32 Ethel Lee Hozvie 



are useless for the future, but at present are not radically null. 

 The bearer of the instructions and the constituent are bound by 

 oath and nullity can be pronounced only after the future states- 

 general has been arranged."^^^ Lally-Tolendal apparently felt that 

 the motion of Talleyrand would bind the bearers of the imperative 

 instructions for this time only to vote on questions relating to the 

 constitution, taxation and the formation of the provincial estates 

 and that the new constitution would regulate the formation of the 

 estates for the future.^'"^- The Bishop of Dijon was one of the 

 most radical stating that the assembly could not be constituted be- 

 cause of the great number of protests. ^^^ Comte Toustain de 

 Viray declared that no one had more respect for the assembly than 

 he, but that the deputies must defend their oaths and that this 

 could not be done if they declared their instructions null.^^* 



That the constituents were masters and had the right to attach 

 whatever conditions they wished to the mandates was the belief 

 of Petion de Villeneuve. He did not think that the assembly could 

 abolish the instructions and free the bearers from their oaths, but 

 it could declare that the majority constituted a quorum to do 

 business. ^^° This opinion was also shared by Bousmard.^^" 



Another idea which was brought out in the debate was that it 

 was out of order to discuss the question. Clermont-Lodeve^^" and 

 the Abbe Sieyes, both speaking July 7, supported this idea, but 

 from entirely different standpoints. Clermont-Lodeve said that 

 the assembly could not " confound the orders whose distinction 

 was according to the constitution — a constitution which the nobles 

 cherished, and according to which they intended to deliberate by 

 order and in separate chambers." He said that he knew this state- 



^^''^ Point dti jour, I, 134. 



1^2 Bulletins de I'assemblcc nationale, July 7. 



^^^ Point du jour, I, 134; Assemblce nationale, I, 403. 



'^^^ Point du jour, I, 137; Journal de Paris, No. 190, 855 (July 9) ; Du- 

 quesnoy, Journal, I, 168. 



"^^5 Point du jour, I, 133; Bulletins de I'assemblce nationale, July 7. 



156 Bulletins de I'assemblee nationale, July 7 ; Duquesnoy, Journal, 1, 

 169 ; Bulletins de I'assemblee nationale, July 7. 



"^^"^ Point du jour, I, 134; Duquesnoy, Journal, I, 168; Journal de Paris, 

 No. 190, 855 (July 9) ; Bulletins de I'assemblee nationale, July 7. 



