

The　second　defect　is　its　hidden　flaw：　the　legislator　having　introduced

this　into　all　local　and　special　statutes；　its　effects　differ　according

to　different　societies；　but　all　these　effects　converge；　paralyzing　in

the　nation　the　best　half　of　the　soul；　and；　worse　still；　to　leading　the

will　astray　and　perverting　the　public　mind；　transforming　generous

impulses　into　evil　outbursts；　and　organizing　lasting　inertia；　ennui；

discontent；　discord；　feebleness；　and　sterility。＇2＇



II。　Local　Community。



Local　societies。　…　Their　principal　and　distinctive　character。　…　Their

type　on　a　small　scale。　…　A　dwelling…house　in　Annecy　or　Grenoble。　…

Compulsory　association　of　its　inmates。　…　Its　object　and　limits。　…

Private　in　character。



Let　us　first　consider　local　society　whether　a　province；　a　department；

or　a　county。　For　the　past　ten　years　（1789…99）；　the　legislator　has

unceasingly　deformed　and　assaulted。　On　his　side；　he　refuses　to　open

his　eyes；　preoccupied　with　theories；　he　will　not　recognize　it　for　what

it　is　in　reality；　a　society　of　a　distinct　species；　different　from　the

State；　with　its　own　peculiar　aims；　its　limits　marked　out；　its　members

prescribed；　its　statutes　drawn　up；　everything　formed　and　defined

beforehand。　As　it　is　local；　it　is　founded　on　the　greater　or　less

proximity　of　its　habitations。　Thus；　to　comprehend　it；　we　must　take　a

case　in　which　this　proximity　is　greatest　that　of　certain　houses　in

some　of　our　southeastern　towns；　as；　for　example；　Grenoble　and　Annecy。

Here；　a　house　often　belongs　to　several　distinct　owners；　each

possessing　his　story；　or　apartment　on　a　story；　one　owning　the　cellar

and　another　the　attic；　each　enjoying　all　the　rights　of　property　over

his　portion；　the　right　of　renting　it；　selling　it；　bequeathing　it；　and

mortgaging　it；　but　all　holding　it　in　common　for　the　maintenance　of　the

roof　and　the　main　walls。　…　Evidently；　their　association　is　not　a　free

one；　willingly　or　not；　each　forms　a　member　of　it；　for；　willingly　or

not；　each　benefits　or　suffers　through　the　good　or　bad　state　of　the

roof　and　the　principal　walls：　therefore；　all　must　furnish　their　quota

of　the　indispensable　expenses；　even　a　majority　of　votes　would　not　rid

them　of　these；　one　claimant　alone　would　suffice　to　hold　them

responsible；　they　have　no　right　to　impose　on　him　the　danger　which　they

accept　for　themselves；　nor　to　shirk　expenses　by　which　they　profit　as

well　as　himself。　Consequently；　on　the　report　of　an　expert；　the

magistrate　interferes；　and；　willingly　or　not；　the　repairs　are　made；

then；　willingly　or　not；　both　by　custom　and　in　law；　each　pays　his

quote；　calculated　according　to　the　locative　value　of　the　portion

belonging　to　him。　…　But　here　his　obligations　cease。　In　fact　as　in　law；

the　community　（of　property）　is　restricted；　the　associates　take　good

care　not　to　extend　this；　not　to　pursue　other　aims　at　the　same　time；

not　to　add　to　their　primitive　and　natural　purpose　a　different　and

supplementary　purpose；　not　to　devote　one　room　to　a　Christian　chapel

for　the　residents　of　the　house；　another　room　for　a　kindergarten　for

the　children　that　live　in　it；　and　a　side　room　to　a　small　hospital　for

those　who　fall　ill；　especially；　they　do　not　admit　that　a　tax　may　be

imposed　for　these　purposes　and　each　of　them　be　subject　to　a

proportional　increase　of　assessment　at　so　many　additional　centimes　per

franc。＇3＇　　For；　if　the　proprietor　of　the　ground…floor　is　an　Israelite；

the　proprietor　of　a　room　on　the　second　story　is　a　bachelor；　the

proprietor　of　the　fine　suite　of　rooms　on　the　first　story　is　rich；　and

has　a　doctor　visit　him　at　the　house；　these　must　pay　for　a　service　for

which　they　get　no　return。　…　For　the　same　reason；　their　association

remains　private；　it　does　not　form　part　of　the　public　domain；　they

alone　are　interested　in　it；　if　the　State　let　us　use　its　tribunals　and

officials；　it　is　the　same　as　it　is　with　ordinary　private　individuals。


It　would　be　unjust　both　against　it　and　against　itself　if　it　would

exclude　or　exempting　it　from　common　right；　if　it　put　it　on　its

administrative　rolls。　It　would　deform　and　disrupt　its　work　if　it

interfered　with　its　independence；　if　added　to　its　functions　or　to　its

obligations。　It　is　not　under　its　tutelage；　obliged　to　submit　its

accounts　to　the　prefect；　it　delegates　no　powers　and　confers　no　right

of　justice；　or　police；　in　short；　it　is　neither　its　pupil　nor　its

agent。　Such　is　the　lien　which　permanent　proximity　establishes　between

men；　we　see　that　it　is　of　a　singular　species：　neither　in　fact；　nor　in

