ASSEMBLEE NATIONALE CONSTITUANTE (1789-1791). Extrait des procès-verbaux de l'Assemblée Nationale, des 9, 11, 12, 14, 17, 21, 24, 27, 30 Septembre et 1 Octobre 1789: Articles de Constitution.

With woodcut floral head-piece. 6 (1) pp. 8vo (c. 215 x 140 mm). Loose as issued. N. pl., n. d. (Versailles), Baudouin, 1789. FIRST EDITION of the earliest French Constitution. This document, being the first French constitution, is of major historic significance. It reflects the epochal changes from pre-revolutionary absolute power to new social and political structures with vested individual rights for every citizen. In one week of debate, mainly held by Mirabeau and Sieyès, the deputees succeeded in formulating general articles valid for all social ranks: Liberty as a birthright, equality before the law, the right to own property, to be considered innocent until proven guilty, free expression of opinion and faith, the right to education, etc. The constitution followed the lines preferred among reformists at that time: the creation of a French constitutional monarchy. The main controversy was the level of power to be granted to the king of France in such a system. Gilbert du Montier proposed a combination of the American and British systems, introducing a bicameral parliament, with the king having the suspensive veto power in the legislature, modeled to the authority then recently vested in the President of the United States. This proposal however failed. After very long negotiations, the constitution was reluctantly accepted by King Louis XVI in September 1791. Unicameralism was adopted as per the proposal of Emmanuel Joseph Sieyès, in order to disable the possibilites of the nobility's overpowering in the assembly. - Cf. Martin/Walter, Catalogue de l'histoire de la Révolution Française IV,2: 1572; cf. En français dans le texte, no. 187. HISTORY (KULTURGESCHICHTE) ; GESCHICHTE, KULTURGESCHICHTE ; FRANCE ;