Meeting of the Estates-General, 1789. 19 
topic of discussion—that concerning the removal of the troops— 
it is said that two other deputies, Brostaret and Pison, proposed 
an address to the king to disclose to his majesty the true prin- 
a 
ciples of the national assembly.*° This address was intended, 
possibly, to supplement the motion of Mounier. By an exposi- 
tion of the fundamental ideas for which the body assumed to 
§ tand, and in accordance with which its action was regulated, 
the reasonableness of and necessity for the assembly’s demand 
_ for withdrawal of the troops would be shown. The king would 
_ learn that the assembly was not seeking to usurp his prerogatives; 
_ that it was opposing only encroachments on its legitimate rights; 
that he could yield to the assembly’s request without weakening 
his royal authority. 
But, despite the various proposals bearing on the question, 
3 Bchich were made, it seems that until half an hour after noon, 
at least, the assembly was still occupied with the matter of the 
. _ military investment of the hall. Nothing definite concerning 
_ Mounier’s motion or any other had been reached when the 
debate was suddenly arrested by a great disturbance in the 
vestibule outside the hall of the estates. Whatever of appre- 
4 g proposed, the will of the assembly would have been made known through an 
address carried by the delegation. Hence, Abbé Coster has given one par- 
ticular and Duquesnoy another. The Assemblée is concerned with an attack 
that would have been made. That may mean merely the sending of the 
deputation with an address, asking Barentin’s removal trom the ministry. 
Dr. Albert Scheibe in his Die franzéische Revolution (p. 171) quotes the 
following statement from the Archivo historico nacional, sent home by the 
_ Spanish minister to France: ‘“‘ En la Asamblea Nacional han denunciado al 
Guarda Sellos como opuesto 4 las mirasde ella y aun 4 la Reina por haber 
- contribuido 4 lo mismo.”’ June 24, 1789. : 
20 Point du jour, I, 45. 
«1 Duquesnoy, I, 126; “ Pendant qu’on s’occupait etc.;’’ Procés-verbal, 
No, 6, 4; “‘ La déliberation sur cette proposition a été suspendue par l’entrée 
de MM. du clergé;’’ Courrier de Provence, Letire XIII, 12: “On n’eut pas 
_ le temps, etc.’” Assemblée nationale, I, 214; “ L’on en était 4 ces discussions, 
lorsque I’huissier du clergé a annoncé le clergé;’ Point du jour, 1, 45; “A 
midi et demi, un grand bruit s’est fait entendre dans le vestibule de la salle 
nationale.” Lettre d’un membre de l’assemblée nationale, 38. The latter says 
_ they were debating upon the military investment “ lorsqu’A midi et demi 
la majorité du clergé est venue.” Mercure de France: Journal Politique de 
Bruxelles, No. 27, 4 juillet, 1789, 40. 
133 
