The Counter Revolution of June-July 37 



may have been, a call for the order of the day was made by the 

 commons. Above the din one voice was heard calling for the 

 motion of Abbe Sieyes.^'^ Mirabeau, who had retired in the 

 midst of the din, now came forward to suggest that before de- 

 liberating on Talleyrand's motion they decide whether the ques- 

 tion was in order/^" This suggestion, it appears, was pleasing 

 to those favorable to the motion of Talleyrand and disagreeable 

 to those who defended various motions of the previous day.^'^^ 



Apparently Sieyes was now given the floor. He recalled his 

 motion. He believed that they should, if not by a new decree at 

 least by a simple declaration, express the principles laid down in 

 the decree of June 17, in terms something like the following: 



The national assembly, instructed by declarations of many of its mem- 

 bers that some bailliages have bound their deputies by indiscreet mandates 

 so that these deputies think that they can not take part in common delib- 

 eration, and considering that these bailliages have through this error 

 prejudiced their own interests — since they are thus deprived of their 

 direct representation in the assembly — 



Judges it worthy of the general solicitude to ask the bailliage to give to 

 their deputies liberty necessary for true representatives of the nation ; 

 moreover, the assembly declares that the French nation, being always 

 legitimately represented by the plurality of its deputies, neither the impera- 

 tive instructions, or voluntary absence of some of its members or the 

 protests of the minority can ever either stop its activity or weaken the 

 force of its decrees, or limit questions submitted to its legislative power. 

 This declaration to extend to all parts of the nation and the French 

 possessions. ^■'8 



The first part of the motion was adopted by the assembly and 

 it was agreed almost unanimously that the question was not in 

 order.^'^^ 



'^''^ Asscmhlee nationale, I, 414. 



'^'^^ Assemblee nationale, I, 414; Point dii jour, I, 139; Courrier de 

 Provence, I, 17th letter, 28; Duquesnoy, Journal, I, 173; Bulletins de 

 I'assemblee nationale, July 8. 



^"^"^ Assemblee nationale, I, 414. 



1^8 Courrier de Provence, I, 17th letter, 29-30. 



^'■^ Biauzat, Sa vie et sa correspondance, II, 164; Courrier de Provence, 

 I, 17th letter, 30; Assemblee nationale, I, 414; Point du jour, I, 140; 



