feverest blow which we can ftrike against the Englishman is to destroy his commerce. A member faid yesterday on this tribunepeace is in the hands of England. It is an acknowledged truth, our difpofitions are not doubtful.

But if that government defies the cries of humanity, if it refifts longer the wifh of that people, we will have it to know, that it approaches the moment when all the channels of its commerce fhall be drained.

Its being fo much over-ftocked, muft every day prove more. fatal. In vain have they stored all the northern nations with their goods; they have no way to fet them off. Some merchants had endeavoured to open them a channel by Bern, at the prejudice of their own intereft; but thofe will alfo be difappointed.

Frenchmen, if you wish for peace, reject far from you all English goods. Dread not privation; the produce of our manufactures is fufficient for our exigencies. Encourage the national industry, and you will obtain the end of your withes.

The reporter prefented the plan of a refolution. The report was ordered to be printed, and the confideration of it was adjourned.

On the 26th of October, the Executive Directory of the French Republic prefented a fecond Meffage upon the Subject to the Council of Five Hundred.

CITIZENS REPRESENTATIVES,

is of moment that the Executive Directory fhould not conceal from you, that, by the official correfpondence of its agents, and by private informations which they receive from all parts, they are certain, that if the Legislative Body does not take speedy measures to prevent the importation and fale of English goods in France, the Batavian Convention will not delay revoking the decree which it enacted, to extend the fame prohibition. of Holland.

The Executive Directory ought to enable you to obferve at the fame time, that the uncertainty refpecting the refolution you will deem proper to take on that fubject, flops the progress of the happy effects, which had been produced by the fole propofition of feconding the measure taken by the Dutch, by reducing a pound fterling to 21 livres, 10 fous, which had been raised at that epoch to 24 livres, 5 fous, by the exchange.

They ought finally to remark, that if the prohibition they request is not decreed foon, if the delays on that point, or the modifications which deftroy the main end of the principal object, fhould occafion the revocation of the measures taken by the VOL. V.

R

Dutch,

Dutch, England will foon fee vanifh the embarraffinent fhe feels to procure the fupplies fhe ftands in need of, if the wishes to profecute the war, and that the British commerce would even then feel a mighty intereft to fee it prolonged.

The determination which you are about to take, Citizens Representatives, will thus have a moft ftriking influence on the fuccefs of the negociations which occupy that government at this moment for the restoration of peace.

(Signed) REVELLIERE LEPEAUX, prefident. LAGARDE, fecretary general.

On the 2d of November, the Council of Five Hundred passed the following Refolutions.

ART. Į. All articles manufactured in England, or in English establishments, fhall continue to be prohibited throughout the whole of the republic. From the date of the publication of this law, all perfons are forbidden to expofe fuch articles to fale, or to give notice that they are to be fold.

II. No article, containing articles of English manufacture, fhall, under any pretext, enter the ports of the Republic.

III. The neceffity of putting into a port fhall not furnish a plea for any deviation from the preceding article, where the vessel exceeds ten tons in burden.

IV. With respect to veffels above ten tons, proved to have been forced into port, the captain, on the moment of his arrival, fhall produce to the commiffioners of the customs an exact statement of the quantity, quality, and value of English merchandize according to the inventory; it fhall be depofited in a magazine with three keys; one to be kept by the captain, the other by the commiffioners, and the third by the municipal agent of the commune; and the ship fhall not depart till the captain has proved that they have been all re-embarked exactly as they were delivered.

V. Articles of English manufacture in vellels taken from the enemy, or fhipwrecked, or thofe which arife from confifcation, shall be deposited in magazines till they are again exported.

VI. Every perfon who fhall have occafion to vifit a magazine where English manufactures are depofited, fhall, within three days after the publication of the law, give in to the municipal adminiftration of the canton a detailed account of their quantity, quality, and value.

VII. Within the extent of three leagues from the frontiers, by land or fea, the preceding declaration to be made to the nearest office of customs, and the goods depofited in magazines appointed for the purpose.

VIII. After the expiration of the period fixed to make the declaration, the officers of the cuftoms, accompanied by a municipal adminiftrator, may vifit the houses fufpected to contain or conceal articles fabricated in England. Vifits during the day may alfo be made by the proper officers, to discover whether any articles prohibited by this decree are concealed in magazines; and if any fuch are found, the whole houfe of the owner of the magazine may be fearched."

IX. All military corps ftationed on the frontiers, and all public functionaries, are enjoined to ftop any article of English manufacture found on the territory of the Republic.

X. Violations of the decree to be punished with arrest (the criminal to be brought before the tribunal of correctional police) and confifcation of the goods, veffels, carriages, horses, and beafts of burden; and the delinquent, befides, to be condemned to pay not lefs than double the value of the object feized; and imprisonment for a period not lefs than five days, nor more than three months. In cafe of a repetition of the offence the fine to be double, and the imprisonment for the fpace of fix months.

XI. The value of the goods confifcated fhall be given as a reward to the feizers, or to those who have affifted in the arrest. A fixth of the confifcation is granted as an indemnity to the municipal adminiftrators and commiffioners of the Executive Directory, in all cafes where their prefence is appointed by the law.

