A COLLECTION OF STATE PAPERS, RELATIVE TO THE WAR against FRANCE Now carrying on by GREAT BRITAIN and the INTRODUCTION, IN N laying before the Public the Fourth Volume of this collec tion, the Editor cannot refrain from expreffing his grateful sense of the encouragement with which the former volumes have been honoured---a fimilar degree of encouragement he hopes the present volume will be found to merit. He has drawn his materials from the best sources, and collected the papers, of which the volume is compofed, from the most authentic records. He has endeavoured to combine accuracy of detail with clearness of arrangement, and has attempted to execute his tranflations with that fidelity which is fa peculiarly neceffary in a work that aspires to the character of be ing official. Several of the papers have never appeared in any other publication in this country---of others, mutilated copies only have been published, which have of course led to very material errors; and these the Editor has diligently laboured to restore to their original meaning, It was his intention to have brought the present volume to the close of the last year only---but yielding to the fuggestions of feveral gentlemen, who reprefented to him, that it would be more acceptable to the public to poftpone it till there was a fufficient quantity of materials to form a volume, he was induced to include the Parliamentary Papers to the diffolution in May laft, and the other documents, to the prefent time. VOL. III.-PART ii. 2 The The frequent references that have been made to the present Conftitution of the French Republic have induced him to include it in the prefent collection. There have already appeared in this country, copies of the Conftitution, as fubmitted by the Commiffion of Eleven to the National Convention---but confiderable alterations having been made in the plan of the Commiffion, he obtained from Paris a correct copy of the Constitution, as it was finally decreed by the Convention, and accepted by the French Nation. 23d July, 1796. |