considered as the maximum, susceptible of diminution according to the King's pleasure.

From this Revenue a sum of 150,000 ounces to be applied annually, in the first place, towards the extinction of the Debts of the State, bearing no interest, and afterwards towards forming a Sinking Fund for the payment of the interest, and for the ultimate liquidation of all other Debts.

This very necessary and just disposition will be particularly agreeable to the Sicilians, who have long despaired of receiving either principal or interest.

His Majesty finally declares, that he will at no time, nor under any circumstances, attempt to levy any Taxes in Sicily, exceeding this permanent Revenue, without the consent of the Parliament.

This last expression gave rise to a considerable degree of discussion in this, as well as in several subsequent Conferences;* **** wishing to substitute the words, without the consent of the Sicilian Nation to this I most strongly objected. The immense importance of the word will certainly not escape your Lordship. It is, in fact, the key-stone of our consistency, the omission of which would undoubtedly subject us to the reproach particularly pointed out in my Instructions. We cannot consent to its omission, and of this the Neapolitan Governnient is fully aware.

The remaining points are, the confirmation of the entire abolition of the Feudal System in both Kingdoms, and the regulation of the Order of Succession, according to the settle.nent of Charles III, in 1759. This last Article will be inserted in order to silence the absurd reports in circulation respecting Prince Leopold, and the Crown of Naples.

As soon as these Decrees are promulgated, the nomination of the Sicilians, who are to fill the great Offices, will take place; and this nomination, I am happy to inform your Lordship, will include every Individual of note who took part with the British Authorities during the late turbulent times.

Such is the Plan proposed; and it must be allowed that (admitting the necessity of the changes,) it could hardly be effected in a more prudent manner. There is not a word in either Paper that can be objected to by the Power most delicately situated, and most interested in these alterations. There is no offensive allusion to the past, and nothing that leaves an opening for any just accusation against us for dereliction of principle.

The Union of the 2 Kingdoms necessitates certain changes; these changes involve, without pronouncing, the abolition of several parts of the former System. The ancient Privileges of the Nation are distinctly preserved, by the stipulation that the King shall raise no Taxes exceeding the fixed Revenue of the State, without the consent of his Parliament. The fixed Revenue of the State is that

voted by the Parliament itself. And, finally, a number of personal advantages are granted to Sicilian Subjects, which cannot but prove most acceptable to them.

It may still, and no doubt will be, necessary to keep a watchful eye over all that is done in Sicily; and your Lordship may be assured, that I will continue to do so, and in such a manner as in no way to commit my Government. The advancement of those who acted with us, to Offices of trust and profit, will be a secure pledge to your Lordship, that nothing in the proposed changes will take the character of a re-action. This is a very principal point, and I have every reason to hope that, in other respects, the alterations will be so conducted as to leave little for me to do, but to congratulate your Lordship upon our total release from all the responsibility arising from the part we were obliged to take, and the position we held during so long a period in that Island.

I have the honour to be, &c. Viscount Castlereagh, K.G.

WILLIAM A'COURT.

No. 3.-William A'Court, Esq. to Viscount Castlereagh. (Extract.) Naples, 9th December, 1816. YOUR Lordship has already been made acquainted with the decision with respect to the projected alterations of the Sicilian Constitution.

The important Stipulation, that the King shall raise no Taxes exceeding the fixed Revenue of the State, without the consent of Parliament, remains unaltered. The whole plan will be put into execution immediately.

The Marquis Circello has forwarded to me the enclosed Official Answer to my verbal declaration upon Sicilian Affairs. He has also communicated to me, Officially, the 3 Papers, Translations of which I have the honour to enclose.

I have the honour to be, &c.

Viscount Castlereagh, K.G.

WILLIAM A'COURT.

(Enclosure.)—The Marquis Circello to William A'Court, Esq. (Translation.)

(Extract.)

Naples, 6th December, 1816. THE Marquis Circello has taken into his mature consideration the verbal declaration, which his Excellency Mr. A'Court, His Britannic Majesty's Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary, has made to him.

It was stated in this declaration, as nearly as the Marquis Circello can remember, that His Royal Highness the Prince Regent, from mo

tives of friendship to his Ally, the King of the 2 Sicilies, wished that these changes should be wisely and prudently effectuated ;-that, as to his own conduct, His Royal Highness the Prince Regent would abstain from all interference in the internal affairs of a Foreign and Independent State, provided his own honour and the good faith of his Government did not otherwise require it, and this would be in the 2 following cases:-1st. If the Sicilians, who, during the last few years, had acted in concert with the British Authorities, were exposed to a re-action; and 2ndly. If the condition of Sicily should be rendered worse than it was in former times.

The Marquis Circello having submitted, as was his duty, this declaration to His Majesty the King, his Master, must first assure Mr. A'Court, that His Majesty acknowledges in this declaration a new proof of the particular regard and friendship of his August Ally; and he desires that Mr. A'Court will express his most lively gratitude to His Royal Highness.

Reverting to the contents of the declaration, His Majesty, applauding the principles by which the British Government is animated, declares that he accepts and confirms the 2 reserves, which are expressed in the declaration.

With respect to the first, concerning the Sicilians who have acted in concert with the British Authorities; His Majesty will not only consider them in the same light as his other Subjects, but promises, besides, that wherever, by their talents or their moral qualities, they may be capable of rendering themselves useful, he will employ them without any regard to the opinions which they may have formerly pro· fessed. The conduct pursued by His Majesty since the recovery of the Kingdom of Naples, is an evident proof of the sanctity of the principle he professes, that all those of his Subjects distinguished by talent, zeal and good moral conduct, have an equal right to his royal consideration.

