eg EMPLOYMENT OF THE PLEBISCITE [356 



Votre Majeste, les fidcles sujets, les maire [sic!] et oflficiers 

 municipaux de la ville d'Avignon, Richard, maire, Coulet, 

 officier municipal, L. Sauvan, I'ahie, officicr municipal, Miel, 

 officier municipal, J. Gerard, officicr municipal, Namug, 

 notable commissaire, Descatte, notable commissaire. Avig- 

 non, 16 mai 1791."" 



The discussion was reopened the following day. The 

 attempt to reverse the negative decision failed, but a reso- 

 lution was passed to send a commission of three mediators 

 to use all possible means to prevent the forces fighting in 

 the Comtat de Venaissin to enter French territory ; to 

 recall all French soldiers from the forces of both parties 

 to the civil war ; to punish recruiting in France for either 

 party ; to settle the dispute between Avignon and the Com- 

 tadin and to induce them to " cease all hostilities as a neces- 

 sary provisory to any ulterior step in relation to the rights 

 of France over those lands. "^^ 



Finally, on September 14, 1791, the Assembly passed a 

 favorable vote on the question of annexation in the form 

 of the following decree : 



The National Assembly having heard the report of its diplomatic 

 commission and the report of the Commission from Avignon. . . . 



Gjnsidering that the majority of the communes and citizens have 

 expressed freely and solemnly their wish [t^o^m] for union of Avig- 

 non and of the Comtat of Venaissin with the French Empire: 



Considering that, by its decree of May 25 last, the rights of France 

 to Avignon and the Comtat Venaissin have been formally reserved : 



The National Assembly declares that in virtue of the rights of 

 France to the united states of Avignon and the Comtat of Venaissin 

 and that in conformity with the freely and solemnly expressed wish 

 of the majority of the communes and citizens of these two countries 

 to be incorporated with France, the said two united states of Avig- 

 non and the Comtat Venaissin are, from this moment, an integral 

 part of the French Empire. . . .^^ 



1® Arch, pari., ser. I, vol. xxvi, pp. 362-364. 



>^ Ibid., p. 461: "... d'envoyer dcs mediatcurs qui interposcnt 

 les bons offices de la France entre les Avignonais et les Comtadins 

 et fassent tous leurs efforts pour les amencr a la cessation de toute 

 hostilite, comme un provisoire necessaire avant de prendre aucun 

 parti ulterieur relativement aux droits de la France sur ccs pays." 



'" Ibid., vol. xxx, pp. 631-632. G. F. von Martens, Rccucil des 

 principaux traites d'alliance, de paix, de treve . . . Gottinguc, 179'- 

 1801, vol. vi, pp. 400-401. 



