opening of States General of ijSg 5 1 



estate to unite in common for the verification of credentials, the 

 members of the clergy have charged their deputies to express to 

 the gentlemen of the third estate the zeal and attachment which 

 they have for them and their desire to aid in bringing about the 

 most perfect harmony among the orders, that in consequence they 

 have agreed to name commissioners and to invite the other orders 

 to do likewise, in order to confer and to act together in regard 

 to the proposition of the third estate. "^^^ 



After the deputation had informed the nobles of the action of 

 the clergy, and had departed, it seems that the nobility, instead 

 of at once taking up the proposition that had just been made to 

 them, took up the question as to whether their chamber was 

 legally constituted by those members whose credentials had been 

 verified.^^* When the matter was put to a vote, it was decided 

 that the members whose credentials had been verified made up a 

 chamber which was " legally and sufficiently constituted, "^^^ a 

 decision which meant that the verification of credentials in com- 

 mon was entirely unnecessary. 



The Proccs-verhal of the nobility says that they then turned 

 their attention to the request that the clergy had just made. It 

 was decided to appoint a committee to go to the other two orders 

 and present the compliments of the nobility ,^^'' but the vote was 

 not taken as to what should be done regarding the conciliatory 

 commission, presumably because there was not time enough. ^^'^ 

 The committee which the nobility had just appointed visited the 



^^^ Proces-verbal de la noblesse, 29; Thibault, 181. 



'i-^i Proces-verhal de la noblesse, 31. This account says that after the 

 departure of the commission, the order took up the debates which had 

 been interrupted by the return of the deputation from the clergy. The 

 question arose, the Proccs-verbal states, as to whether the members whose 

 credentials had not been verified should have the right to take part in the 

 deliberations. The statement is made in this same record, that no decision 

 was reached regarding the matter, but instead it was proposed to decide 

 whether or not the chamber was legally constituted. 



^^^ Proces-verbal de la noblesse, 31; Lettres dii Comte de Mirabeau, 

 No. 2, 12. 



'i-SG Pfoccs-verbal de la noblesse, 31. 



13T Ibid. 



253 