With respect to the second reserve, the annexed Papers, marked (A) (B) (C) which the Marquis Circello has the honour to transmit to Mr. A'Court, will explain to him the system of organization, which the King proposes to establish in Sicily. His Majesty could do no less than occupy himself about it, when he saw that the Commission of State, charged with this labour, did not correspond with his royal wishes, and had let 18 months pass away without doing anything.

It must be observed, that His Majesty has, in some measure, diminished his authority in the Impositions, by the maximum to which he has consented, which modifies the amount of the Public Revenue fixed by the Parliament of 1813; and His Majesty has not hesitated to promise, in the event of there being a necessity to exceed it, that it shall not be done otherwise than with the consent of the Parliament.

If His Majesty has reserved to himself the repartition of this Revenue, he has not determined so to do, but by a consideration of the public good for the experience of Ages has proved, that the poorer Classes, notwithstanding all the efforts of the Government, have always hitherto been overloaded, oppressed and sacrificed, in the repartition of the Taxes, beyond any just proportion.

Finally, amongst the benefits granted by His Majesty to the Sicilians, the confirmation of the abolition of the Feudal System is deserving of the notice of the British Government.

The Marquis Circello profits, &c. H. E. Mr. A Court.

THE MARQUIS CIRCELLO.

(Sub Enclosure A.)-FUNDAMENTAL LAW of The King, relative to the Administration of the Government of the 2 Sicilies.Caserta, 8th December, 1816

(Translation.)

FERDINAND I. by the Grace of God, King of the Kingdom of the 2 Sicilies, of Jerusalem, &c.; Infant of Spain, Duke of Parma, Placentia, Castro, &c.; Hereditary Grand Prince of Tuscany, &c.

The Congress of Vienna having, by the solemn Act to which Europe owes the re-establishment of justice and peace, confirmed the legitimacy of the Rights of our Crown, and thereby recognized Us, and our Heirs and Successors, King of the Kingdom of the 2 Sicilies:

And We being desirous on our part, after the Ratification of that Act by all the Powers, to cause it to be carried into full effect, have determined to ordaia and declare the following Dispositions to be the fundamental and perpetual Law of our States:

ART. I. All our Royal Dominions on this and the other side of the Straits shall constitute the Kingdom of the 2 Sicilies.

II. The Title which we assume, from the moment of the publication of the present Law, is the following:

"Ferdinand I., by the Grace of God, King of the Kingdom of the 2 Sicilies, of Jerusalem, &c.; Infant of Spain; Duke of Parma, Placentia, Castro, &c. &c.; Hereditary Grand Prince of Tuscany, &c. &c. &c."

III. All the Acts that shall be issued by us, or that shall be promulgated in our Royal Name by the Public Functionaries in our Kingdom of the 2 Sicilies, shall be headed by the Title specified in the preceding Article.

IV. The Full Powers and Patents which have been furnished to any of our Ambassadors, Ministers, and Agents, residing with Foreign Powers, shall be immediately withdrawn, and at the same time changed for others, to be made out conformably to the IId Article.

V. The Succession in the Kingdom of the 2 Sicilies shall be

regulated for ever agreeably to the Law of our August Father, Charles III. published at Naples, on the 6th of October, 1759.

VI. We establish a General Chancery in the Kingdom of the 2 Sicilies, which shall always be held in the place of our usual residence, and shall have for its President 1 of our Ministers and Secretaries of State, to be styled the Minister Chancellor of the Kingdom of the 2 Sicilies.

VII. In this General Chancery there shall be kept a Register of, and there shall be deposited, all the Laws and Decrees that shall emanate from us.

VIII. The Minister Chancellor shall affix our Royal Seal to all our Laws and Decrees, and shall authenticate and countersign upon them our Signature. He shall also be charged with the transmission of all our Laws and Decrees to all the constituted Authorities of the Kingdom of the 2 Sicilies; and he shall cause them to be published and carried into execution.

IX. There shall also be held, in the same General Chancery, a Council for the discussion and preparation of the more important affairs of State, previous to their being laid before us by our Ministers, for our Sovereign decision in our Council of State, and it shall be denominated the Supreme Council of Chancery. The Minister Chancellor shall preside over the latter.

X. A Special Law shall fix the internal organization of the General Chancery, and shall define therein, more distinctly, the attributes of the Minister Chancellor, and of the Supreme Council of Chancery.

It is our Will and Command, that this our Law, signed by us, authenticated by our Councillor and Secretary of State, the Minister of Grace and Justice, sealed with our Great Seal, and countersigned by our Councillor and Secretary of State, the Minister Chancellor, and registered and deposited in the General Chancery of the Kingdom of the 2 Sicilies, be published with the usual solemnities throughout the Kingdom, by means of the respective Authorities, who shall cause it to be registered, and see that it be carried into effect.

Our Minister Chancellor of the Kingdom of the 2 Sicilies is specially charged to watch over its publication.

Given at Caserta, the 8th of December, 1816.

The Secretary of State, Minister of Grace and Justice,

FERDINANDO.

MARCHESE TOMMASI.

TOMMASO DI SOMMA.

The Secretary of State, Minister Chancellor,

[181C-17.]

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