The king gave notice to the committees that his desire was to have the deliberations directed not to the basis of the question but to the form of collection of taxes.

The Archbishop of Narbonne (Dillon) raised his voice against the king's exclusive right to decide upon imposts.

"Your Royal Highness will allow me to tell you," was the reply made to the Count of Artois, president of his committee, by an attorney-general of the parliament of Aix, M.de Castillon, "that there exists no authority which can pass a territorial impost such as that proposed, nor this assembly, august as it may be, nor the parliaments, nor the several states, nor the king himself; the States-general alone would have that power." Thus was proposed, in the very midst of the Assembly intended to keep it out, that great question of the convocation of the States-general which had been so long uppermost in all minds.

"It is the States-general you demand!" said the Count of Artois to M.de La Fayette.

"Yes, my lord," replied the latter, "and something better still if possible!" The comptroller-general continued to elude inquiry into the state of the treasury.