Pol. Ju>it. P.ook VIII, ehap. vi

3. Thoughls occasioned by the perasal of Dr. Parr's SpUal Sermon, preached at Clirist Churcli, april lô, 1800 ; being a reply to the attacks of Dr. Pan-, Mr. ^laïkintosh, the author of an essay on population, and others, by William Godwin, London, 1801. — Avec ce petit ouvrage, on peut tenir coinine dclinitiveinent close la pulémique mémorable ijue les événements de France soulevèrent en Angleterre, et qui dél)uta par les Beflectioiis de Burke, ou même, si l'on veut, par le discours de Pi'iee on the love of our country.

LE DliOlT A I, A.S.SISTANC i;. — Wli.l.IAM G0D^VI^

1. Eden lui-même explique comme suit (livre II, cliap. i) que l'État soit intéressé à raecomplissemenl de la fonctitm d'assistance publique : " That, in rcscuing the Infant Poor from l)eggary and want, (lie sources of useful po|>ulation ai'e augmcnled ; tiiat, in a niady care ami cure of the Siek Poor I by liic restoratinn dI' whose bealth, in(hislry recovers lier best meansj, the productive capital of the nation is increased; and that a bare subsistance for the Af/ed Poor, is no more than tiie fair right of tliose who hâve spent their best days, and cxhausted their strength, in the service of the Public «. — Sur la loi des pauvres comme consacrant le droit à la subsistance et le droit au travail, v. même ouvrage, vol. I, pji. 'iG7 si](|, — C'est à un point de vue un peu dilférent (|uc se plaçait le

(Pp. 10-2-106) NOTES. 323

Or. Woodward, évêque de Cloyne, dans son « Address to the Public, on tlic Inexpediency of a regular Plan for tlie Maintenance and Guvei-nmcnt of tlie Poor in Ireland », lorsqu'il voyait dans l'assistance publi(]ue un moyen pour faire du contrat originel une réalité, et non plus une fiction. « However llattering to the love of liberty the idea of an original compact niay be, and liowever useful to ascertain the riglits and duties of niagistrate and subject, yet, in reality, every man is adopled, by compulsion, into the Society of whicli iiis parents were citizens, entitled only to lliat portion nf tlie i)ublic weallli Aviiich accrues to hini by iniieritance, and precluded from ail right of occupancy over any other; tliat, consequenlly, if liis parents were so poor as to transmit no patrimony to iiim, he is born tiie inhabitant of a land, every spot of which is appropriated to some other person ... How can they (the Richi justify their exclusive property in tiie rommon héritage of niankind, unless they consent, in return, to provide for the subsistence of the Poor, who were excluded from those coinmon rights by the laws of the Rich, to whicii tiiey were never parties? » (Cité par Eden, State oj tlie Poor, vol. I, pp. '»13-441).

"1. Arthur Young, The question of Searcity plainiy stated, and Remédies considered (publiée en 1800i. — Allusion au « cow System » ap. Th. Paine, Agrarian Justice, etc.: With this aid theycould buy a cow and implements to cultivate a few acres of land; and, instead of becoming hurdens upon suiicty, which is always the case, where children are produced l'aster Ihcii they can be fed, would be put in the way of becoming iiscful and prolitable citizens.

;{. liighls of Man, Part II, chap. v. Ways and Means of improving the condition of Eur(i|)e, etc.

4. Agrarian Justice, opposed to Agrarian Luw and to Agrarian Monopolij ; being a plan for meliorating the condition of man, by crealing in every nation a national fund, to pay lo every person, when arrived at the âge of twenty one years, the sum of fiftecn pounds sterling, to enablc liim, or lier, to begin in the world ; and also ten pounds sterling per atinuin dui'ing life to every person non living, of liie âge of liftj' years, and tu ail others wlien they shall arrive at Ihat âge, to enable tiiem to ]iv(,' in ohl âge willimil wrelchedness, and go decenlly ont of the world,

5. I\>I.Ju»t. Itook Vlil, of Prii()iity. Beaucoup plus développé dans la seconde édition que dans la première, où le chapitre II fait défaut et le cliapitrel"' se présente sous une forme abrégée. L' droit de propriété avait été fondé directement sur la considération île l'ulilité sociale, avant Godwin, r)arPriestley, An Essay,etc. sec. II. Polilical Liberty (édit, 1771, pp. /lO-'j'i): Tlie sum of what hath been advanced upon tliis head, is a niaxim, than wiiich iiotliing is more true, tiiat everg gorerinnent, in ils original prin- '•iples, and antécédent to its présent fornt, is an equal republic; and, consequenlly, that every inan, when lie coiiies to be sensible of iiis

NOTES

(Pp. 107-113)

natiual riglits, and lo feel liis own impûrtance, will considcr liimself as fully equal to any other person whatever. The considération of riches and power, iiOAvevor acquircd, musl he cntirely set aside, when we come to tiiese fîrst principlfs. Tlie very idea of property, or right of any kind, is founded upon a regard to the gênerai good of the socicty, under wiiose protection it is enjoyed; and nothing is properly aman's own, but -\vhat gênerai rules, wiiich iiavc for tlieirobject the good of tiie Avhole, give lo liini. To ^Yilomsoever the society delegates its power, it -is delegated to tliem for tlie more easy management of public affairs, and in order to make the more effectuai provision for thehappiness of the whole. Whoever enjoys property or riches in the state, enjuys them for tlie good of the State, aswellas for himself; andwhenever those powers, riches or rights of any kind, are abused, to the injury of the whole, that awful and ultimate trilmnal, in wliich every citizen liath an equal voice, may demand tlie résignation of them ; and in circumstances, wliereregular commissions from lliis abused pulilic cannot be had, every man wh(j ha> power, and Avlio is actuated witli the sentiments of tlie public, may assume a public cliaracter, and lu-avely redress public wrongs. — Sauf la théorie des a règles générales » et la théorie du « droit de résistance .», c'est la doctrine de Godwin. La théorie de Godwin sur ce pointa été excellemment analysée par Anton Menger, Das Redit auf den vollen Arheitserlraij p. 141 sqq.