The Counter Revolution of June-July 29 



the elementary assemblies gave the deputies instructions which 

 should be exercised in a general assembly. In the first case, the 

 constituent was the legislator because his personal interests were 

 concerned; in the second case individuals not legislators gave to 

 their deputies the right to be members of a legislative body and to 

 vote for their constituents. In this latter class the particular con- 

 stituent could not be a legislator because the general assembly 

 would not consider individual wishes, but the general welfare and 

 no particular constituent could be a legislator in matters of public 

 interest. The legislative power began when the general assembly 

 of the representatives was formed; if it were otherwise, it would 

 be enough for the bailliages and senechaussees to send in their 

 votes. If they admitted the system of imperative instructions, 

 they impeded the resolutions of the assembly by recognizing a vote 

 in each of the 177 bailliages of the realm or in 431 divisions of 

 orders sending deputies to the assembly. Barere adopted all of 

 the motion of the Bishop of Autun except the part which declared 

 that the kind of " engagement between a deputy and his constitu- 

 ent, as a result of imperative clauses should be immediately 

 broken." This seemed to subordinate the national assembly to the 

 primary assemblies and was otherwise " incompatible with prin- 

 ciples " since when they declared the imperative clauses null there 

 was no need of appealing to the constituent. " It is not we who 

 have exceeded our rights in annulling the imperative clauses ; but 

 the bailliages have exceeded theirs. A legally constituted body, 

 becoming legislative, must remedy the abuse of the constituent 

 power and make known to the latter that it has encroached upon 

 the legislative power of the nation, represented by the assembly of 

 deputies." Bouche affirmed that an individual could not suspend 

 the activity of the assembly and that no part of the great whole 

 should assume to do so. The national assembly should continue 

 to deliberate undisturbed.^-^ Castellane said that no one could 

 criticise the oath or release one from it, but while the constituents 

 were considering whether they would or would not release the 

 deputies from such oath the assembly could not be retarded in its 



128 Point du jour, I, 131 ; Bulletins de I'assemhlee nationale, July 7. 



