88 Ethel Lee Howie 



that the committee Hmited itself to presenting the suggestions. 

 They were as follows : " First, to open a subscription for the relief 

 of the people. This subscription to be raised in the assembly, in 

 Paris and in the provinces. The funds thus obtained to be turned 

 over to the provincial assemblies and municipalities and to be dis- 

 tributed by them under the supervision of the national assembly. 

 Second, to authorize the government, the provincial states, the 

 provincial assemblies and the municipalities to make advances 

 necessary to aid the suffering. These advances to be under the 

 guarantee of the nation and the inspection of the national as- 

 sembly. Third, to authorize in the provinces, where there either 

 has not been or will not be a harvest, a contribution of ten or 

 twenty sous per head, or a sum which, locally, would be thought 

 sufficient. The advance for this contribution to be made in each 

 municipality by eight of the wealthiest and most important citizens 

 of the three orders; to divide the payments which will be made till 

 the harvest time, according to the suggestion of the municipal as- 

 sembHes, in buying or transporting food, and in giving relief to the 

 poor, on the condition that account of the expenditures be given 

 to all the superior assemblies and through these assemblies to the 

 national assembly. Fourth, to take time to formulate, with the 

 greatest care, the exposition of principles which should assure the 

 free and mutual communication of subsistences to all the French, 

 to assure also the greatest possible equalization of provisions and 

 prices in order that the king, having given his sanction, this equit- 

 able and useful division of subsistences cannot be intercepted by 

 any authority and that this distribution might become a funda- 

 mental and constitutional law of the state. Fifth, to consider other 

 questions connected with the commerce of grain and flour, when 

 such consideration is necessary. Sixth, without awaiting any more 

 information on the subject to pronounce beginning to-day the 



prohibition of the exportation of grain and flour until October, 

 I790."*32 



^^~ Point dii jour, I, 113; Assemhlie nationale, I, 354, 356; Proces-verhal, 

 I, No. IS, s; Courrier de Provence, I, 17th letter, 4; Biauzat, Sa vie et sa 

 correspondance, II, 160; Duquesnoy, Journal, I, 162; Bulletins de I'assem- 

 hlee nationale, July 4; Gazette de Leyde, Sup. No. 56 (July 9), states that 



