XXKIV 



HISTORICAL CHRONICLE. 



400, in Voflizza 150, and in Pa- 

 traflb 50. 



M^arfarji; May 14. Yefter- 

 day a mott important revolu- 

 tion took place here. At three 

 o'clock in the morning, a nu- 

 merous affembly of patriots was 

 held in the royal prefencc ; and 

 at the opening ot thefeflions of 

 the Diet deftined to treat of 

 the affairs of finance, his Ma- 

 jeRy himfclf changed the bufi- 

 nefs of the day, by faying that 

 he had planned a conftitution, 

 and rrquefted the States to fign 

 it. The conftitution was then 

 read, and confifted of fome 

 ^ pages— The balis was, That the 

 Eleiftor of Saxony be declared 

 fucceflbr to the crown ; and in 

 cafe of his death without male 

 IfTue, that the Princefs his 

 daughter be declared Infanta 

 of Poland, and whom fhe fhall 

 marry (with confent of the re- 

 pubhc^to be King, and their 

 ilTue fucceflbrs to the crown— 

 the Qiieen to be regent till 

 the King is of age, which is to 

 be at 18 years. 



Next to rendering the Crown 

 of Poland hereditary in the fa- 

 mily of the Eleftor of Saxony, 

 the following are the principal 

 points of the Conftitution fettl- 

 ed by the Diet : 



I. The Catholick religion 

 fhall be the prevailing one in 

 the State, and the King fliall 

 make profeflion of it. All other 

 reliiiions will, however, be ad- 

 mitted, and a general toleration, 

 both civil and religious, ftiall 

 roiiftitiite part of the funda- 

 mental law of the Kingdom. 



a. The ancient privileges and 

 rights of the NobiHty are ap- 

 proved and confirmed. 



3. All the rights renewed and 

 guaranteed to the citizens dur- 

 ing the prefent Diet are alfo 

 confirmed and ratified. 



4. All foreigners who arrive 

 and fettle in Poland fhall enjoy 

 full and entire liberty. 



5. The peafants are taken 

 under the proteftion of the Law 

 and Government ; they are 

 freed from all arbitrary impofi- 

 tions, and (hall for the future 

 depend, in whatever concerns 

 their rights and labour, on the 

 contracts which they (haW 

 themfelves have entered into 

 with their Lords. All foreign 

 hufbandmen are at liberty to 

 enter Poland and quit it, if they 

 have difcharged all the obliga- 

 tions of the contract which they 

 ihall have entered into with the 

 owner ot the land. 



8. The King (liall exerclfe 

 the executive power with his 

 Council. This Council fhall 

 con lift of a primate and five 

 miniftcrs, who fliall each have 

 a department. None of the 

 King's refolutions can be put 

 into execution until they are 

 figned by the Miniflers, whofe 

 perfons and property ihall at 

 each Diet be anfwerablc for 

 the refolutions they fhall have 

 figned. Whenever two-thirds 

 of the Diet demand the change 

 of the Minifters, the King muft 

 acc:de thereto, and appoint 

 others in their places. 



9. The eledion of a King can 

 no longer fall on an individual. 

 They fliall ele<ft one family 

 when the Royal family is ex- 

 tin<5t. So that after the death 

 of his prefent Majefty, the 

 reigning Eledor of Saxony 

 fhall fucceed to the throne of 