law；　can　the　associates　free　themselves　from　it；　solely　because　they

are　neighbors；　they　form　a　community　for　certain　indivisible　or

jointly　owned　things；　an　involuntary　and　obligatory　community。　To　make

amends；　and　even　owing　to　this；　I　mean　through　institution　and　in　the

natural　order　of　things；　their　community　is　limited；　and　limited　in

two　ways；　restricted　to　its　object　and　restricted　to　its　members；

reduced　to　matters　of　which　proprietorship　or　enjoyment　is　forcibly　in

common；　and　reserved　to　inhabitants　who；　on　account　of　situation　and

fixed　residence；　possess　this　enjoyment　or　this　property。i



III。　Essential　Public　Local　Works。



Analysis　of　other　local　societies；　commune；　department；　or　province。　…

Common　interests　which　necessitate　local　action。　…　Two　objects　in

view：　care　of　public　roads　and　means　of　protection　against　spreading

calamities。　…　Why　collaboration　is　an　obligation。　…　Neighbors

involuntarily　subject　to　a　common　bond　on　account　of　proximity。　…

Willingly　or　not　each　shares　in　its　benefits。　…　What　portion　of　the

expense　belongs　to　each。　…　Equal　advantages　for　each。　…　The　unequal

and　proportionate　advantages　for　each　in　his　private　expenses；

industrial　or　commercial　gains；　and　in　the　locative　value　of　his　real

estate。　…　Each　person's　quota　of　expense　according　to　his　equal　and

proportionate　share　in　advantages。



All　local　societies　are　of　this　kind；　each　limited　to　a　certain

territory　and　included　with　others　like　it　inside　a　larger　area；　each

possessing　two　budgets　depending　on　whether　it　is　a　distinct　body　or

member　of　a　larger　corporation；　each；　from　the　commune　to　the

department　or　province；　instituted　on　a　basis　of　interests　which　make

them　jointly　but　involuntarily　liable。　…　There　are　two　of　these

important　interests　which；　as　in　the　Annecy　building；　elude　human

arbitrariness；　which　demand　common　action　and　distribution　of　the

expense；　because；　as　in　the　Annecy　building；　they　are　the　inevitable

results　of　physical　proximity：



First；　comes　care　for　the　public　highways；　by　land　or　by　water；　river

navigation；　canals；　towing…paths；　bridges；　streets；　public　squares；

by…roads；　along　with　the　more　or　less　optional　and　gradual

improvements　which　public　roads　demand　or　prescribe；　such　as　their

laying…out；　sidewalks；　paving；　sweeping；　lighting；　drainage；　sewers；

rolling；　ditches；　leveling；　embankments；　and　other　engineering　works；

which　establish　or　increase　safety　and　convenience　in　circulation；

with　facilities　for　and　dispatch　in　transportation。



Next；　comes　protection　against　the　spread　of　calamities；　such　as

fires；　inundations；　contagious　diseases；　epidemics；　along　with　the

more　or　less　optional　and　remote　precautions　which　this　protection

exacts　or　recommends；　night　watchers　in　Russia；　dikes　in　Holland；

levees　in　the　valleys　of　the　Po　and　the　Loire；　cemeteries　and

regulations　for　interment；　cleanliness　of　the　streets；　ventilation　of

holes　and　corners；　drainage　of　marshes；　hydrants；　and　supplies　of

drinkable　water；　disinfecting　of　contaminated　areas；　and　other

preventive　or　necessary　hygienic　measures　which　remove　or　prevent

insalubrities　growing　out　of　neighborhood　or　contact。



All　this　has　to　be　provided　for；　and　the　enterprise；　if　not　wholly　and

in　its　developments；　at　least　in　itself　and　in　what　is　necessary；

imposes　itself；　collectively；　on　all　the　inhabitants　of　the

conscription；　from　the　highest　to　the　lowest。　For；　in　the　absence　of　a

public　road；　none　of　them　can　do　his　daily　work；　travel　about；　or　even

leave　his　premises；　while　transportation　ceases　and　trade　is

suspended；　hence；　commerce　and　other　pursuits　languish；　industry　is

arrested；　agriculture　becomes　impracticable　or　fruitless；　the　fields

are　no　longer　cultivated；　while　provisions；　food；　including　bread；＇4＇

everything　is　wanting；　the　dwellings　becoming　uninhabitable；　more　so

than　the　Annecy　houses　when　the　roofs　fall　in　and　let　in　the　rain。　…

On　the　other　hand；　for　lack　of　protection　against　calamities；　these

get　a　free　rein：　the　day　arrives　when　an　equinoctial　tide　submerges

the　flat　coastal　area；　when　the　river　overflows　and　devastates　the

countryside；　when　the　conflagration　spreads；　when　small…pox　and　the

cholera　reach　a　contagious　point；　and　life　is　in　danger；　far　more

seriously　imperiled　than　when；　in　the　Annecy　domicile；　the　main　walls

threaten　to　tumble　down。＇5＇



Undoubtedly；　I　can　personally　accept　this　miserable　condition　of

things；　resign　myself　to　it；　and　consent；　as　far　as　I　am　concerned；