The legal system also was reformed in 1790 and was influenced greatly by the principles of the Enlightenment ‘philosophes’. The law was to be fairer, accountable and open to all where in each canton there was to be a ‘justice of the peace’- dealing with cases previously handled by seigniorial courts. There was to be a single legal system and new courts were introduced, run by elected and experienced magistrates and judges. Furthermore, cases had to be brought to court within 24 hours and ‘Courts of Appeal’ were introduced. More humane sentences or punishments were to be had too. Instead of the medieval, barbaric practices such as torture, hanging and branding, a new and efficient method of execution was brought in: the guillotine. These reforms to the legal system were a remarkable step forward from the old, infamous French legal system of cruelty, inefficiency and corruption.
Another reform programme was economic. One reform was the ‘Le Chapelier law’, named after the deputy who proposed it, which forbade trade unions and employers’ organisations. Therefore collective bargaining, picketing and strikes were declared illegal. In contrast, reforms such free trade were introduced. This meant trade could happen without the imposition of taxes and duties on the goods- the main good being grain. Also, guilds and internal tariffs were abolished, so a national market was created for the first time. This was further aided by the creation of a single system of weights and measures- the decimal system- which applied to the whole of France.
A programme of reforms related to the economy dealt with taxation and finance. Indirect taxes- the ‘gabelle‘, ‘octrois‘, ‘traites‘- and the state monopoly on growing, distributing and selling tobacco were abolished, as were the old direct taxes- such as the ‘taille’ and ‘vingtiémes‘- and tax farming. The new financial system, which came into effect in January 1791, established three new direct taxes. The ‘contribution fonciére’ - a land tax from which there were no exemptions or special privileges was the first. The second was the ‘contribution mobilére’- a tax on movable goods such as grain, payable by active citizens and the ‘patente’ which was a tax on commerical profits. These reforms were in line with the principle of equality as citizens would pay in accordance to their ability to do so.
One of the more defining reform programmes of the National Assembly was the Church. The financial crisis had led to the sale of Church lands and helped forge a link between the class of land proprietors and the revolution. The bourgeoisie had therefore invested in the revolution by purchasing church lands. Once more, in line with the belief in liberty, equality and popular sovereignty, a wide range of reforms were desired so the Church had the same status, but less power. Pluralism, tithes and ‘annates’ had been abolished which meant the end of Church privileges, as well as protestants being allowed to receive equal civil rights and toleration. The ‘Civil Constitution of the Clergy’ brought the Church and local administration together. Each of the 83 ‘départements’ would have a bishop and the Clergy were to be elected in future. Also, the Pope would no longer have any say in accepting or rejecting bishops. The ‘Oath of Loyalty’ in 1790 decreed that the clergy must take an oath to the Constitution, which split the Clergy. There were now effectively two Catholic Churches in France; those who had accepted the oath and those who had rejected it. This had effectively destroyed the revolutionary consensus that had existed since 1789.
Perhaps the most significant reform was the 1791 Constitution. This had been one of the main aims of the Constituent Assembly as they wanted to replace an absolute monarchy with a constitutional one. Though many details had been previously worked out, such as the ‘suspensive veto’ of the King, there were still some parts that were not agreed on until September 1791. Under the terms of the constitution, the King had the right to appoint his ministers and military commanders and was given a suspensive veto (this was limited from not being applied to financial or constitutional matters however). In addition, he was dependent on the Assembly for his foreign policy- as he needed consent before he could declare war. Finally, he agreed that his office was subordinate to the Assembly, as it passed laws that the King had to obey. The reforms had redefined the position of the King and the Assembly.
From 1789 to 1791, the Constituent Assembly worked hard in an attempt to replace the governmental and administrative structure of the ancien régime. After two years of some success, a new system had been created and the Assembly disbanded to allow elections to take place. The reforms promoted bourgeois interests, from the way the bourgeoisie came to dominate local administration to their new found status as a result of the abolition of noble titles. However, the reforms had still not done enough for the rest of the still deprived Third Estate. Also, the reforms had undermined the Roman Catholic Church- something which the Clergy did not like as many lost out. In the end, the Assembly had restored a little of the French population’s faith in the government but it had a lasting impact in splitting France. In hindsight, it is easy to say that had the Assembly handled things better, major hostilities yet to come could have been prevented. Although, at the time the French citizens were still fed up and not feeling anymore satisfied with their country or the monarchy- regardless of what measures the Assembly took. It was a sign that the mutual feeling of discontent would end the Monarchy in the troubled and bloody years to succeed the reforms. What must not be forgotten though is, even two hundred years after the French Revolution, the reforms of the National Constituent Assembly laid lasting and fundamental foundations to how France is run today.