factory than the details which he recited concerning the finances of the nation; nothing more fimple and correct than the plans which he propofed.

The fituation of Mr. Neckar, indeed, at this critical period, was peculiarly delicate. He was placed between the court and the people, at a time when it was impoffible for an honeft man to attend equally to the claims of each party. From him every thing was expected by the people, while it was impoffible to comply with the plenitude of their demands. On the contrary, the love and admiration of the people was fufficient to render him fufpected by the courtiers. He was despised by the high nobility, for his inferiority of birth and family; and he was odious to the bigoted clergy, because he was a proteftant. Fortunately for Mr. Neckar, his integrity was above all fufpicion; every person in the kingdom, from the monarch to the peafant, was fatisfied of the rectitude of his heart. His temper and moderation were of the utmost importance in turbulent times. His influence frequently interpofed against the excelles of popular infatuation; and the dignity and virtue of his character, gave him confequence even with the enemies of liberty.

The firt object of the ftates was the verification of their powers, that is, the production of their writs of return, and the identification of the deputies, which is equivalent to our members of parliament taking their feats. On this occafion the fatal conteft between the three orders commenced. The deputies of the commons law evidently that the people had in vain achieved their with with refpect to the number of reprefentatives in vain the deputies of the tiers état in number con

ftituted a half of the ftates-general, if by the mode of voting they were to be reduced to a third. They faw further, that fhould the verifi cation of their powers be effected in feparate chambers, each order would then be conftituted a legal affembly, and the union be rendered for ever impofble.

Thus the difpute which was of fo much importance, concerning the voting by orders or by poll, commenced even upon the verification of the returns. At the appointed hour the deputies of the tiers ètat

affembled in the common hall. After half an hour spent in that confufion to which fo numerous an affembly was naturally liable, a voice more articulate than the reft proclaimed the neceffity of order, and advifed the appointment of a temporary prefident, a fecretary and clerks. When the chair was to be taken, the public voice demanded the oldeft citizen-he prefented himfelf, and afked of the affembly the affiftance of fome younger man to act as his herald. Some debates and motions fucceeded this appointment, the general object of which was, that the orders fhould proceed to verify their powers in common, and not in feparate chambers.

The deliberations of the clergy and nobility were not lefs tumultuous. In the first order, the members deliberated under the temporary prefidency of the cardinal de la Rochfaucault, whether the powers fhould be verified and legitimated in the chamber appropriated to the order?-133 members were for the affirmative; 114 were of opinion that this ceremony could only take place in the general affembly, and before commiffioners chofen from all the three orders.

In the fecond, M. de Montboifier,

A4

fier, as the oldeft nobleman prefent, was called to the chair-Two motions were made, one for the verification of the powers, by commiffioners exclufively chofen from the order of nobility; and the other, for the fame verification, before commiffioners felected from the three orders -The principal argument in favour of the first of these opinions, was, that the order themselves were the only judges competent to decide the legality of pretenfions to nobility; and in anfwer it was urged, that the elections had been fanctioned by the three orders of each bailiwick, and the oaths administered in their prefence. It was, however, determined in favour of the verification in their own chamber, by 188voices against 47. The commons fatisfied that a ftate of inaction would in a short time effect their wishes, determined to perfevere. They carried their refpect to this principle fo far as not to open the addreffes which were directed to the deputies of the tiers état, and which lay upon their table. The clergy alfo fufpended the verification of their powers; but the nobility, who conceived that every thing was to give way to their rank and privileges, declared themfelves a legal affembly, and on the 13th of May fent a deputation to the commons to acquaint them with these proceedings.

In the mean time, the clergy, who were divided in their opinions, and among whom the curés (or parochial clergy) were in general attached to the caufe of the people, propofed to the other orders the nomination of commiffioners to conciliate the prefent difputes. To this propofal the nobility afsented; and

in the affembly of the commons, it was moved by M. Rabaud de St, Etienne, a proteftant clergyman, "that commiffioners fhould be named to treat with the clergy and nobility concerning the union of the orders in one common affembly.". M. Chapellier, an advocate of Rennes in Brittany followed it by a motion, declaring that no mode of conciliation could be admitted which had not for its bafis, the deliberation of all the orders in common; and cenfuring in ftrong terms the conduct of the nobility.' The count de Mirabeau observed, “ that the nobility commanded, while the clergy negociated." He was therefore of opinion, that the commiffioners fhould not treat with the nobles, but with the clergy only; but at length the fimple propofition of M. Rabaud was adopted, with a trifling amendment.

