CHAPTER IV. THE LABOURS OF THE CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY 71-97 Inclination of the Assembly to follow out its theories blindly without regard to consequences.--Hopes of a strong Government frustrated by the decree of the 7th November.--Results of that decree.--Jealousy of the Executive.--New system of local government.--Its defects.--Power concentrated in the new municipalities.--Burdensome nature of the duties imposed on active citizens.--The two decrees imposing qualifications for the franchise and for office.--Judicial reforms.--Military and naval changes.--The Assembly's determination to make everything elective.--Church policy.--Confiscation of Church property.--Civil Constitution of the Clergy.--Criticism of it.--Consequences of the schism in the Church.--Financial policy of the Assembly.--Necker's measures.--Increasing embarrassments of the State.--Origin of the Assignats.--Their subsequent history and depreciation.--Inadequate attempts made by the Assembly to balance its income and expenditure.--Its cowardly finance.--Criticism of its action. CHAPTER V. PARTIES AND POLITICIANS UNDER THE CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY 98-128 No real party-government in the Assembly.--Gradual formation of parties.--The Conservative Right and its various groups.--Maury and Cazalés.--Mounier, Malouet and their friends.--The party of Reform.--Bailly, Sieyès, Talleyrand, Lafayette, Mirabeau, and others.--Duport, Barnave and Lameth.--Robespierre and the extreme Left.--Predominance of the democratic party outside the Assembly.--The Cordeliers, the Jacobins and other clubs.--The birth of modern journalism.--Prominent journalists and newspapers.--Mirabeau and Barère.--Brissot, Loustallot and Camille Desmoulins.--Marat and the _Ami du Peuple_.--Royalist journals.--Mallet du Pan and the _Mercure_.--Important politicians of this period.--Philippe of Orleans.--Necker.--The Comte de Provence.--Lafayette.--Mirabeau.--Mirabeau's exceptional insight and ability.--His aims and attitude from the first.--His desire to establish a strong, popular Government.--His vain attempts to win Lafayette.--His ascendency in the Assembly.--His notes for the Court and plans for reconciling the Crown with the Revolution.--Summary of his character. CHAPTER VI. THE RISE OF THE JACOBIN PARTY 129-154