opening of States General of lySg 59 



organized.^"* Biauzat tells us that the Due de Praslin asked for 

 a written reply and the dean was about to give it, when he was 

 stopped by cries of " No ! No ! Do not give a reply ! " They 

 feared, says Biauzat, that the nobles might argue that the written 

 response would show that the commons were organized. ^''^ That 

 same day, apparently, the clergy brought a copy of their decree of 

 May 7, the decree by which they had decided to name conciliatorv 

 commissioners.^^^ The Rccit states that the reply to the clergy 

 was practically the same as that given to the nobles when they 

 brought copies of their decrees, that is, that the third estate was 

 not an organized body and therefore could not take any action, at 

 present, concerning the appointment of commissioners.^*'^ 



It is evident from these various incidents that the third estate 

 held persistently to its policy of inaction. However, they de- 

 cided, either on May 11 or 12, to attempt to lessen the disorder in 

 the assembly by providing " assistants " whose duty it should be 

 to count votes, receive deputations, take notes on the speeches, 

 and debates, and aid in keeping order. These assistants were to 

 be chosen by the assembly, divided into sections corresponding 

 to the ancient " governments," one assistant to be selected by 

 each section, making twelve in all.^*'^ 



^^'^Recit des seances des deputes des communes, ly. 



165 Biauzat, II, 56. 



^^^ Recit des seances des deputes des communes, 18; Thibault, 193; 

 Biauzat, II, 6; Coster, 14 mai. The Recit states that this decree was 

 brought on May 13. Biauzat says that the announcement of the election 

 was brought on that day, while Thibault and Coster both state that the 

 decree of May 7 was carried to the third estate on May 14. Coster also 

 says that the motion was passed to do this on May 14, while Thibault states 

 that this decision had been made on May 13, and was carried out on May 

 14. It is likely that the vote was taken on May 13, the deputies execut- 

 ing their mission on that day and reporting to their order the next day. 



In the account in the Recit the statement is made that the deputies from 

 the clergy said they brought this decree at the request of the third estate. 

 A foot-note, which is a part of the original record, states that there was 

 only one member who requested that the decree be brought. 



167 Recit des seances des deputes des communes, 18. 



"^^^ Ibid., 12, 13, 14; Journal des etats-generaux, I, 16; Biauzat, II, 52, 53; 

 Duquesnoy, I, 16; Boulle, in Revue de la revolution, XI, Documents 



261 



