The First Revolutionary Step 55 



for such time as they shall judge it proper; whereas, again, this 

 principle, sacred in every constitution in which the people is 

 counted for something, has been acknowledged even by his maj- 

 esty himself, by the sovereign courts, and by the unanimous wish 

 of the people, as one of the essential bases of the monarchy ; and 

 whereas, finally, not one of the existing taxes is legal, either be- 

 cause of its origin or because of its extension since its origin, the 

 assemblee des representants du peuple declares them all null and 

 legally suppressed." The people had not given their consent to 

 the taxes, but since the public credit had to be maintained, since 

 money was needed, and since it would take time to establish a 

 new order of things, "the assembly consents, provisionally, in the 

 name of its constituents," to the existing taxes ; but they should 

 be legally collected only during the time of that session of the 

 states general. 1 



''Resolved that as soon as the principles, according to which 

 the regeneration of the kingdom shall be effected, are legally de- 

 termined and established, the rights of the people assured, the 

 basis of a rational and satisfactory constitution laid down and 

 established and secured by the protection of the legislative power 

 of the king and of the national assembly, the representants du 

 peuple de France will take all the necessary steps toward secur- 

 ing the creditors of the state ; that the debt of the king, which 

 will then become that of the nation, may have henceforth for se- 

 curity even the honor and trust of this nation and the surveil- 

 lance of its representatives, the organ and depository of the sacred 

 treasure of public credit." 



The eighth resolution provided that the above resolutions, to- 

 gether with an address expressing the motives for the measures 

 taken since the former address, 2 be presented to the king. Mira- 

 beau then continued : "You have heard, gentlemen, the series of 



1 One of the main motives in calling the states general was to establish 

 order in the finances. This resolution was therefore an important one. It 

 expressed an innovation. It is referred to by the deputies who informed 

 their constituents in regard to the doings of the assembly. We shall see 

 that although Mirabeau's title was rejected his resolutions were in sub- 

 stance adopted on June 17. Biauzat, II, 117; Duquesnoy, I, 96; Young, 

 164. 



2 Proccs-verbal, I, 41-48. The address of June 13. 



55 