XII. Of English manufacture are confidered all goods, whether directly brought from England, or coming indirectly from other countries.

1. All kinds of cloth and ftuffs of wool and cotton, or mixtures of these materials; tamboured nankeens, muflins, ftriped woollen and cotton cloths, and English tapestry.

2. All kinds of cotton or woollen caps, fimple or mixed. 3. Buttons of every kind.

4. All kinds of metal; all wrought iron, cutlery, clock-work, fteel, copper, tin, white iron, polished or rough, pure or mixed. 5. Tanned leather, dreffed hides, or plain for carriages or boots, harness, and all fadlery wares.

6. Riband, hats, gauzes, known as English wares.

7. All kind of fkins for gloves or breeches, and these articles in a manufactured state.

8. All kinds of glass and cryftal, except vafes of glass used in chymistry, and glaffes for fpectacles and watches.

9. Refined fugars.

10. All kinds of pottery known by the name of pipe-clay. XIII. The refined fugars comprehended in the preceding article actually in the interior, are not subject to these declara

tions, and to be lodged in the magazines according to the preceding articles.

XIV. All the objects of foreign manufacture different from those pointed out in article XII. of which the import is not prohibited by former laws, fhall not be admitted unless accompanied with certificates, that they are the produce of countries at peace with France.

XV. Certificates fhall be delivered by the French confuls, or by the public offices; they fhall contain a formal atteftation that the articles have been manufactured in the faid country, and shall mention the name of the artist.

XVI. In addition to the penaltics above pronounced, the names, firnames, ages, profeffions, and places of abode of the violators of the law and of their agents, fhall by the fpecial interference of the minifter of the interior, be ftuck up in all public places, and inferted in the periodical papers, under the general title of brokers of England, deftroyers of French induftry. For this purpofe the commiffioners of the Executive Directory, with the tribunals of correctional police, fhall be bound to fend to the minifter of the interior the names, firnames, ages, profeffions, and places of abode, of all thofe against whom he fhall have pronounced fentence in terms of the prefent law. XVII. All the regulations of the former laws, contrary to the prefent, are repealed.

The above refolutions were afterwards fanctioned by the council of Ancients.

In the Council of Five Hundred, on the 19th of October 1796.· CAMBACERES, in the name of a special commiffion, made

a report on a meflage of the Directory, in which he calls on the legislative body to fecure the return of peace, by a vigorous organization of the means proper for the continuance of the war, and for providing against the wants which muft arife from the delicate paffage from the ftate of war to that of peace.

"The French government," faid he, " is defirous of a fincere, fpeady, honourable, and univerfal peace. Peace is in the hands of our enemies: on their will it depends. If they act with frankness and fincerity, tranquillity will speedily be restored to Europe. Our wants are multiplied, it is true, but our refources are not exhaufted: we have domains to alienate, and arrears to recover. We have no need of loans, fubfidies, or violent means. Our territorial riches are fufficient for us, and will enable us to meet both the war expenditure and the acquittal of the public debt."

The

The reporter now prefented the following plans of refolution: 1. For the fervice of the 5th year there fhall be a fund of 450,000,000 of livres in fpecie, for the fixed expences; and another fund of 550,000,000, also, in fpecie, for the extraordinaries.

2. The funds for the fixed expences fhall be drawn from the produce of the contributions of the 5th year.

3. The funds for the extraordinaries Thall be drawn from the arrears of the contributions, and from the revenues of the national domains and forefts. And, to complete the 550,000,000, a fufficient quantity of national domains fhall be fold by auction, and the payments fhall be made, a tenth part in fpecie, fourtenths in fchedules, and the other five-tenths in government debentures.

4. The territorial contributions for the 5th year are fixed at 250,000,000, to be taken from all the departments, and the perfonal and fumptuary contribution at 50,000,000.

5. The members of the central and municipal administrations fhall, as foon as poffible, proceed to the collection of the direct contribution.

The above refolutions were agreed to.

Speech of the Minifter Plenipotentiary from the Landgrave of Heffe Caffel to the Executive Directory, on the 31st October, 1796.

CITIZENS DIRECTORS,

THE landgrave of Heffe Caffel, in appointing me his minifter plenipotentiary to the French Republic, has charged me to declare his moft profound veneration for the government, and for the refpectable perfons invefted with the executive power. If the events which occurred at the termination of the laft century, and the total change of policy which has taken place in the prefent, have broken all the bonds of amity which in former periods attached Heffe to France, the zeal with which the Landgrave acceded to the peace of Balle, and the conduct which he has obferved fince that interefting epoch, proves his fincere defire of re-establishing a good understanding with France, and of fecuring the happiness of his people. Such fentiments are the best guarantees for the treaties and the fincerity of alliances. Deign then, Citizen Directors, to receive through me this teftimony of the perfect attachment which the Landgrave has vowed to France, and rely upon his ardent defire of affording you convincing proofs of his refpect. I am exceedingly happy that my ferene mafter has been pleased to choose me for the organ of this miffion. My greatest efforts fhall be to merit your confidence, and my molt ardent hope to gain the affection of the Directory. Accept, Citizens Directors,