82 Ethel Lee Howie 



debate between the clergy, nobles and commons there were some 

 murmurs of disapproval. Tolendal is reported to have said that 

 he had recorded the details of this debate with joy because he had 

 been a witness of it. Surrounded on all sides by clergy he thought 

 he had given a correct report, but that if there were any objections 

 to what he had written he would willingly make changes. A cure 

 declared it was false to state that the clergy had refused to name 

 a member of their order to serve on the central committee. The 

 majority of the clergy opposed the claims of this cure and per- 

 sisted in their action of the day before. This action was hailed 

 with shouts of approbation by the commons. Another cure, it 

 seems, approached the tribune, but cries of a Fordre, a I'ordre, 

 caused him to return to his place. Thus the debate for a second 

 time ended to the honor of the clergy, who desired no change in 

 the proces.^^* 



Mounier, as reporter for the committee on the constitution, pre- 

 sented on July 9 a memoirc on the order of the work as he had 

 planned it and as the committee had accepted it.*^^ After defin- 

 ing carefully the word constitution, after having distinguished the 

 governments de fait from those which were founded on a consti- 

 tution, he claimed that in France they were not entirely unpro- 

 vided with the fundamental laws necessary to form a constitution. 

 He recalled the natural attachment of the French to the monarchy 

 and to the principles of government which constitute this kind of 

 government. " We have no consititution since all authority is con- 



^^^ Point dii jour, I, 138; Asscmblec nationale, I, 409. 



^^^ Point du jour, I, 151 ; Duquesnoy, Journal, I, 181; Proces-verbal, No. 

 18, 6; Courrier de Provence, I, 19th letter, 2; Assemblee nationale, I, 437; 

 Biauzat, Sa vie et sa correspondance, II, 169 ; Bulletins de I'assemblee na- 

 tionale, July 9 ; Journal de Paris, No. 192, 872 (July 9) ; Bulletins d'un 

 agent secret, July 9. 



It is not clear what part the committee had in this report. It is highly 

 probable that Mounier wrote the report, read it before the committee and 

 that the committee authorized him to read it to the assembly. The report 

 which is attached to No. 19 of the Proces-verbal is headed " Rapport du 

 comite charge du travail sur la constitution par M. Mounier." 



Duquesnoy, speaking of the plan of work, said that it was an excellent 

 table of material for a good constitution. "II ne s'agit plus aujourd'hui 

 que de remplir ce plan et je me persuade qu'il le sera bien." 



364 



