Books, Interest, and Fair Dealing
Livres, Intérêts et Bonne Foi
Liv, Enterè ak Bòn Fwa
Lesson Content
Books, Interest, and Fair Dealing
Loi de Commerce, Titre I, Chapitres II–IV — Articles 12–28
Commercial Books (Articles 12–21)
Chapter II imposed rigorous bookkeeping requirements on every merchant in the kingdom. Article 12 required every commerçant to maintain a daily journal recording all debts — active and passive — all commercial operations, and all transactions whatsoever, including household expenses.
Wholesale merchants were held to an even higher standard: they were required to keep books in double-entry format, because repeated and forced balances were considered absolutely necessary in large business operations. Retail merchants needed only a journal and a book of running accounts.
Article 13 mandated that all books be kept without blanks, gaps, or marginal transfers — a direct measure against fraud. Article 14 required all commercial books to be inspected, numbered, and initialed by the admiralty judge once per year. If they lacked this indispensable formality, they carried no weight in court.
Article 15 contained a striking sovereignty clause: all commercial books must be kept in the language of the kingdom, and all accounts recorded in gourdes and cens — the national currency. Article 16 extended this same obligation to foreign merchants, referencing Article 10 of the Civil Law's general principles. Foreigners must likewise keep their books in the kingdom's language.
This was not merely an administrative requirement. It was an assertion of linguistic and economic sovereignty. In a kingdom founded by people who had been enslaved — people whose languages had been suppressed — mandating that all commerce be conducted and recorded in the national language was an act of cultural self-determination.
Articles 17–19 established that only properly maintained books would be trusted in court, that courts could compel their production in cases of suspected fraud, and that merchants could be forced to present their books through a compulsoire (compulsory order). Article 20 gave merchants three months from the publication of the law to create new books meeting all prescribed formalities. Article 21 required retail merchants to use iron-tipped measuring sticks (aunes ferrées), standardized and calibrated, under penalty of prosecution.
Interest (Articles 22–26)
Chapter III regulated interest with characteristic directness. Article 22 flatly prohibited compounding interest with principal — no merchant, trader, or anyone else could capitalize interest. The interest rate was fixed at six percent per year for money advances and six percent for merchandise (Article 23). Interest on commercial debts ran only from the date of a court judgment, unless the parties had specific written agreements (Article 24). Compound interest was absolutely forbidden (Article 25).
Article 26 prohibited lending on pledges unless the loan was documented by a notarial act or private writing specifying the amount lent and the items pledged, as prescribed by Article 1410 of Title XXXI of the Civil Law.
Hoarding (Articles 27–28)
Chapter IV addressed accaparemens — hoarding. Article 27 prohibited all hoarding of essential goods: flour, biscuits, wine, vinegar, salted meats, codfish and other salted fish, rice, dried vegetables, salt, candles, and soap. Hoarders faced confiscation and criminal prosecution as monopolists if they purchased these goods before one full month had elapsed since the public opening of the sale.
Article 28 also prohibited hoarding based on advance knowledge of peace or war unknown in the area where the hoarding occurred — an early insider-trading provision applied to essential commodities.
Livres, Intérêts et Bonne Foi
Loi de Commerce, Titre I, Chapitres II–IV — Articles 12–28
Les livres de commerce (Articles 12–21)
Le Chapitre II imposait des exigences comptables rigoureuses à chaque marchand du royaume. L'article 12 exigeait de tout commerçant qu'il tienne un journal quotidien enregistrant toutes les dettes actives et passives, toutes les opérations de commerce et toutes les transactions, y compris les dépenses de sa maison. Le commerçant en gros était tenu à des écritures en partie double. Le marchand en détail n'avait besoin que d'un journal et d'un livre en comptes courants.
L'article 13 ordonnait que tous les livres soient tenus sans blancs, lacunes, ni transports en marge. L'article 14 exigeait que tous les livres de commerce soient visés, cotés et paraphés par le juge de l'amirauté, une fois par an. L'article 15 contenait une clause de souveraineté frappante : tous les livres devaient être tenus dans la langue du royaume, et par gourde et cens. L'article 16 étendait cette même obligation aux négociants étrangers.
Les articles 17–21 établissaient les règles de preuve judiciaire des livres, les pouvoirs de compulsion, le délai de trois mois pour la mise en conformité, et l'obligation d'utiliser des aunes ferrées et étalonnées.
Les intérêts (Articles 22–26)
L'article 22 interdisait de comprendre l'intérêt avec le capital. Le taux d'intérêt était fixé à six pour cent par an (Article 23). L'intérêt des intérêts était formellement interdit (Article 25). Le prêt sur gage était défendu sauf constat par acte notarié (Article 26).
Les accaparemens (Articles 27–28)
L'article 27 prohibait tout accaparement d'objets de première nécessité sous peine de confiscation et de poursuites extraordinaires. L'article 28 prohibait également l'accaparement fondé sur des nouvelles de paix ou de guerre inconnues dans le lieu de l'achat.
Liv, Enterè ak Bòn Fwa
Lwa Komès, Tit I, Chapit II–IV — Atik 12–28
Liv komès (Atik 12–21)
Chapit II te enpoze egzijans kontablite rigoure sou chak machan nan wayòm nan. Atik 12 te egzije chak komèsan kenbe yon jounal chak jou ki anrejistre tout dèt — aktif ak pasif — tout operasyon komès, ak tout tranzaksyon, tankou depans kay li. Komèsan an gwo te oblije kenbe liv an pati doub. Machan an detay te bezwen sèlman yon jounal ak yon liv kont kouran.
Atik 13 te mande tout liv kenbe san espas vid, lakin, oswa transfè nan maj. Atik 14 te egzije tout liv komès enspekte, nimewote, ak paraafe pa jij amiralte a, yon fwa pa ane. Atik 15 te gen yon kloz souvrènte frappan: tout liv te dwe kenbe nan lang wayòm nan, e pa goud ak santim. Atik 16 te etann menm obligasyon sa a bay negosyan etranje yo.
Atik 17–21 te etabli règ prèv jidisyè pou liv yo, pouvwa konpilsyon, delè twa mwa pou konformite, ak obligasyon pou itilize onn fere etalonen.
Enterè (Atik 22–26)
Atik 22 te entèdi konprann enterè ak kapital. To enterè a te fikse a sis pousan pa ane (Atik 23). Enterè sou enterè te fòmèlman entèdi (Atik 25). Prè sou gaj te defann sof si li dokimante pa yon ak notarye (Atik 26).
Akaparman (Atik 27–28)
Atik 27 te entèdi tout akaparman bagay premye nesesite anba pèn konfiskasyon ak pouswit ekstraòdinè. Atik 28 te entèdi tou akaparman ki baze sou nouvèl lagè oswa lapè ki pa konnen nan zòn kote acha a te fèt.