large/12344/historyoffrance_1807_librivox_64kb_mp3/historyoffrance_07_yonge_64kb_37
large/12344/historyoffrance_1807_librivox_64kb_mp3/historyoffrance_07_yonge_64kb
English
12344
4. The Republic.  The Constituent Assembly now dissolved itself, and a fresh Assembly, called the Legislative, took its place. For a time things went on more peacefully. FOUR THE REPUBLIC THE CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY NOW DISSOLVED ITSELF AND A FRESH ASSEMBLY CALLED THE LEGISLATIVE TOOK ITS PLACE FOR A TIME THINGS WENT ON MORE PEACEFULLY
that their office and commission was derived from the will of the people alone, and that they owed no obedience save to the State. The estates thus yielded up were supposed to be enough to supply all State expenses without taxes; but as they could not at once be turned into money, promissory notes, or assignats, were issued. But, as coin was scarce, these were not worth nearly their professed value, and the general distress was thus much increased. The other oath the great body of the clergy utterly refused, and they were therefore driven out of their benefices, and became objects of great suspicion to the democrats. All the old boundaries and other distinctions between the provinces were destroyed, and France was divided into departments, each of which was to elect deputies, in whose assembly all power was to be vested, except that the king retained a right of veto, _i.e._, of refusing his sanction to any measure. He swore on the 13th of August, 1791, to observe this new constitution. O SWEAR THAT THEIR OFFICE AND COMMISSION WAS DERIVED FROM THE WILL OF THE PEOPLE ALONE AND THAT THEY OWED NO OBEDIENCE SAVE TO THE STATE THE ESTATES THUS YIELDED UP WERE SUPPOSED TO BE ENOUGH TO SUPPLY ALL STATE EXPENSES WITHOUT TAXES BUT AS THEY COULD NOT AT ONCE BE TURNED INTO MONEY PROMISSORY NOTES OR ASIGNA WERE ISSUED BUT AS COIN WAS SCARCE THESE WERE NOT WORTH NEARLY THEIR PROFESSED VALUE AND THE GENERAL DISTRESS WAS THUS MUCH INCREASED THE OTHER OATH THE GREAT BODY OF THE CLERGY UTTERLY REFUSED AND THEY WERE THEREFORE DRIVEN OUT OF THEIR BENEFICES AND BECAME OBJECTS OF GREAT SUSPICION TO THE DEMOCRATS ALL THE OLD BOUNDARIES AND OTHER DISTINCTIONS BETWEEN THE PROVINCES WERE DESTROYED AND FRANCE WAS DIVIDED INTO DEPARTMENTS EACH OF WHICH WAS TO ELECT DEPUTIES IN WHOSE ASSEMBLY ALL POWER WAS TO BE VESTED EXCEPT THAT THE KING RETAINED A RIGHT OF VETO I E OF REFUSING HIS SANCTION TO ANY MEASURE HE SWORE ON THE THIRTEENTH OF AUGUST SEVENTEEN NINETY ONE TO OBSERVE THIS NEW CONSTITUTION
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