34 Jeanette Needham. 
munication. ,Bailly, anxious that the popular favorite should 
know the degree of the assembly’s good will, asked, or at least 
was granted, permission to report the profound impression made 
by the letter, as evidence of the commons’ hearty support of 
the reform minister.% 
At this move of the assembly, the Archbishop of Vienne 
announced that his order would likewise send a deputation to 
compliment Necker for his loyalty toward and decided stand 
in defense of the people.'!® In this action of the clergy, there is 
given a noticeable commentary upon the real status of the 
national assembly, in the minds of the orders. By constituting 
itself national assembly, the third estate had effected an act 
which, by its very nature, involved the elimination of any 
marked recognition of the individual orders within its precincts. 
Now, however, there was presented the curious spectacle of a 
definite recognition of the distinctive order of the clergy as 
joined to the assembly, yet not forming an integral part. Even 
before the proposal to send a separate deputation, this peculiar 
attitude had been evinced, first in placing the president of 
the clergy by the side of the president of the national assembly 
and then by adding to the secretaries of the assembly, a secre- 
tary to represent the clergy and having him call the roll for his 
order. 
~ On the completion of the roll call, apparently after the inter- 
ruption caused by Necker’s letter, the result showed that about 
one hundred and fifty were present and probably somewhat 
more than one hundred and forty absent.!” It isa rather striking 
15 Point du jour, I, 47: ‘ M. le président a été prie de témoigner incessa- 
ment a M. Necker;’”’ Procés-verbal, No. 6, 16: ‘‘ M. le président a dit qu’il 
rendrait compte;’’ Duquesnoy, I, 127: ‘‘ Le président a demandé d’étre 
autorisé 4 lui rendre compte.’’ Just how the matter of reporting devolved 
upon Bailly is not clear from the statements given above. 
16 Point du jour, I, 47; Duquesnoy, I, 127; Procés-verbal, No. 6, 16. 
17 Coster, Récit, 339; Thibault, 248; Lettre d'un membre de l’assemblée 
nationale, 39; Boullé, Documents inédits, Revue de la rév., XIII, 74. The first 
and third give the number as 151, the second 149, Boullé, 155 present, 142 
absent. Bailli de Virieu had heard that there were 150, according to his 
letter of June 29, 1789, p. 103. Jallet, 102, says: “‘ Nous nous trouvames 
cent cingante-un, ce qui causa la plus vive joie: La majorité était démontrée: ”’ 
148 
