Full Idea
Since property is an inviolable and sacred right, no man may be deprived of it except when public necessity, lawfully constituted, evidently requires it; and on condition that a just indemnity be paid in advance.
Gist of Idea
Property is a sacred right, breached only when essential, and with fair compensation
Source
Mirabeau and committee (Declaration of the Rights of Man [1789], 17)
Book Reference
'Les Philosophes', ed/tr. Torrey,Norman L. [Perigee 1980], p.287
A Reaction
This covers compulsory purchase orders. Is the ownership of slaves inviolable? Will aristocrats be compensated for the confiscation of their vast estates?