de Vattel: Of Public, Common, and Private Property

LONANG Library

• Historic Reference

• Organic Documents

LONANG Commentaries

• Legal Foundations

• Constitutional Law

• LONANG Curriculum

Tribunal of Justice

LONANG Institute

• Search Our Site

• About Us

• Contact Us

• Home

*New!*
Reassert the Rule of Law
Reform Civil Government
Reclaim The Church

* NOW - Buy this resource online! Click here * Of Public, Common, and Private Property§ 234. What the Romans called res communes.§ 235. Aggregate wealth of a nation, and its divisions.§ 236. Two ways of acquiring public property.§ 237. The revenues of the public property are naturally at the sovereign's disposal.§ 238. The nation may grant him the use and property of its common possessions.§ 239. Or allow him the domain, and reserve to itself the use of them. § 240. Taxes.§ 241. The nation may reserve to itself the right of imposing them. § 242. Of the sovereign who has this power.§ 243. Duties of the prince with respect to taxes.§ 244. Eminent domain annexed to the sovereignty.§ 245. Dominion over public property.§ 246. The superior may make laws with respect to the use of things possessed in common.§ 247. Alienation of the property of a corporation.§ 248. Use of common property.§ 249. How each member is to enjoy it.§ 250. Right of anticipation in the use of it.§ 251. The same right§ 252. Preservation and repairs of common possessions.§ 253. Duty and right of the sovereign in this respect.§ 254. Private property.§ 255. The sovereign may subject it to regulations of police.§ 256. Inheritances.
1. Too great attention cannot be used in watching the imposition of taxes, which, once introduced, not only continue, but are so easily multiplied. — Alphonso VIII. king of Castile, besieging a city belonging to the Moors (Concham urbem in Celtiberis), and being in want of money, applied to the states of his kingdom for permission to impose, on every free inhabitant, a capitation tax of five golden maravedis. But Peter, Count de Lara, vigorously opposed the measure, "contractaque nobilium manu, ex conventu discedit, armis tueri paratus partam armis et virtute a majoribus immunitatem, neque passururn affirmans nobilitatis opprimendæ atque novis vectigalibus vexandæ ab eo aditu initium fieri; Mauros opprimere non esse tanti, ut graviori servitute rempublicam implicari sinant. Rex, periculo peromotus, ab ea cogitatione desistit. Petrum nobiles, consilio communicato, quotannis convivio excipere decreverunt, ipsum et posteros, — navatæ operæ mercedem, rei gestæ bonæ posteritati monumentum, documentumque ne quavis occasione jus libertatis imminui patiantur." MARIANA.