and Pefcaire, with remainder to the eldest born of his male de fcendants for ever; withing that the Neapolitan nobility should fee a durable monument of the unfhaken fidelity of that family, and of the recompenfe which it has received. And in order that all which we have prefcribed in this royal edict, figned with our hand, under our feal, and counterfigned by our Minister of State, hould be known to all, we order it to be printed and published in the ufual form in the city of Naples, and in all the provinces of the kingdom. FERDINAND.

Palermo, April 25, 1800. Publifhed at Naples, May 8.

FRANÇOIS SCRATTI.

Letter* from Mr. Merry, Chargé des Affairs of his Britannic Majefty at the Court of Denmark, and addreffed to Count Bernstorf, Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.

Copenhagen, April 10. THE importance which the British government must neceffarily attach to the event which took place in the month of December laft in the vicinity of Gibraltar, between feme frigates of the King and the frigate of his Danish Majefty named the Haufeneu, commandad by Captain Van Dockum, and the orders which have been in confequence fent me by my Court relative to this affair, impofe on me the painful duty of repeating to you in writing the complaint on this subject, which I had the honour of representing to you by word of mouth, in the audience which you were fo kind as to grant me for that purpose about three days ago. The facts upon which the question turns in this business are in themfelves very fimple, and I believe fuch as we are already agreed upon; that is to fay, the English frigates met the Danish frigate upon the high fea efcorting a convoy. The English commander, judging it proper to avail himself of the right of vifiting this convoy, fent on board the Danifh frigate to demand from the captain his deftination. The latter having anfwered that he was then going to Gibraltar; the other replied, that if he was going to ftop at Gibraltar he would not vifit his convoy; but in cafe he fhould not caft anchor in that port, that the vifit would certainly take place. Captain Van Dockum then informed the officer who had come on board, that he would in fach cafe make refiftance. Upon this the English captain made the fignal to examine the con

In the differences which have arifen between Denmark and England on the fubject of the right of vilitation by fea, the details of the affair of the hift Danith frigate taken by the English in the neighbourhood of Gibraltar, have never been officially publifhed by the English government. The above letter, in which thefe details are contained, is extracted from a French paper.

voy. The boat of the frigate the Emerald prepared to execute this order; fome mufketry was fired down from the Danish frigate; and one of the English failors was thereby feverely wounded. This frigate alfo took poffeffion of a boat of the English frigate the Flora, and did not releafe it until after the English captain had made Captain Van Dockum underftand, that, if he did not furrender it immediately, he fhould commence hoftilities. The Danith frigate then repaired with its convoy to the Bay of Gibraltar. There fome difcuffions took place upon this fubject between Lord Keith, admiral and commander of the naval forces of his Britannic Majefly in the Mediterranean, and Captain Van Dockum, whom Lord Keith thought proper to confider as perfonally refponfible, and guilty of the injury done to a fubject of his King, thinking it impoffible that this captain could be authorized to act in fuch a manner by the inftructions of his court.. To clear up the business, the English admiral fent an officer to Captain Van Dockum, praying that he would fhow him these inftructions, and explain their nature. The latter refufed to let the admiral fee the inftructions, alleging that he was forbid to do fo; but he told the officer that they imported that he fhould not permit visitation of his convoy, and that in firing upon the King's boats he only fulfilled his orders. The captain himself afterwards made a like anfwer, and upon his word of honour, in converfation with Lord Keith, in prefence of the Governor of Gibraltar; but he promised at the fame time to furrender himself before a judge, and to give notice of his appearance; and upon this promise he was told he might return on board. Upon his having entered his boat, he fent a letter to the admiral, in which he refused to give the notice required. Thefe difcuffions were terminated by a declaration which Lord Keith made to Captain Van Dockum, that, if he neglected to fubmit, and fhould thereby attempt to withdraw himfelf from juftice, the affair fhould be reprefented to his court."

This, Count, is the statement of the facts which have occafioned the complaint which I am charged to lay before the Danish government. I flatter myself that you will find it accurate, and conformable to the correfpondence between Lord Keith and Captain Van Dockum, in your poffeffion, as you have done me the honour to inform me.

The right of vifiting and examining merchant-veffels on the high fea, of whatever nation they may be, and whatever their cargoes or destinations, the British government regards as the incontestable right of every belligerent nation; a right founded upon the law of nations, and which has been generally admitted and acknowledged. It follows of confequence, that the refiftance made to this vifitation by the commander of a fhip of war belonging to a friendly power, must neceffarily be confidered an act of hoftility, fuch as he

is perfuaded could not be enjoined by the commanders of thips of war of his Danish Majefty by their inftructions. His Britannic Majefty has therefore no doubt of the difpleafure which his Danish Majefty will feet on learning this violent and indefenfible procedure of an officer in his fervice: and the King is perfuaded of the promptitude with which his Danith Majefty will make to his Majefty the formal difavowal and apology which he has fo juft a right to expect from him in the prefent cafe, with a reparation proportioned to the nature of the offence committed.

I am fpecially charged, Count, to make of you a demand of this difavowal, apology, and reparation.

The confidence which I have in the acknowledged juftice of his Danith Majelly, induces me to hope that this fimple and friendly reprefentation will fuffice to obtain it with the promptitude which fo important a cafe requires; but I ought not at the fame time to conceal from you, that however great and fincere may be the defire of the King my mafter to maintain and cultivate the clofeft harmony and friendship with the Court of Denmark, nothing will induce his Majefty to depart from this juft demand. I have the honour to be, &c.

