PREPARATIONS

Documents

Public documents

1, 1a
The appointment of people to prepare drafts for the form of government,
7^th November 1789, Warsaw
[7^th November 1789; 10^th November 1789 written into law]
AGAD, APP, 100, t. 1, s. 238-239

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2, 2a
The principles for improving the form of government, original parliamentary act,,
[21-23^rd December 1789; 24^th December written into law]
AGAD, APP, 100, t. 1, s. 323-325

The draft "Principles", prepared by the delegation for the form of government, contained an outline of the future political system of the Commonwealth of Poland. The main author of the project was the Marshal of the Lithuanian Court, Ignacy Potocki. The draft, discussed at the next three parliamentary sessions, was adopted in parts with numerous amendments agreed upon during parliamentary discussion.

3, 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d, 3e, 3f, 3g, 3h, 3i, 3j, 3k, 3l, 3m, 3n, 3o, 3p, 3r, 3s, 3t, 3u, 3w, 3y, 3z,
Draft of the form of government, print,
[2^nd August 1790] ASCzt, t. XVI, k. 381-393v, 395-407v, 435-489v, 492-539

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Secret documents

4, 4a, 4b, 4c
A memo, the signature of Ignacy Potocki,
[4^th December 1790]
AGAD, APP, 197, s. 515-518

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5, 5a, 5b, 5c, 5d,
Projet de Constitution 20 januar 1791,
20^th January 1791, Warsaw
AGAD, APP, 197, s. 596-598, 622-623

A fair copy of the draft constitution prepared by Stanisław August. The copy, written by Scipione Piattoli, containing 86 articles was sent to Ignacy Potocki to examine.

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6, 6a, 6b, 6c, 6d
Projet de Reforma de Constitucion, draft,
[January/February 1791]
AGAD, APP, 197, s. 625-627, 639, 640

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A new proposal for its wording ("Projet de Reforme de Constitution") emerged from the draft constitution, complementing and clarifying it in many places. It includes articles describing the basic rights of states: nobility, townspeople and peasants; it unambiguously defines the Roman Catholic denomination as the dominant religion. It discusses the sejmiks (regional parliaments) and the Sejm (parliament) and the executive branch, including the order of succession. Of particular interest is the clear break with the principle, in force for several hundred years, that the Polish throne must by occupied by men, because it was realized that the Saxon elector, the supposed heir to the throne, only had a daughter. It presents in detail the composition and powers of the future central government (“straży” (guard) - the text of the draft is entirely in French, but this term has been left untranslated in several places). It announces the development of a new code of civil and criminal law, which should be considered particularly important, and ends with a declaration abolishing all laws that have been in force so far which stand in conflict with the draft constitution.

7, 7b, 7c
Constitutional law. Reform of the constitution,
March 1791, Warsaw
AGAD, APP, 98, s. 672-697

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The Assurance

8, 8b, 8c, 8d
The Assurance – a declaration adopted at a meeting of deputies and senators on supporting the draft "Constitution Act”,
2^nd May 1791, Warsaw
AGAD APP, 100, t. 2, s. 1-4

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PREPARATIONS

On 7^th September 1789, on the 25^th anniversary of the election of King Stanisław August, the Sejm established a special delegation to prepare a draft of the future political system of the Polish Commonwealth. The Lithuanian Court Marshal, Ignacy Potocki, one of the main opposition leaders in the Sejm, led the delegation. In contrast to Stanisław August, who was a supporter of a strong monarchy, Ignacy Potocki held republican views. Therefore, his draft “Principles for improving the government” outlining a future political system for the Commonwealth, reflected his views. These “Principles”, passed by the Sejm in December 1789 and also drawn up mainly by Potocki, became the basis for the “Project for Government” which began to be discussed in the Sejm from August 1790.

The long discussions over each article of the project, which often resulted in decisions not to the author’s liking, as well as the growing popularity of Stanisław August, convinced Ignacy Potocki that he needed to cooperate with the monarch. On 4^th December 1790, at Potocki’s request, a meeting with the King took place. During the conversation it was agreed that, in order to finalise work on the future political system of the country quickly, the draft constitution act should be prepared by a narrow group of people and then presented, as a whole, to the Sejm for approval. Between January and April 1791, multiple versions of drafts were circulating between Stanisław August, Ignacy Potocki and the rest of the inner circle, with mutual corrections, supplements and improvements, as the view of the republicans battled with the views of the monarchists.

The “Constitution Act”, as an agreed, compromise draft of a constitution, was read publicly for the first time on 2^nd May 1791 in the Radziwiłł Palace (today the Presidential Palace on Krakowskie Przedmieście Street). Later on, in Stanisław Małachowski’s Marshal’s Palace (today the Academy of Fine Arts), they began to collect signatures to the “Assurance Act” a declaration by senators and deputies confirming that they would support the draft “Constitution Act” to be submitted for deliberation at the Sejm.

Draft of the form of government

AGAD, ASCzt, t. XVI

Draft of the form of government

AGAD, ASCzt, t. XVI

Draft of the form of government

AGAD, ASCzt, t. XVI