120 



Account of the JVur Depot in Frajicc. [Sept. 1 , 



" The memoirs, plan's, orother olijc£ts, or 

 «nv of tlicm coniprifcd in this department, 

 and hereby confided to the charge of the Ui- 

 re(Sor Genera! of the War Depot, may not, 

 on any pretence or occafion, be delivered to 

 any perfon whomfoever, unlefi fuch peilon be 

 autlioiized, by a written order from the Mi- 

 niftcr of War, to receive the fame. All me- 

 moirs. Sec. to be clafl'ed alph;ibctically, fo 

 that no delay c:n arlfe in communicating any 

 information to the Minider, or to hio written 

 order, whenever the fame rtiall be demanded; 

 the Minifter rcferving to himfelf the power 

 of infpedlln^ thefe records, cither in the pre- 

 fence of the Dire(f>nr General of the Depot, 

 or of any other perfon, at his option, ollicl- 

 ally interefted in fuch inquiry. 



" An inventory to be made, as foon as 

 time will permit, of every document emolled 

 io the War Depot ; one duplicitc there- 

 of to be depofited in the olTicc of the Minifter, 

 and another to be given to the Diicftor Gene- 

 ral of the DcpCt, who ihall be held pcrfonally 

 refponfible for every part of the truft confided 

 to him. 



" Every perfon authorized by the written 

 order of the Minifter will be required to give 

 n written receipt for every paper delivered to 

 him from the Depot, epgagini; to return the 

 fume at or within a given time ; and fuch pa- 

 per Aall, upon fiicli delivery, refume its for- 

 mer fituation. The Minirter not to be exempt 

 from this formality, fo necefiary forthe pre- 

 fervation of regularity and order in the De- 

 pot. 



" The following are the duties impofed up- 

 on the Dircftor General : — 



" To analyze the military memoirs, plans, 

 charts, and other informations, within his 

 cuftody, relating to our coaft and frontiers. 



" To make notes of fuch as require to be 

 re-copied or attefted, and give information of 

 tliofe parts of our coafts or frontiers as have 

 not yet been furveyed. To exhibit to the Mi- 

 nifter all topographical ami military opera- 

 tions in'his poffeflion, in any wife calculated 

 to aflift the Adjutant-Generals of the differ- 

 ent divifions, in their refpeftive plans ; and 

 afterwards to colleift t'^e drawings of thofe 

 ofiicers, and to enroll the fame in the War 

 Depot. 



" To review and cftablifli, upon tHc evi- 

 dence of official reports fent in, the advan- 

 tages and difadvantages to refult from any 

 change in our frontier, either granted to, or 

 demanded from, any foreign power ; and to 

 compare the fame with the Cnmmiittee of For- 

 tifications, or the Dirtftor of the Depot, for 

 " Reports on the Defence of Pofts " 



" To examine and regulate all military 

 comments on the procefs of opening nevv 

 roads, the dircdion of water-courfcs, the 

 ereiftion of temporary bridges on our frontiers, 

 and to decide how far the lattei are favourable 

 to commerce, or unfavourable to the pofture 

 and defence of that particular part of the 

 coiiiitry. 



" To clafs all the records of the Depot in 

 the order bell adapted to military inftruc- 

 tion. 



" Thcfe duties to be fulfilled in concert: 

 with the Director of the Depot of Fortifica- 

 tions, fo that the Minifter be fumiflied witU 

 every nccefliiry information as to general re- 

 ports ; and the local pofitions taken, or to be 

 taken, by our army on the frontiers. 



" The Depot relating to fortifications has 

 been confided to the dircilion of Engineer otli- 

 cers, and it is proper that the fame flinuld b<; 

 independent of the War Depot — but their 

 mutual CO operation is cfiential for the good 

 of the fervice. 



" The Director of the Engineer Depot, 

 therefoie, is authorized to infpe£l all the 

 works wlii^h have been, or hereafter may be, 

 furnilhed, by Engineer ofticers to the War 

 Depot, and to direit copies to be taken of the 

 fame, fo that the committee of that corps 

 may be better enabled, without borrowing 

 their own plans, to purfue their accuftomed 

 fervice. Thefe communications to be reci- 

 proc.d 5 and the Dircftor of the War Depot 

 is hereby authorized to procure copies to be 

 taken of fuch communications from the ftaft' 

 of tliearmyas maybe enrolled to the Depot 

 of Fcrtification.-i. 



" With rcfjiccl to roads, canals, and bridges 

 on our frontiers, fortrcfles, and fortified en- 

 campments, all fuch parts of the fervice /hall 

 be fully difcuffed by the refpedlive Diretlors 

 of the War and Fortification Depots, in pre- 

 fence of tlie Minifter at War. 



'" Tlie Minifter of the Interior rtialllie re- 

 quefted to ifi'uc orders to the Engineers for 

 bridges and embankments, to abide by the re- 

 fult of fuch confultation. 



•' The Minifter of War will be careful that 

 perfons return to the War Depot all borrowed 

 plans,' charts, letters, memoirs, &c. as fooa 

 as rliey rtiall have made their necefiary refe- 

 rences thereto; and that they be again enroll- 

 ed, to anfwcr future exigency. 



" The prefent regulations are not intended 

 fo aifeft thofe already made for the Depot of 

 Fortifications, nor thofe relating to Commit- 

 tees, in conformity to the .^r?/ by the King, 

 dated December IJ, 1701. 



'< The Direftor General of the War Depot 

 maybe afilPed by twoollicers in the excrcifc 

 of his various functions, jirovided fuch offi- 

 cers are not fo employed to the prejudice of 

 thei/regular fervice. 



"Done at l^aris, this 25th of April, 178?, 

 (Sigired) "Louis." 



" By the King, 



(Signed) "P. JcGrave." 



.\l this period ihc aiiiiiial cxpcnces of* 

 the Wai- Depot were eltimated at 68,000 

 t'lancs, and loon after Geography alirl 

 Iliftory were deprived of sirtificcrs, anfj 

 reniained (tationary. Even the Witr De- 

 pot was for fomc time toVnily nesiiected : 

 It is true (Jitizeu Ponccl whs olleiiiihly 

 1 tlid 