(Signed)

1

ANT. MERRY.

Proclamation of the provifional Government of Milan. THE provifional adminiftration of this city has the fatisfaction. to manifeft to their dear fellow-citizens the generous fentiments of the First Conful of the first nation, the invincible nation. They are authorized to publish the following articles, which are to be inviolably obferved:

Art. 1. The Cifalpine republic is reorganized as a free and independent nation.

2. The free and public exercife of the Catholic religion fhall be preferved in the fame ftate as at the epoch of the first conqueft of Italy. In confequence, all kinds of outrage or infult to the faid religion, its minifters, rites, and fymbols, is prohibited, as well as every act which might tend to prevent or trouble in any manner whatever the full and free exercife of it. Infractions of the prefent prohibition fhall be punished with the moft rigorous penalties, even with capital punishment, upon the decifion of the competent authorities.

3. The property of all citizens, without diftin&tion, shall be refpected.

4. It is forbidden to make ufe of any denominations proper to recall party divifions and fentiments.

Under the happy circumftances in which thefe regulating maxims are proclaimed, the adminiftration could not fee without

pain that feveral perfons have abandoned their country. In confequence, and by the exprefs order of the Firft Conful, the abfent citizens are invited to return to their houfes as speedily as the diftance in which they are at the publication of the prefent decree fhall permit them. Thofe are formally excepted who having taken arms against the Cifalpine republic after the treaty of Campo Formio, ought to be confidered as traitors to the country. 5. All laws promulgated fince the day of the invasion of the Auftrian troops to the return of the French armies, being to be confidered as null, and given without legal authority in a ftate recognised as free and independent by the major part of the powers of Europe, and by the Emperor himself in the faid treaty of Campo Formio, all fequeftrations are taken off, whether placed upon property poffeffed either under the title of ancient property, or in virtue of legal acquifition, under whatever pretext, and upon whatever occafion the faid fequeftrations may have been ordered. 6. The circulation of the cedules of the bank of Vienna is forbidden. In confequence, they fhall neither have currency in private tranfactions, nor be received in the public treafury.

The provifional adminiftration is perfuaded that all the inhabitants of the Cifalpine republic will judge by thefe preliminary difpofitions that the French armies, and the hero who leads them, have no other object than to bring back freedom and independence to their country. Animated with the jufteft gratitude, they ought to be eager to concur with all their means to the fuccefs of the arms of their deliverers, and to the return of a peace, which, after liberty has been reconquered, is the fole good to be defired. Milan-At the Commune Maifon, 15th Prairial (June 4, 1800).

(Signed) MARLANI, SACCHI, GOFFREDO, the provifional Adminiftration.

Proclamation of the Chief Conful.

Milan, 28th Prairial, June 17. BONAPARTE, Chief Conful of the French republic, confidering that the Cifalpine republic, having been recognised free by the Emperor, and the greatest part of the powers of Europe, it is confiftent with the good faith of the French republic, agreeable to their defire to put an end to the war which defolates the continent, and to proceed to the reorganization of the faid republic, decrees as follows:

1. There fhall be affembled at Milan a Confulto, charged with preparing the reorganization of the republic, and drawing up the laws and regulations relative to the different branches of the public administration.

VOL. X.

E

2. The

2. The Confulto fhall be compofed of fifty members, over which the minifter extraordinary of the French republic. fhall prefide.

3. The Confulto, in its firft fitting, fhall decree its plan of bufinefs, and its divifion into fections.

4. The Confulto fhall be required to occupy itself with all the projects of urgent regulations, which fhall be demanded of it by the extraordinary commiffion of the government.

Another Decree, of the fame Date.

BONAPARTE, Firft Conful of the French republic, decrees: Art. 1. There fhall be eftablished at Milan an extraordinary miniftry of the French government.

2. The miniftry fhall be charged with all the relations with the Cifalpine government. No French agent fhall communicate with that government except through this medium.

3. The funds arifing whether from contributions impofed by the French government, or by the general in chief, or from property belonging to powers at war with France, fhall be received under the authority and immediate fuperintendence of the extraordinary ministry. There shall for this purpose be appointed to it a French treafurer, in whofe coffers all the funds fhall be deposited. 4. The funds depofited in the extraordinary treasury fhall not be expended, except by order of the French miniftry, and for the wants of the army.

5. The extraordinary miniftry fhall alone have power to convene the affembly-general of the Confulto, established for the purpofe of preparing the work of the constitution and of the legiflature of the Cifalpine republic, and fhall prefide over it.

Another Decree, of the fame Date.

BONAPARTE, Firft Conful of the French republic, decrees: Art. 1. The government of the Cifalpine republic fhall be provifionally exercifed by an extraordinary committee of nine, who shall unite all the powers of the republic, except the judicial and legiflative.

2. This committee fhall prefent to the Confulto, established by the decree of this date, the laws and regulations which fhall appear to it neceffary.

3. It fhall have power to continue in the prefent tribunals the judges in office, or to replace them with others of its own choice. 4. It fhall establish in every department a commiffioner, who fhall be charged with all the details of the administration.

5. This commiffioner fhall have under his command all the

municipal