opening of States General of lySp 5 5 



that the suggestion had been made to the king that, as a means of 

 setthng the disturbance, the states general should be suspended."® 

 It is evident from the remarks of these writers that the action 

 of the nobles had not served to modify the revolutionary spirit 

 of their opponents, the third estate. 



The nobles were not quite through, however. As if they had 

 not already rendered the work of the conciliatory commission 

 practically useless by their determination to persist in their first 

 decision regarding the verification of credentials, they now de- 

 cided to limit the power of their commissioners, at least so their 

 Proccs-verhal states, by taking from them the power to make 

 any final decision, rendering it necessary that all matters dis- 

 cussed in the conferences should be reported back to the chamber 

 of the nobles for final decision.^^° This action probably did not 

 make the commissioners any more helpless than they already 

 were, considering the attitude of their order towards the funda- 

 mental question to be discussed, but it indicated the fear of the 

 nobles that some radical action might result from the conferences. 



The nobles, meanwhile, had continued the verification of cre- 

 dentials in the sessions of May ii, 12 and 13. Some questions 

 arose in connection with this work which are worth noticing, 

 because of their bearing on the policy of the nobles in regard 

 to the manner of verification. Certain persons from the clergy 

 and the nobility of Dauphine, came into the hall of the nobles on 

 May II, and protested against the election of the deputies from 

 Dauphine.^^^ The nobles allowed them to read their protest and 

 informed them that the matter would be considered later, the 

 intention evidently being to settle the matter without reference to 

 the other two orders. 



Later, according to the account in the Proces-verbal of the 

 nobility, a report was made of trouble that had arisen in regard 

 to the deputation from Auxerre. The third estate of that 

 bailliage had elected four deputies and the two upper orders two 



149 Ihid., 18. 



150 Proces-verbal de la noblesse, 43. 



'i-5'i- Proces-verbal de la noblesse, 28; Lettres du Comte de Mirabeau, No. 

 2, 12, 13. 



257 