It is almost unneceffary to add, that the negociation proved fruitlefs. The nobility, having heard the report of the commiffioners, voted, "that in the prefent affembly of the ftates-general, the powers fhould for this time be verified feparately; and that the examination of the advantages or inconveniences refulting from this method, fhould be referred to a future period, when the orders fhould take into confide ration the future organization of the ftates-general." Thus every hope being defeated of a union with the nobles, the commons determined, on the 27th of May, to send a folemn deputation to the clergy, to invite them," in the name of the God of peace, and of the true intereft of the nation, to unite themfelves with them in one general affembly, to

confult

confult together on the means of reitoring unity and concord."

While this matter was in agitati on, a letter was received from the king, defiring" that the conciliatory commiffioners would meet in the prefence of the keeper of the feals, and fome other commiffioners to be appointed by the monarch, in order to renew their conferences, &c."In the mean time the chamber of the nobles (this fovereign legislative chamber, as it was called by one of its members) paffed a decree, affert ing," that they regarded as a part of the constitution, the divifion of orders, and their refpective veto, and that in these principles they were determined to perfevere." The ferond conferences therefore were equally unfuccefsful with the first.

In the course of these conferences, however, the minifters propofed on the part of the king, a plan of conciliation, or rather of arbitration, the principal articles of which were, ift. That the three orders fhould verify their powers feparately, and fhould reciprocally communicate the fame to each other.

2d. That in cafe any contefts f.ould arife, commiffioners fhould be appointed from the three orders to take the fame into confideration, and report their opinions to their different orders.

3d. That should the three orders not agree upon any topic in difpute, the final determination fhould be referred to the king.

The two fuperior orders applaud ed this plan of conciliation; but while the nobles pretended to accept it, they qualified their acquiefcence with a decided refolution to adhere to their former decree, and to the plan of voting only by orders. At the fame time they proceeded to the verification of the powers, to determine the controverted returns, &c,

While these affairs were trans, acting among the nobles, the clergy fent a deputation to the tiers état, lamenting the high price of bread,' and propofing a committee of the three orders to concert on the means of alleviating this evil.-This proceeding of the clergy was reprefented by fome members as deeply infidious, as a

means of ingratiating themfelves with the people, and of rendering the deputies of the commons unpopular fhould they refuse to co-operate. It was therefore immediately refolved to return for anfwer, the following addrefs:

"Penetrated with the same zeal as yourselves, and viewing with tears of compaffion the public diftrefs, we befeech and conjure you to unite with us immediately in the common hall, to confult on the means of remedying thefe calamities."

It was now near five weeks fince the ftates-general had affembled, and the three orders found themselves in the fame inactive ftate as at first. The commons now conceived it was full time to emerge from this criminal inactivity, and to afford an opportunity to thofe of the nobility and clergy who profeffed a fincere love for their country, to become active in its favour. They divided themselves into twenty committees, to facilitate the public bufinefs; and on the 10th of June, the Abbé Sieyes propofed that they should make a laft effort for a union of the orders; and should this fail, that they fhould then form themselves into an active affembly, for the difpatch of business.

In confequence of this propofal, notice was fent on the 12th, that they would immediately order a general call of the deputies of all the baili. wicks, including thofe of the privileged claffes; and in default of their appearance, that they would proceed to the verification of the powers, and

to every other public object, as well in the abfence, as in the prefence of the nobiy and clergy.

On the 13th, they proceeded to the call of the deputies, and to the verification of the returns-Not one of the nobility appeared; but on the call of the bailiwick of Poitou, three curés, Meirs. Cetve, Ballard, and Jalot, prefented themselves with the writs of their return, which they laid refpe&fully upon the table. Thefe vener ble paltors were received with the warmeft tranfports of joy and acclamation. They had declared their patriotic intentions the preceding evening in the chamber of the clergy; and they were followed the next day by five more of their brethren, among whom were Mers. Dillon, Gregoire, and Bodineau.

In the mean time the unpopularity of the nobility increafed almoit to detellation, and to their obftinacy the inactivity of the ftates was wholly attributed--At length the deputies of the people felt themfelves fupported by the public opinion, and on the 17th of June proceeded to the daring ftep of afluming to themfelves the legislative government. On that memorable day, in the midst of an immenfe concourfe of fpectators, the deputies of the people, with fuch of the clergy as had already joined them, announced themselves to the public by the fince celebrated denomination of the national affembly. The hall reecchoed with the exclamations of

joy" Long live the king and the national affembly!" But when the. reprefentatives of the people rofe in folemn filence to take the oath to fulfil with fidelity their duty, every eye was melted into tears, and the enthufiafa of liberty took poffeffion of every heart. This folema ceremony was fucceeded by the nomination of M. Bailly to the office of prefident for four days only, and that

of Meffrs. Camus and Pifon de Galand, as fecretaries for the fame space of time.

