The Counter Revolution of June-July 1 5 



the same time by the commissioners, but afterwards advocated 

 the consideration of the protests after the credentials had been 

 verified.^^ 



The only advocates for the reception of the protests were two 

 nobles. One of these, whose name is not given, said that " pro- 

 tests which contested the existence of the assembly were, without 

 doubt, null, but that the right to protest could not be refused to 

 those who had for their object to make France and Europe 

 understand that the French had performed their duty."^^ Tou- 

 longeon, the other noble, said that the safety of the state should 

 govern their actions. " The assembly should, at some future 

 time, decide whether imperative instructions were to be permitted 

 but, as yet, no regulations had been made concerning them ; the 

 ancient regime, which permitted these instructions, had not been 

 overthrown so that it is impossible to prevent the deputies justify- 

 ing themselves with their constituents."'^" 



The assembly at last decided that the credentials should be 

 turned over to the committee of verification, the protests being 

 kept by the secretaries until the report on the credentials had 

 been made. Many desired the assembly to meet the same even- 

 ing to hear the report of the committee, but Bailly having ob- 

 jected on the ground that it would be impossible to finish the 

 work by five or even seven o'clock, the report was put off till 

 the next day.^^ 



Duquesnoy sums up the conditions which existed in the as- 

 sembly at this time in the following words : " Uppermost a great 

 commotion, marked signs of disapproval and dissatisfaction, 

 some extremely insolent propositions, as much as to say that since 

 the credentials were not verified they could only be received and 

 sent to the commissioners to be reported on to the assembly. As 



^^ Assemble e nationale, I, 278-279; Courrier de Provence, I, 15th letter, 

 3 ; Point du jour, I, y6. 



'^^ Journal de Paris, No. 183, 823 (July 2). 



''^ Point du jour, I, 76. 



'^ Proces-verbal, I, No. 10, 5-6; Courrier de Provence, I, 15th letter, 4; 

 Point du jour, I, 78; Journal de Paris, No. 183, 824 (July 2) ; Assemblee 

 nationale, I, 279; Biauzat, Sa vie et sa correspondance, II, 150; Bulletins de 

 I'assemblee nationale, June 30. 



297 



