denied or abridged by the United States, or by any state, on at of sex.

-tion 2. The Congress shall have power to enforce this article propriate legislation.

1 Proposed, June 4, 1919; declared in force, August 26, 1920.

16. DECREE ABOLISHING THE FEUI

THE National Assembly, at its fam August 4-5, 1789, passed a large numb pressing the special privileges of classes, under the Old Régime. Within the foll measures were brought together into a received the signature of Louis XVI. more than register accomplished facts. fallen, in consequence of the revolutionary out France; it was now legally abolished of the nation.

DECREE ABOLISHING THE FEUDAL

I. The National Assembly hereby comple system. It decrees that, in the case of right and censuel,2 all those originating in real or sonal servitude, as well as the rights and d shall be abolished without indemnification. clared redeemable, the terms and mode of by the National Assembly. Those of the s extinguished by this decree shall continue t demnification shall take place.

II. The exclusive right to maintain pigeo is abolished. The pigeons shall be confined by the community. During such periods the as game, and every one shall have the right own land.

III. The exclusive right to hunt and t warrens is likewise abolished, and every lan right to kill or to have destroyed on his own observing, however, such police regulations with a view to the safety of the public.

1 Translations and Reprints, vol. i, No. 2 A reference to the perpetual due know

of the king.

The president of the Assembly shall be commissioned the king the recall of those sent to the galleys or exiled, violation of the hunting regulations, as well as for the those at present imprisoned for offenses of this kind and th of such cases as now are pending.

IV. All manorial courts are hereby suppressed withou fication. But the magistrates of these courts shall contin form their functions until such time as the National Asse provide for the establishment of a new judicial system.

V. Tithes of every description, as well as the dues v been substituted for them, under whatever denominatio known or collected (even when compounded for), po secular or regular congregations, by holders of benefices of corporations, including the Order of Malta and other re military orders, as well as those devoted to the main churches, those impropriated to lay persons and those subs the portion congrue,1 are abolished, on condition, how some other method be devised to provide for the expense worship, the support of the officiating clergy, for the as the poor, for repairs and rebuilding of churches and parso for the maintenance of all institutions, seminaries, schools, asylums, and organizations to which the present funds a Until such provision shall take place and the former poss enter upon the enjoyment of an income on the new s National Assembly decrees that the said tithes shall con collected according to law and in the customary manner.

Other tithes, of whatever nature they may be, shall able in such manner as the Assembly shall determine. regulations shall be issued, the National Assembly d these, too, shall continue to be collected.

VI. All perpetual ground rents, payable either in m kind, of whatever nature they may be, whatever their to whomsoever thay may be due, as to members of co holders of the domain or of appanages, or to the Order

1 This refers to the minimum remuneration fixed for the pri

discontinued so soon as provision shall be made minimum salary of the parish priests and the payn A regulation shall be drawn up to determine the s in the towns.

IX. Pecuniary privileges, personal or real, i taxes are abolished forever. Taxes shall be coll citizens, and from all property, in the same mann form. Plans shall be considered by which the t proportionally by all, even for the last six mon

year.

X. Inasmuch as a national constitution and of more advantage to the provinces than the pri of these enjoy, and inasmuch as the surrender of essential to the intimate union of all parts of the that all the peculiar privileges, pecuniary or othe inces, principalities, districts, cantons, cities, a once for all abolished and are absorbed into the Frenchmen.

XI. All citizens, without distinction of birth, office or dignity, whether ecclesiastical, civil, o profession shall imply any derogation.

XII. Hereafter no remittances shall be made any other purpose to the court of Rome, the vi gnon, or to the nunciature at Lucerne. The cle shall apply to their bishops in regard to the fillin dispensations, the which shall be granted gratis reservations, expectancies, and papal months, a France enjoying the same freedom.

1 The champart was the lord's right to a certain portion subject to the cens.

several pensions from benefices, or a pension and a benefice revenue which he already enjoys from such sources exceeds the sum of three thousand livres.

J. The National Assembly shall consider, in conjunction he king, the report which is to be submitted to it relating to ns, favors, and salaries, with a view to suppressing all such not deserved and reducing those which shall prove excessive, e amount shall be fixed which the king may in the future dis

for this purpose.

I. The National Assembly decrees that a medal shall be in memory of the recent grave and important deliberations e welfare of France, and that a Te Deum shall be chanted in de in all the parishes and the churches of France. VII. The National Assembly solemnly proclaims the king, XVI, the Restorer of French Liberty.

VIII. The National Assembly shall present itself in a body the king, in order to submit to him the decrees which have een passed, to tender to him the tokens of its most respectful ade, and to pray him to permit the Te Deum to be chanted in apel and to be present himself at this service.

X. The National Assembly shall consider, immediately after nstitution, the drawing up of the laws necessary for the dement of the principles which it has laid down in the present

The latter shall be transmitted without delay by the depu▪ all the provinces, togther, with the decree of the tenth of onth, in order that it may be printed, published, announced parish pulpits, and posted up wherever it shall be deemed

ary.

1 Rights of bishops to the income of benefices during vacancies. 2 Rights of the convent to the clothes of its deceased members.