The First Revolutionary Step 41 



tion and they should therefore constitute themselves as a national 

 assembly. Biauzat proposed a resolution to this effect, not to be 

 passed in that session, but for the purpose of allowing the mem- 

 bers to consider the subject until the next day. 1 He suggested 

 that the deputies whose credentials were just verified should de- 

 clare themselves " Assemble c legitime des representanis eoiuius 

 de la nation; and the assembly orders that all other persons who 

 pronounce themselves deputies, whether of the clergy, of the no- 

 bility, or of the commons, and who wish to be recognized as rep- 

 resentatives and to obtain a seat in the assembly, must first submit 

 their credentials for common verification." 



The debate on the subject of the constitution of the assembly 

 did not begin, however, until the following morning, June 15. 

 It was then that Sieves presented the second part of the plan that 

 he had announced on June 10. It had been carefully discussed 

 outside the assembly for at least a week, not only by the Breton 

 deputies and their friends, but also by the other deputies of all 

 three orders and by the general public. 2 



Ill 



In the evening of June 15, Arthur Young wrote: "This has 

 been a rich day, and such an one as ten years ago none could be- 

 lieve would ever arrive in France ; a very important debate being 

 expected on what, in our house of commons, would be termed the 

 state of the nation. ... At Versailles by eight in the morn- 

 ing, we went immediately to the hall of the states to secure good 

 seats in the gallery ; we found some deputies already there, and a 

 pretty numerous audience collected. The room is too large ; none 



'Biauzat, II, 116. 



"Duquesnoy, I, 98. Duquesnoy quotes an extract from the speech of 

 Crenieres, who, as well as Mirabeau, mentions the fact that Sieyes' mo- 

 tion was known beforehand. See also the explanation of Sieyes at the end 

 of his motion of June 10. Recit, 104 ; Biauzat, II, 102-3 ; Journal des 

 ctats-generaux, I, 86, 87 ; Revue de la revolution, XII, Documents inedits, 

 111. The Courrier de Provence (Lettre X, 4) says that Sieyes' motion 

 and speech made a deep impression, "particulierement sur les deputations 

 de diverses provinces, qui avaient deja, depuis plusieurs jours, connais- 

 sance de la motion meme, et y avaient donne d'avance la plus haute et la 

 plus entiere approbation." 



41 



