The First Revolutionary Step 43 



prevent those who are present from exercising - the whole of their 

 powers, especially when the exercise of these powers is an im- 

 perious and pressing duty. 



"Moreover, since it pertains only to those representatives whose 

 credentials are verified to concur in and to express the national 

 wish, and since such representatives are all in this assembly, it 

 is furthermore indispensable to conclude that it is the business 

 and duty of this assembly, and of this assembly alone, to interpret 

 and to carry out the general wish of the nation. No other cham- 

 ber of deputies, by mere presumption, can take away any of this 

 power of deliberation. Lastly, between the throne and this as- 

 sembly no veto, no negative power, can exist. 



"The assembly declared, therefore, that the common work of 

 the national restoration ought to, and necessarily must, be com- 

 menced without any delay by the deputies present and that they 

 must and shall follow this work without any interruption and 

 without any interference. 



"The title, Assemblee des representcmts connus et verifies de 

 la nation frangaise, is the only title which is appropriate for the 

 assembly in the actual state of affairs, the only title which it wishes 

 to adopt, inasmuch as it will never give up the hope of bringing 

 into its midst all the deputies now absent. It will not cease to 

 invite them, individually as well as collectively, to fulfil the ob- 

 ligation which is laid upon them, to take part in the holding of 

 the states general. At whatever moment the absent deputies may 

 present themselves during the session which is now beginning, 

 the assembly declares in advance that it will receive them with 

 joy and that it will urge them, after the verification of their cre- 

 dentials, to share with them in the great work which shall result 

 in the regeneration of France." 1 



This motion made a great impression upon the assembly. 2 It 



1 Proces-verbal, I, 89; Journal des ctats-gcneraux , I, 8S-90; Courrier dc 

 Provence, Lcttre XI, 3-6; Duquesnoy, I, 95, 96; Biauzat, II, 116, 117; 

 Revue dc la revolution, XII, 111, 112. In the first paragraph of the motion, 

 L'asseinblcc deliberant apres la verification des pouvoirs, rcconnait was 

 substituted for 77 est constant par le resultat de la verification des pouvoirs. 

 With this exception the first four paragraphs of the motion agree verbally 

 with the resolution. The last or fifth paragraph is expanded somewhat. 



"Ibid. 



43 



