i>f4 Declarations of 



Coiiiiffy, whenever and however he maj 

 think proper. 



In fine, every man has it in his power 

 to dispose of and use liis property and 

 revenue in any manner he shall please. 



A man can only be subject to laws 

 consented to by him or his real repre- 

 sentatives, and previously promulgated 

 and legally applied. 



The principle of all sovereignty re- 

 sides in the nation ; and no body, no 

 individual, can possess any authority 

 which does not expressly emanate from 

 it, or its authorised representatives. 



Every rightful government has for -ils 

 sole object the public good. This ob- 

 ject requires that the legislative, execu- 

 tive, and judicial, powers, be distinct and 

 definite, and that their organization en- 

 sure the free representation of the citi- 

 zens, the responsibility of their agents, 

 and the impartiality of their judges. 



No partial combination of citizens, no 

 individual, can arrogate to themselves 

 the sovereignty, or exercise any autho- 

 rity, or perform any public function, 

 without a formal delegation from the 

 law. 



The social guarantee cannot exist, 

 imless the limits of the public authori- 

 ties be not clearly determined by the 

 law, and unless the responsibility of all 

 the public officers be not ensured. 



All the citizens are bound to support 

 this guarantee, and to enforce the law, 

 when called upon in its name. 



The social guarantee consists in the 

 concurrence of all, to ensure to each the 

 enjoyment and the preservation of his 

 rights: this guarantee rests upon the 

 national sovereignty. It cannot exist, 

 if the limits of the public olBces be not 

 clearly determined by the law, and if 

 the responsibility of all the officers be 

 not ensured. 



A nation necessarily retains the right 

 of revising, reforming, and changing, its 

 constitution. 



One generation cannot subject future 

 generations to its laws. 



Every citizen has an equal right, per- 

 sonally or by his representative, of assist- 

 ing in the formation of the law, and in 

 the nomination of its officers or agents. 



All public offices are essentially tem- 

 porary ; they can be considered neither 

 as distinctions nor rewards, but as duties. 

 The offences of the judges of the people, 

 and of their agents, ought never to re- 

 main unpunished. No individual can 

 possess, of right, an inviolability that 

 any other eitizcn docs not also possess. 



Social Rights. ["^"'^ 'j 



The public powers onght to be so 

 constituted, that, always active, always 

 suited to fulfil their destined purpose, 

 they can never depart from their proper 

 course, to the detriment of the social 

 interest. 



The laws ought to be clear, precise, 

 and uniform, to all the citizens. 



Law must be impartial, whether it 

 reward or punish, whether it protect or 

 destroy. 



Law is the free and solemn expression 

 of the general will ; it is the same to all, 

 whether it protect or whether it punish; 

 it can ordain only that which is just and 

 useful to society, and forbid only that 

 which is hurtful. 



The law is the general will, expressed 

 by the majority, either of the citizens or 

 of their representatives. 



That which is not forbidden by the 

 law, may not be prevented. 



Nobody can be constrained to do that 

 which the law does not ordain. 



The law should only decree punish- 

 ments strictly necessary, and propor- 

 tionate to the offence. 



The law should decree only such 

 punishments as are strictly and evidently 

 necessary : the punishment ought to be 

 proportionate to the offence, and useful 

 to society. 



The law has a right to forbid actions 

 evidently hurtful to society. 



The law should only ordain punish- 

 ment strictly and evidently necessary ; 

 and no man can be punished but by 

 virtue of a law established and promul- 

 gated previously to the offence, and 

 legally applied. 



To give a retroactive power to a law 

 is obviously unjust and criminal. 



The law has for its sole object the 

 interest of the community; it cannot 

 therefore grant a privilege to whomso- 

 ever it pleases: established privileges 

 ought to be abolished immediately, 

 whatever may have been their origin. 



No municipal, or other charge, can 

 be imposed upon a citizen without his 

 consent, or that of his representatives. 



In like manner, no man ought to pay 

 any national contribution but that which 

 has been freely voted by the represen- 

 tatives of the people. 



No contribution ought to be voted, 

 or tax imposed, except for the public 

 wants. 



The subsidies ought to be freely 

 consented to, and proportionately as- 

 sessed. 



Liberty consists in btting able to do 



all 



