which we have before mentioned, now fixed itself on politics. The
people exclaimed against the weight of taxes, and the extravagance
of courtiers; they complained of peculiar exemptions from the
general burthens, and of grievances which arose from lettres-de
-cachet, and other despotic powers of the government.

The King, desirous of yielding to the wishes of the people, recalled
Monsieur NECKAR to the administration, and in conformity to his
advice, his Majesty declared his resolution of convening the
states-general. But in order to regulate all matters relative to the
meeting of this important assembly, it was resolved to convoke the
notables a second time. Among these, a diversity of opinion appeared
respecting the comparative number of deputies to be sent by the
Commons, and the two other orders; the cardinal point on which the
whole success of the revolution eventually turned. [Footnote: The
last assembly of the states-general, which had been held in France in
1614, was composed of 140 deputies from the order of the clergy,
among whom were five cardinals, seven archbishops, and 47 bishops;
132, representatives of the nobility; and 192 deputies from the
commons. The Cardinal de JOYEUSE was president of the clergy; the
Baron SENECEY of the nobility; and the president of the commons was
ROBERT MIRON, Prêvot-de-Marchands, (an officer similar to that of
mayor of Paris.)] All the classes into which the notables were
divided, decided for an equality of deputies, except those in which
MONSIEUR and the Duke of ORLEANS presided.

In these, it was agreed that the representatives of the commons
should be equal in number to those of the other two states. The
ministry were of opinion that this double representation was
adviseable (sic), and persuaded themselves that, through their weight