the origins of contemporary france-5-第99章

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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；　to

shut　myself　up　within　my　own　walls；　to　fast　there；　and　run　the　risk；

more　or　less　imminent；　of　being　drowned；　burnt；　or　poisoned；　but　I

have　no　right　to　condemn　another　to　do　this；　nor　to　refuse　my

contribution　to　a　protection　by　which　I　am　to　profit。　As　to　my　share

of　the　expense　it　is　fixed　beforehand；　and　fixed　through　my　share　in

the　benefit：



Whoever　receives；　owes；　and　in　proportion　to　what　he　receives；



such　is　an　equitable　exchange；　no　society　is　prosperous　and　healthy

without　this；　it　is　essential　that；　for　each　member　of　it；　the　duties

should　exactly　compensate　the　advantages；　and　that　the　two　sides　of

the　scale　should　balance。　In　the　local　community；　the　care　taken　of

public　roads　and　the　precautions　taken　against　natural　calamities　are

useful　in　two　ways：　one；　which　especially　improves　the　condition　of

persons；　and　the　other；　which　especially　improves　the　condition　of

things。　The　first　is　equal　and　the　same　for　all。　The　poor　man；　quite

as　much　as　the　rich　one；　needs　to　go　and　come　and　to　look　after　his

affairs；　he　uses　the　street；　pavement；　sidewalks；　bridges；　highways；

and　public　fountains　quite　as　much；　he　equally　benefits　by　the

sweeping　and　lighting　of　the　public　gardens。　It　may　be　claimed　that；

in　certain　respects；　he　derives　more　benefits　from　all　this；　for　he

suffers　sooner　and　more　keenly　when　bad　roads　stop　transportation；

arrest　labor；　and　increase　the　cost　of　food；　he　is　more　subject　to

contagion；　to　epidemics；　to　all　physical　ills；　in　case　of　a　fire；　the

risks　of　a　workman　in　his　garret；　at　the　top　of　steep；　narrow　stairs；

are　greater　than　those　of　the　opulent　proprietor　on　the　first　story；

in　a　mansion　provided　with　a　broad　range　of　steps。　In　case　of

inundation；　the　danger　is　more　suddenly　mortal　for　the　humble

villager；　in　his　fragile　tenement；　than　for　the　gentleman　farmer　in

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

man　owes　as　much　as　the　rich　one；　the　ri