The firit refolutions of the affembly, while they were declaratory of the conftitutional power vefted in the reprefentatives of the people, had alfo a regard to the urgent neceflities of the flate-They pronounced "all levies, impofts or taxes, unconftitu. tional, which were not enacted by the formal confent of the reprefentatives of the nation that confequently the exifting taxes were illegal and null;-that notwith tanding this, they, in the name of the nation, gave a temporary fanction to the prefent taxes and levies, which were to continue to be levied in the manner they had hitherto been, only until the feparation of the affembly, from whatever caufe that might happen.” The affembly proceeded to declare, "that as foon as, in concert with his majefty, it fhould be able to fix and determine the principles of national regeneration, it would take into formal confideration the national debt, placing from the prefent moment the creditors of the ftate under the fafeguard of the honour and faith of the French nation." These decrees conclude with a refolution" to inquire into the caufes of the fcarcity which at that period afflicted the kingdom, and into the means of remedying and averting that calamity,"

The firm and temperate conduct of the national affembly awed at first, but did not entirely difconcert the ariftocratic party, which affiduously employed every artifice to elude the blow with which they were threatened. The chamber of the clergy had been engaged for fome days in difcuffing the manner in which they fhould verify their powers; and a number of curés had, during the dif cufion, prefented their writs or titles

to

to the affembly, and returned to their own chamber to defend the popular caufe. At length, on the 19th of June, a majority of that body voted for the verification of their powers in common with the national affembly; which fo much alarmed the court party, that it is confidently reported that M. d'Efpremenil propofed, in the chamber of the nobles, an addrefs to the king, befeeching him to diffolve the ftates-general.

The court was then at Marly, and M. Neckar, engaged with a dying fifter, left the king expofed to every ftratagem that was fpread for his unfufpecting goodnefs. Repeated councils were held, the refult of which could not be very favourable to the views of the people: at laft the king was impreffed with the neceflity of commanding the advance of an immenfe military force to the capital; but both the object and the confequences evince that the defigns of the party did not end there.

On Saturday the 20th of June, the day on which the clergy were to unite themselves to the national affembly, the heralds proclaimed a royal feffion; and a detachment of the guards furrounded the hall of the tates, in order, as it was alleged, that it might be properly prepared for the reception of the king. The prefident and members were repulfed from the door, and acquainted by the commanding officer, that his orders were" to admit no perfon into the hall of the flates-general.” -" And I proteft against these orders," replied the prefident," and the affembly fhall take cognizance of them."

Supported as they perceived themfelves to be by the voice of the people, the affembly were not to be difcouraged by this puerile expedient. On the motion of M, Bailly, they immediately adjourned to a tennis-court 4

fituated in the freet of old Verfailles, where, in the prefence of applauding thoufands, they took a folemn oath, "never to feparate till the conftitution fhould be completed,"

On the 22d another proclamation was iffued, intimating, that the royal feffion was deferred till the fucceeding day; and the hall of the ftatesgeneral ftill remained clofed, on account of the preparations. The affembly wandered from place to place, before they could find a roof capacious enough to shelter fo confiderable a number. They at length affembled in the church of St. Louis; and the majority of the clergy, amounting to 149, affembled in the choir. After a deputation to arrange the ceremonials, the doors of the choir were thrown open; the clergy advanced with their prefident the archbishop of Vienne at their head, and the deputies cordially embraced each other. The fanctity of the place contributed to render the meeting more folemn and affecting, and the plaudits of the fpcctators teftified at once their triumph and their joy. Two nobles of Dauphiné, the marquis de Blacon, and the count d'Agoult, attended at the fame time to prefent their powers; the reft of the minority of the firft order waited the refult of the royal feffion.

The events which had taken place at Verfailles, and the change which they announced in the difpofitions of the government, with refpect to the national affembly, excited at Paris the utmoft confternation. Nor could a letter from Mr. Neckar to the magiftrates, affuring them that no fuch meafure was intended as the diffolution of the states-general, entirely allay the ferment. The royal feffion took place on the 23d. It was at once attended with all that is awful, and all that is magnificent in

arbitrary