Sovereignty Trespassed Quote by Hilaire Belloc
““To this declaration they added a definite act of sovereignty which trespassed upon and contradicted the legal authority of the Crown. True, the motion was only moved and passed “provisionally,” but the words used were final, for in this motion the self-styled “National Assembly” declared that “provisionally” taxes and dues might be raised upon the old authority but that only until the National Assembly should disperse; “after which day"—and here we reach the sacramental formula, as it were, of the crisis—"the National Assembly wills and decrees that all taxes and dues of whatever nature which have not been specifically formally and freely granted by the said Assembly shall cease in every province of the kingdom no matter how such that province may be administered.””
About This Quote
Source Speech: Parliamentary debate on taxation, 1910, United Kingdom
The passage argues that a provisional declaration by a self‑styled National Assembly attempted to override the Crown’s legal authority over taxes, asserting that any taxes not explicitly granted by the Assembly should cease everywhere.
In simple terms: A provisional assembly tried to overrule the Crown’s tax power, declaring ungranted taxes invalid.
Key Takeaway
Question the legitimacy of provisional authority over established law.
Themes
authority
law
politics
taxation
sovereignty
Mood
critical
analytical
Type
historical
political
legal
When to use this quote
- parliamentary debates
- legal challenges
- tax reform
- governmental transitions
Key Concepts
constitutional theory
legitimacy
political power
Questions to Reflect On
- What safeguards prevent provisional bodies from undermining established authority?
- How does legitimacy affect the acceptance of new tax policies?
A Different Perspective
Such declarations can be contested as overreach and may lack enforceability.
![“For no one, in our long decline,So dusty, spiteful and divided,Had quite such pleasant friends as mine,Or loved them half as much as I did. [stanza 3]The library was most inviting:The books upon the crowded shelvesWere mainly of our private writing:We kept a school and taught ourselves. [stanza…” quote by Hilaire Belloc](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/913/hilaire-belloc-2294_book_for-no-one-in-our-long-decline-so-dusty_140002.jpg)
