46 ]\fae Darling 



organize itself into a separate chamber, the very thing the nobles 

 were hoping they would do. 



The scheme for a rcglement was vigorously combated by cer- 

 tain members of the commons.^°^ It was argued that since they 

 were an unorganized body of deputies and had decided upon a 

 plan of inaction, they could not adopt rules of order without 

 contradicting themselves. Biauzat called attention to the fact 

 that if the plan drawn up by the dean should be adopted, it would 

 make the process of voting extremely slow. He stated that the 

 plan for voting proposed by the reglement was to have the roll 

 called twice on each question; once, apparently to give the 

 deputies an opportunity to discuss the subject, and a second time 

 for taking the vote.^*^^ The third estate evidently used this 

 method in voting on the adoption of the reglement}^^ Biauzat 

 said at the rate they were going, it would take four or five days 

 to decide upon the most trifling matter. ^^° 



The vote on the adoption of reglement was not finished on May 

 8 and was taken up again on ]\Iay 9."^ According to Biauzat, 

 the dean made a speech in this session, in which he defended his 

 plan.^^- Other speeches were delivered which, Biauzat states, 

 were much more carefully prepared than had been the case in the 

 former session, some of them even being written. Although the 

 assembly possessed no permanent organization, the chaos was 

 gradually giving place to order. It was in this session of May 9 

 that JNIirabeau attempted to speak, evidently out of his turn, but 



^^Ubid.; Biauzat, II, 42. 



108 Biauzat, II, 42. 



'^'^^ Ibid.; Duquesnoy, I, li; Recit des seances des deputes des communes, 

 9. Biauzat (II, 42) gives an account of the discussion on the adoption of 

 the reglement. In his account of May 9 (pp. 44-45) he tells of the con- 

 tinuation of this discussion and of its completion and then remarks that it 

 only remained for the final count to be taken on Monday, without any 

 further discussion. 



110 Biauzat, II, 42. 



m/&jrf., 43; Recit des seances des deputes des communes, 10; Duques- 

 noy, I, 13 ; Lettres dti Comte de Mirabeau, No. 2, 4. 



1^2 Biauzat, II, 43. Biauzat declares that this speech was the work of 

 a counsellor in whom the dean had too much confidence. 



248 



