Right of the poor

The right of the poor or right of poor the was in France a tax taken on the receipts of the Spectacle S in favor of the Public assistance.

At the 17th century, it was usual, for the Comédie-Française and the Opéra, to give a regular alms to the profit of the poor. It seems that the right of the poor was instituted in France towards 1677, as royalty which the French Actors were to pay with the General hospital to occupy the Hôtel of Burgundy, after the brotherhood of Passion was expelled by it. It is an ordinance of the February 25th 1699 which gave a legal character to these gifts by establishing a tax of a sixth in addition of the receipts (thus supported by the spectator), with the profit of the General hospital. The tax was extended later to the theaters of fair.

To face the increase in poverty, an ordinance of February 8th 1716 increased the tax of a ninth in addition , with the profit of the Hôtel-Dieu, this time. The total tax thus represented approximately a quarter of the gross earnings. This is why, until the Revolution, it was known under the name of quarter of the poor .

The Revolution removed this tax, at least in theory, because the municipalities could always decide to perceive it in a form or another. The right of the poor was restored by a law as of the An V. It was decided that it would be perceived a ten-per-cent tax per franc in addition to the price of the places, for the whole of the theaters, Concert S, Bal S and horse-races, with the profit of the poor ones. This tax was to be provisional, but it was extended many times, until Napoleon made it final in 1809. For the establishments which were not classified among the theaters, like the Guinguette S, of the particular rules were established on a case-by-case basis.

The right of the poor caused immediate to make strongly increase the price of the places. Its importance often led the theaters to dispute the cogency of them, to even refuse to pay it in certain cases. Installations sometimes had to be found, either to undervalue it, or to replace it by a fixed royalty.

The income of the right of the poor was allotted differently to Paris and in province. In Paris, it directly was perceived and employed by the administration of the old people's homes. Thus, at the beginning of the 20th century, administration of the Public assistance - hospital of Paris always charged a right of one eleventh on the receipt of the unit of the theaters and concerts. In province, the right of the poor returned initially to the welfare offices (sometimes called “of charity”), which were distinct from the old people's homes. Starting from the Years 1860, it was divided between these welfare offices and the hospital.

The right of the poor was removed by the Régime of Vichy, in 1942, which in parallel created a Impôt on the spectacles, plays and entertainments with the direct profit of the common .

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