The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-04-08

accustomed to meet together, but were COM
posed OF three separate chambers, repre-
senting respectively the mobiles, the CLERGY
and the Third Estate. h spokesman OF
the Third Estate had demanded a o
number Of representatives and tnat the
vote upon any question should DC 'aAeh
not by Estates, but per capita NecNeii'
now onoe more a Minister, after some hee'-
tation had assented to the demand LOT
double representation put war py the
Third Estate, but erred fatally In leaving
the method Of voting undecided
The King, Louis XVI. In his speech open
ing the States General made scarcely
any ~allusion to political reform, but dweit
on the prodigious increase in the nationai
debt and expressed confidence in the
readiness Of the two Estates representing
the mobiles and the clergy to surrender their
exemption from taxation. Neoker io'-
lowed in a long speech dealing almost ex.
clusively with the finances, and the woru
for which the public ear was istenlns
with eagerness-the Constitution
not once uttered by him.
On the crucial question whether inc
Estates should deliberate n vote sePd,
rately or as n body both NeeKer anu
another Minister who spoke touohed ohiy
incidentally, as being something reserved
for the decision Of the Assembly itsen'
Left to themselves, the Estates feh 70
wrangling on the question OF voting. Inc
mobiles and clergy demanded hat they
should deliberate and vote as formerly,
in their separate chambers; but the lhro
Estate, equal in numbers to the MOBILES
and clergy combined, insisted on one COM
mon chamber. On the two other EstateS
declining to agree to this the Third Es-
tate had recourse to a policy OF inactlon'
and waited quietly for the other chambers
to conn over to it's views. To the acci-
dental circumstance that its hall had served
as the common meeting place for the Whole
Assembly on the opening OF the states
General was added the far weightier one
that discord presently showed itself in both
OF the privileged Estates-a consideraole
minority OF the mobiles rallying around
Lafayette, while among the clergy zVo
Of the village priests felt themselves re-
PEELED from the high dignitaries OF the
Church and attracted toward b class
to which they belonged by birth. Week
after week passed, and yet no step toward
work was taken by the Estates; nor did
either the mobiles or the clergy make any
move toward laying their tax privileges
on the altar Of the fatherland. Az last,
after all negotiations had proved fruitless,
the Third Estate, on June 10, 1889, resolved,
ON the motion Of Able Sieyes, one OF the
Partisan Deputies, to address a final invita-
ton to the two other Estates, n In the
event Of its refusal to proceed indepen-
IDENTIFY with the task Of completing it's
organization. The invitation was not 40
copied, and three days later the Third
Estate began with the formal scrutiny
OF credentials. While this was proceeding
the first three priests came over to 1t. On
June II the representatives Of the Third
Estate made public demonstration OF the
i%rrevocability Of their breach with the
feudal orders by assuming, Oh their own
authority, the name Of National Assembly,
in compliance with desires which had been
expressed in many petitions (edhiers).
They further announced hat the existing
taxes and duties, although Illegally i'm
posed, would continue to be collected
Professionally till the close Of the session,
and placed the State creditors under the
protection OF the national honor, as the
Russian State Duma is expected to do
The ~usurpation Of functions hitherto re-
served to royalty awoke the Court from its
lethargy.
The King came to the resolution OF pro-
mitigating, in virtue Of his W absolute
power, q constitution in which he made the
cause Of the privileged classes bis own. As
proper notice Of the closing OF their cham
Der, to admit of alterations being made In 1t
to adapt 1t for a royal session, was not given
to the Third Estate, that body saw in this
move a coup d'etdt. On June 20 1t turned
away from the doors closed against it and
betook itself to a tennis court belonging TO
one Of the princes Of the blood, where. under
the presidency OF Bailly, a stinguished
savant, and on the motion Of the strongly
monarchical Mounier, it pledged itself by a
solemn oath not to dissolve before Ii had
framed a constitution for the nation. On
the tennis court also being closed to the
members, they assembled on june 20 in the
Church Of St. Louis. Here entered, amid
storms Of applause. l49 Of the clergy, in order
to join the Third Estate. Even this signif-
cant incident wrought no change in the reso-
luton OF the Court. On June % the an
nounoed royal session was held, Neoker
being conspicuous by his absence. The
King read a speech In which he made known
Ills Will UllhU Iuc u6ulliOhni oCpeldbOu Ol LILO
Estates be maintained; declared the resolu-
ions adopted by the Third Estate on June
l7illegal, and null and void; promised a num-
Der OF reforms, including the freedom Of the
press, the right Of the Estates to vote taxes
and loans, the abolition Of the tdiue "a par
ticularly odious form Of taxation), forced
labor, serfdom and letres de cachet; and
closed with the command that the Estates
should adjourn forthwith to meet next day
In separate chambers. Prof. Flathe points
out that what the King here granted COM
pretended nearly ell that the public voice
had demanded, but the supplementary sepa-
ration Of the Estates deprived the conoes-
sions Of all worth. for the two votes Of the
nobility and the clergy against the one Of
the Third Estate rendered it certain that the
essential preliminary to all reforms, namely,
the abolition OF privileges, would never be
attained.
The nobility and a part Of the clergy left
the hall with the King, but the members
OF the Third Estate kept thor seats. On
the motion Of Mirabeau, the Assembly pro-
nounoed its members inviolable. The
King on hearing Of the position taken by