Journal de la société de 1789 - Nº III by François de Pange et al. is a political journal issue written in the late 18th century. It presents reformist essays and proceedings from a revolutionary-era learned society. The likely topic is the critique of vague treason laws, proposals for constitutional control of public finance, and reports on the Société de 1789’s activities, including a tribute to Benjamin Franklin.
The volume opens with an essay rejecting the elastic charge of “lèse-nation” (high treason), arguing that such labels fuel oppression by inflaming public prejudice and empowering partisan prosecutions; it opposes letting legislators act as accusers, cautions against a special high court, and urges precise laws judged by ordinary tribunals. A second essay, on constitutional finance, defines taxation as a citizen’s contribution for common needs, places assessment, form, and allocation of taxes under the legislature, and insists on separating spending from receipt of funds to keep the executive from manipulating the treasury; it criticizes the British system’s complexity and corruption, and proposes departmental collection, independent oversight, and simple, transparent mechanisms. The society’s records then set membership and correspondence rules, outline committee procedures, and present La Rochefoucauld’s eulogy of Franklin—tracing his rise from printer to scientist and statesman, his role in American independence, his advocacy of a single legislative chamber, his public service on returning home, and his character and writings—along with a decision to honor him with mourning and a bust, plus brief editorial notes and errata. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
