Q. Consider the following statements with respect to the National Assembly:

1. It was created in the meeting of the Estate General by a unanimous voting.
2. It converted France into a constitutional monarchy.
3. It created a constitution which provided for universal adult male franchise.

Which of the above is / are correct?
Answer: Only 2
Notes: In the past, voting in the Estates General had been conducted according to the principle that each estate had one vote. Louis XVI was determined to continue the same practice. But members of the third estate demanded that voting now be conducted by the assembly as a whole, where each member would have one vote. When the king rejected this proposal, members of the third estate walked out of the assembly in protest. On 20 June, 1789, they assembled in the hall of an indoor tennis court in the grounds of Versailles. They declared themselves a National Assembly and swore not to disperse till they had drafted a constitution for France that would limit the powers of the monarch. So, statement 1 is incorrect. The National Assembly completed the draft of the constitution in 1791. Its main object was to limit the powers of the monarch. These powers instead of being concentrated in the hands of one person, were now separated and assigned to different institutions - the legislature, executive and judiciary. This made France a constitutional monarchy. So, statement 2 is correct. The Constitution of 1791 vested the power to make laws in the National Assembly, which was indirectly elected. That is, citizens voted for a group of electors, who in turn chose the Assembly. Not all citizens, however, had the right to vote. Only men above 25 years of age who paid taxes equal to at least 3 days of a laborer's wage were given the status of active citizens, that is, they were entitled to vote. The remaining men and all women were classed as passive citizens. So, statement 3 is incorrect.