24 Mae Darling 



beginning to appear. They were, in their first session, carefully 

 avoiding anything that could be used by the privileged orders to 

 prove that the commons had organized as a separate chamber. 



After the dean had taken his place, a younger man was selected 

 to do the talking for him, as the dean was so feeble he could not 

 make himself heard. ^- The dean was also given six other assist- 

 ants who were evidently to act as his advisors and to aid in 

 keeping order.^^ In spite of these preliminary steps, which had 

 given the third estate the means of maintaining at least a reason- 

 able amount of order, the proceedings of the day were marked 

 by disorder and confusion. Biauzat says that at one time, in 

 attempting to speak, it was necessary for him to mount the steps 

 of the gallery in order to be heard. ^* 



The first question to be settled was what should be done in the 

 absence of the other two orders. The verification of credentials 

 was naturally the first thing to take up, but the commons main- 

 tained that a legal verification could take place only in an assembly 

 composed of the three orders united. To abandon this proposi- 

 tion meant to recognize the legality of separate chambers and this 

 would mean defeat on the question of vote by head. The prob- 

 lem was how to force the privileged orders to agree to the veri- 

 fication of credentials in common. 



During the course of the discussion that arose over this matter, 

 Malouet proposed that a deputation should be sent to the two 

 upper orders, telling them that the commons had assembled in the 

 place set apart for the national assembly and inviting them to 

 unite with the third estate for the verification of credentials.^'^ 

 Although such a motion was apparently harmless enough, it met 



12 Biauzat, II, 32; Lettres du Comte de Mirabeau, No. 2, 15. Biauzat 

 says that the young man offered to fill this position, while Mirabeau states 

 that the dean asked for some one to do this work. 



13 Biauzat, II, z^', Lettres du Comte de Mirabeau, No. 2, 15; Recit des 

 seances des deputes des communes, 6. 



1* Biauzat, II, 31. 



"^^ Recit des seances des deputes des communes, 6; Lettres du Comte de 

 Mirabeau, No. 2, 16; Boulle in Revue de la revolution, X, Documents 

 inedits, 167; Duquesnoy, I, 9, 10. 



226 



