98 Ethel Lee Howie 



wished to prevent work on the constitution." He thought it was 

 certain that their constituents had not sent them from all parts 

 of the kingdom to provide subsistence, " but rather to assure their 

 liberty, to put the constitution on a firm basis and not to concern 

 themselves with details, which, in any case, belonged to the 

 executive authority." Consequently this member proposed " that 

 the committee declare to Rutledge that it found no facts in what 

 he had announced to it, that moreover the subject was an affair 

 belonging to the administration, and he should therefore present 

 the question to Necker." He also insisted on the necessity of the 

 committee preventing the talk of Rutledge from taking the time 

 of the assembly because that would give an opening for new 

 motions which would consume time. 



A decree, drawn up by M. Malouet, was presented to the 

 committee, evidently by Duquesnoy. In presenting this decree he 

 stated that "many of the ideas would be criticized, that even the 

 examination of the decree would take too long ; that if a proposi- 

 tion were made to thank the king the Comte de Mirabeau would 

 seize the opportunity to continue the denunciation which he had 

 announced and that a way would be found to delay the work 

 on the constitution until 60,000 men in arms would surround the 

 assembly and the enemies of the assembly would believe that 

 they were very strong, thinking they could awe the people through 

 fear. It is certain that the plan of the enemies of the state is 

 to gain time because they desire a revolution and work for 

 this aim. It is then a crime to retard for a single day, a single 

 hour or even for a single moment the work on the constitution 

 and those who cause the least delay, who yield to vain and 

 frivolous research on subsistence are suspects of bad intentions." 



Apparently these ideas were adopted by the committee and the 

 Due d'Aiguillon, the Baron de Menou and Duquesnoy were ap- 

 pointed to go to the committee on the constitution to ask it to 

 propose at the opening of the session the next day some point to 

 be discussed on the constitution. This action was taken for the 

 two-fold purpose of escaping long delay on the constitution and 

 of disarranging the projects of the Comte de Mirabeau. The 

 committee also agreed to ask, at the opening of the session the 



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