The Counter Revolution of June-July 69 



d'un agent secret state that the formation of the thirty bureaus 

 seemed to have given much satisfaction. It was " beheved that 

 the distribution into bureaus would definitely decide the manner 

 of voting."^^* This belief was doubtless due to the fact that there 

 was no distinction of orders in the bureaus. Barere wrote that 

 "the method that has been observed can produce only the best 

 results. This composition of the bureaus tends to happily con- 

 found all the provinces in order to form only one opinion and 

 even a national spirit. It will serve to stifle the discordant cries 

 of privileges and particular constitutions of different regions sub- 

 mitted to French domination. By the distribution of deputies 

 of the same provinces into diverse bureaus and the adherence of 

 all to great principles, that variety of local customs, isolated 

 administrations which in this vast and beautiful kingdom would 

 be a strange mixture of gothic laws, feudal tyrannies, constitu- 

 tional vice and ancient abuse, will disappear. Those who do not 

 reason deeply will see perhaps in this formation into bureaus only 

 an ordinary manipulation or a mechanical procedure, but the truly 

 wise person will easily see the germ of restoration which should 

 substitute a great nation for divided provinces, strangers to each 

 other, and replace feudal France by free and enlightened 

 France."^^^ 



On July 2, the same day in which the lists of the thirty bureaus 

 were read, the assembly resumed the examination of the project 

 presented by the committee on rules and decreed concerning the 

 election of the officers of the assembly that a president should 

 be elected by majority vote, to serve two weeks and that six 

 secretaries should be elected by a simple plurality vote to serve 

 for a month. ^^^ The president asked the bureaus to meet at six 

 o'clock in the evening to elect these officers.^^^ The bureaus met 



nobles and the general assembly hall, where one or two would meet, until 

 other places could be provided; Bulletins de I'assemhUe nationale, July 2. 

 S''^ Bulletins d'un agent secret, July 3. 



355 Point du jour, I, 89. 



356 Proces-vcrbal, No. 12, 8 ; Point du jour, I, 94 ; Courrier de Provence, 

 I, i6th letter, 11; Assemblee nationale, I, 316; Duquesnoy, Journal, I, 151. 



^^"^ Proces-verhal, I, No. 12, 8; Point du jour, I, 95; Assemblee na- 

 tionale, I, 317; Biauzat, Sa vie et sa correspondance, II, 155. 



