338 'Ih-ocffdings of tbt Nat'tcKal Injituti cf t'rana. 



The reception of memoirs will terminate on the 1 5th MelTidor, in the year VII, (July j^ 

 1799) and the prize will be diflributed the 15th Vendcmiaire, in the year VIII (Odober 3, 

 J799)- 



To determine the great changes which have taken place in the globe of the earth, and 

 are either indicated or proved by hiftoiy. 



The concurrence will ceafe on the <;th Vendcmiaire, in the year VIII, (OiElober 6j_ 

 3799) and -the prize will be diftributed en the 15th NivoCe following (January 4, 1800). 



The fame clafs had two prize; to diftribute at this fitting. One on the quellion, 1. For- 

 what objeils, and on what conditions, is it proper that a republican Rate fliould open a 

 public loan ? The other on this queftion : 2. What ate the inftitutions moll proper to 

 eftablifti the morals of a people ? 



The inemorrs tranfmitted not having complied with the condition^ of the program, the 

 Inflitute propofes again the quellion refpecfling loans for th« year Vll. The concurrence 

 ■will clofe on the 7th Meffidor 'June 25, \'K^)), the piizf will be given on the 15th Vci> 

 demiaire following (0£lober 6, i ,99) ; and the clafs of moral and political fclences, at its 

 next public lilting, will give a new program for the development of the queftion refpeft- 

 Ing inditutions. Among the memoirs which have been received, three are noticed as worthy 

 of diftinflion, refpetlively bearing the epigraphs, i. Si forte necefle eft . . . hngere . . . non 

 exaudita . . . contingent ; dabiturque licentia fumpta prudenter. 2. Nee enim ulla res vehe- 

 mentius rempublicam continet, quam fides. 3. On n'honore pas la vertu ; on la refpe£le. 

 The prize propofed for thefe four queftions will be a gold medal of the weight of five 

 tedogrammes (U4S3 grains, or 23 oz. iSdwts. troy). 



Cit. Lacuee , fecretary, in a fhort account of the labours of his clafs, fpoke of two memoirs 

 of Cit Delifle-Defalles, and another of Cit. Rocderer, all three concerning the government 

 of China. It cannot be diflembled, that it will always be very difficult in France to acquire 

 a perfeft knowledge of the government of a nation, of which the laws cannot be Itudied ia 

 the country itfelf, or at leaft in the writings of that peopie. Depending on the report of. 

 other writers, who themfelves may sot; have been pcrfedlly Hiformed, the two members 

 of the Inftitute have maintained different opinions, and each refers to his authorities. Q,\X, 

 Defalks affirms that this government is tyrannical, and brings fa£ls in proof of this . 

 aflertion. Cit. Roederer, from the ftabllity of the government, deduces a proof that its 

 bafis is republican. He eftablifhes, with much acutenefs, a difference between the patrir 

 archal government, in which a fingle chief influences the whole family, and the paternal; 

 government, in which the authority is divided into as many branches as. there are married 

 individuals. He likewife treats of the fyftem of t,he Cbinefe writing. 



Cit. Villeterque, affociate correfpondent, read a memoir fomewhat abftraded on the 

 difference between experiment and reafoning in philofophy. 



Cit. Goffelin was mentioned as the author of another memoir, in which he has developed- 

 the geographical fyftcm of Polybius. It is known that this expreffion denotes the ideas 

 which that hiftorian entertained refpedting the mathematical divifions of the furface of the 

 globe, and the fituations of places. The fame flcilful geographer has before proved that 

 Jrat_Qfthe»eSj Strabo, and. Ptolemy, had very incorredl notions of this fcience. 



Certaki 



M 



