powered by the patriotic party, and the proposed alliance was
rejected. The confederative diet further decreed the increase of the
army, granted imposts on the property of the nobility and clergy, and
established a commission of war dependent on the diet only, in order
to check the influence of the permanent council of state, which their
spoliators had created, for the purpose of destroying the national
power. All these regulations were expressly sanctioned by Prussia, and
that power solemnly promised to respect and protect the independence
of Poland. Thus supported, the Polish diet demanded the removal of
the Russian troops from their territory; and Catherine, alarmed at the
terrible energy with which the demand was made, felt herself compelled
to recall her soldiers. The diet now commenced the work of remodelling
the constitution of Poland. The new constitution was finished in the
space of a year; and though it was opposed by some aristocrats it was
adopted by the majority, and solemnly sworn to and proclaimed. By this
constitution the Catholic religion was fixed as the dominant religion of
the kingdom, though liberty was granted to other confessions; the
Polish throne was declared hereditary; Frederic Augustus of Saxony was
appointed the successor of Stanislaus, the reigning king, with right of
succession for his descendants; the king, with his council of state, was
to exercise the executive power, and was to have some influence on the
legislative; the diet, which was composed of two chambers, one of the
deputies, and the other of the senators, was to assemble every two
years, and was to possess the right of making war or peace; independent
judges were to administer justice in the name of the king; the ministers
of the crown were to be responsible, and the person of the king
inviolable; the prerogatives of the nobility were to remain untouched;
the royal cities were to be endowed with the right of personal liberty
for their citizens; the citizens of these cities were to possess the
right of electing their magistrates, as well as the right of acquiring
titles of nobility, and the estates of nobles; at every diet a number of
citizens were to be elevated to the rank of nobles; the cities in which
were courts of appeal were to have the privilege of sending a deputy to
the diet; the peasantry were to be protected from an aggravation of
their hard lot by the laws; and personal liberty was to be possessed
by foreign settlers.