Stanisław Małachowski, of the Nałęcz coat-of-arms (1736–1809) was a member of the
PolishPoland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe . Poland is bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
governmentA government is the body within a community, political entity or organization which has the authority to make and enforce rules, laws and regulations.....
's
Permanent CouncilThe Permanent Council was the highest administrative authority in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth between 1775 and 1789 and the first modern government in Europe...
(Rada Nieustająca) (1776–1780), Marshal of the Crown Courts of Justice from 1774, Crown Grand Referendary (Referendarz Wielki Koronny) (1780–1792) and
MarshalMarshal is a word used in several official titles of various branches of society. The word derives from Old High German marah "horse" and schalh "servant", and originally meant "stable keeper"...
of the Four-Year Sejm (1788–1792). He also served as
StarostaStarost is a title for an official or unofficial position of leadership that has been used in various contexts through most of Slavic history. It can be translated as "elder"...
(prefect) of Ziemia sądecka. In 1782 he was awarded, by King Stanisław August, the
Order of the White EagleThe Order of the White Eagle is Poland's highest decoration awarded to both civilians and the military for their merits. It was officially instituted on November 1, 1705 by Augustus II the Strong and bestowed on eight of his supporters, four Polish magnates, three Russian field marshals, amongs...
.
Małachowski began his political career already in his early twenties, as a
deputyChamber of deputies is the name given to a legislative body such as the lower house of a bicameral legislature, or can refer to a unicameral legislature....
, in 1758, and showed himself to be of unimpeachable integrity, a rare attribute.
Stanisław Małachowski, of the Nałęcz coat-of-arms (1736–1809) was a member of the
PolishPoland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe . Poland is bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
governmentA government is the body within a community, political entity or organization which has the authority to make and enforce rules, laws and regulations.....
's
Permanent CouncilThe Permanent Council was the highest administrative authority in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth between 1775 and 1789 and the first modern government in Europe...
(Rada Nieustająca) (1776–1780), Marshal of the Crown Courts of Justice from 1774, Crown Grand Referendary (Referendarz Wielki Koronny) (1780–1792) and
MarshalMarshal is a word used in several official titles of various branches of society. The word derives from Old High German marah "horse" and schalh "servant", and originally meant "stable keeper"...
of the Four-Year Sejm (1788–1792). He also served as
StarostaStarost is a title for an official or unofficial position of leadership that has been used in various contexts through most of Slavic history. It can be translated as "elder"...
(prefect) of Ziemia sądecka. In 1782 he was awarded, by King Stanisław August, the
Order of the White EagleThe Order of the White Eagle is Poland's highest decoration awarded to both civilians and the military for their merits. It was officially instituted on November 1, 1705 by Augustus II the Strong and bestowed on eight of his supporters, four Polish magnates, three Russian field marshals, amongs...
.
Małachowski began his political career already in his early twenties, as a
deputyChamber of deputies is the name given to a legislative body such as the lower house of a bicameral legislature, or can refer to a unicameral legislature....
, in 1758, and showed himself to be of unimpeachable integrity, a rare attribute. Elected Marshal of the
SejmThe Sejm is the lower house of the Polish parliament. Each member of Sejm is called Poseł.Before the 20th century, the term "Sejm" referred to the entire three-chamber Polish parliament, comprising the lower house , the upper house and the King. It was commonly termed a three-estate parliament...
of the
Polish-Lithuanian CommonwealthThe Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth was formed by the union of the Kingdom of Poland and Grand Duchy of Lithuania in 1569. The new Commonwealth was one of the largest and most populous countries of 16th and 17th-century Europe....
in 1788, he worked closely with other leaders of the
Patriotic PartyPatriotic Party was a Polish political movement during the Four-Year Sejm of 1788-1792 that sought reforms aimed at bolstering Poland's independence from Russia. The Patriotic Party worked to abolish the magnate- and Russian-dominated Permanent Council and enlarge the Polish Army...
, including Ignacy Potocki and Hugo Kołłątaj, the latter of whom addressed him in
Several Anonymous Letters to S.M. (1788). Małachowski supported the aspirations of townspeople for broader political rights, in 1791 ostentatiously accepting citizenship in the
Old Town of WarsawWarsaw's Old Town is the oldest historic district of the city. It is bounded by Wybrzeże Gdańskie, along the bank of the Vistula, and by Grodzka, Mostowa and Podwale Streets. It is one of Warsaw's most prominent tourist attractions....
. He co-authored the May Constitution of Poland adopted May 3, 1791.
Małachowski condemned the
Targowica ConfederationThe Targowica Confederation was a confederation established by Polish and Lithuanian magnates on 27 April 1792, in Saint Petersburg, with the backing of the Russian Empress Catherine II. The confederation opposed the Polish Constitution of May 3, 1791, which had been adopted by the Great Sejm,...
that had been formed to overthrow the new Constitution. When Confederation forces marched in, he left Poland, returning for good only in 1796. He spent the next years on family estates. In 1807 he became
presidentPresident is a title held by many leaders of organizations, companies, trade unions, universities, and countries. Etymologically, a "president" is one who presides, who sits in leadership...
(prezes) of the Governing Commission (Komisja Rządząca), and from October 5—of the
Council of MinistersCouncil of Ministers can refer to any cabinet of ministers in a government. In some countries and organizations there are official councils of ministers; they include:* Council of Ministers of Afghanistan* Council of Ministers of Albania...
(Rada Ministrów), of the
Duchy of WarsawThe Duchy of Warsaw was a Polish state established by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1807 from the Polish lands ceded by the Kingdom of Prussia under the terms of the Treaties of Tilsit. The duchy was held in personal union by one of Napoleon's allies, King Frederick Augustus I of Saxony...
(Księstwo Warszawskie), and subsequently—of its
SenateA senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a legislature or parliament. There have been many such bodies in history, since senate means the assembly of the eldest and wiser members of the society and ruling class...
(Senat).
Małachowski partially emancipated his
peasantA peasant is an agricultural worker who subsists by working a small plot of ground. The word is derived from 15th century French païsant meaning one from the pays, or countryside, ultimately from the Latin pagus, or outlying administrative district A peasant is an agricultural worker who subsists...
s and assured funding for their medical care.