Suppose Mr. X is a youth of old regime France, belonging to Third Estate. He is a landless labourer. Enumerate the reasons why he could have been dissatisfied with the 1791 Constitution. Also mention the probable club he may join?
Answers
The main features of the Constitution of 1791 are given below:
(i) France became a Constitutional monarchy. The powers of the king were reduced to a great extent.
(ii) These powers instead of being concentrated in the hands of one person, were now separated and assigned to different institutionsthe legislature, executive and judiciary. This made France a constitutional monarchy.
(iii) The Constitution of 1791 vested the power to make laws in the National Assembly, which was indirectly elected i.e. citizens voted for a group of electors, who in turn chose the Assembly.
(iv) Only men above 25 years of age who paid taxes equal to at least 3 days of a labourer's wage were given the right to vote. It means they were active citizens. The remaining men and all women were classed as passive citizens.
(v) To qualify as an elector and then as a member of the assembly a man had to belong to the highest bracket of tax payers.
(vi) The constitution began with a Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen. Rights such as the right to life, freedom of speech, freedom of opinion, equality before law could now be availed by each human being by birth.
Answer:
You will notice that many of the encyclopedic articles on this site are attributed in full or in part to the Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. The vast majority of articles attributed solely to the editors have been written, reviewed, or revised by external advisers and experts, and the lack of formal acknowledgment of their contributions was an editorial policy dating to the 1970s. In the absence of those authorities' names, Britannica's editors, who have played a key role in the development and maintenance of such articles, have been designated as the contributor. More recently, nearly all Britannica contributors have been credited by name—whether they are editors, experts, or other members of the Britannica community—and the "The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica" attribution has been used in encyclopedic articles that combine writing by named contributors and later substantive revisions by Britannica's editorial staff.