STATE PAPERS. 
Decree af the King of Spain, dated 
February 1795. 
THE expences of the present 
war being so great, and being ever 
desirous of easing my beloved sub- 
jects from imposts, taxes, and con- 
tributions which are necessary for 
supporting the present war with 
vigour, which, in many respects, 
is of so much importance to the 
mation, amongst whom our holy 
religion occupies the first place, 
I have represented to his holiness 
the Pope, by my minister the ple- 
nipotentiary in Rome, the indis- 
pensable necessity of causing the 
estates of the military orders tocon- 
tribute towards the said expences, 
as likewise- the religious order of 
St. John, in my dominions, by 
taxing them at the rate of twelve 
per cent. in kind or produce, or 
eight per cent. in money, per an- 
num, and that the pensions of the ‘ 
Spanish order of Charles the 
Third should be included in this 
regulation. 
His holiness being convinced of 
the just and urgent motives which 
render this impost necessary, had 
agreed, that it shall be levied, 
on condition that it is only to last 
two years after the expiration of the 
present war, ‘This dispensation, 
dated the sth of November last, 
has been sent to the council of the 
order, and in consequence, there- 
fore, it shall commence from the 
beginning of this year, through 
the medium of the general ofhce 
for the imposition and levying of 
the respective twelve or eight per 
cent. upon the estates of the four 
military orders, as the contribution 
shall be either in produce or money, 
taking special care, by all means 
and precautions, that the “same 
i 
223 
may be levied justly and faith. 
fully. 
Respecting the religious order of 
St. John and the royal Spanish 
order of Charles IIf. I have given 
the necessary orders for the col- 
le&tion of this -ten#poral impost,>~ 
consequently, there only remains 
under the said council, the exaGtion 
of the military orders on which it 
is to have immediate jurisdidtion, 
putting the produce annually in 
the disposition and power of my 
secretary of state and the office of 
finances, by which means all doubts 
or dificuities which may arise in 
the execution of this, upon which 
head I give particular charge, 
will be heard in the council, and 
after justly examining, order that 
the fulfilling shali be pan&tually 
complied with. 
In Aranjuez, 4th Feb. ry95. 
(Signed) Tue Duxe or Heyar. 
Edict of the Grand Duke of Tuscany. 
HIS royal highness having, sinte 
the very beginning of the present 
war, been of opinion, that 1t was 
neither just nor convenient for 
Tuscany to take any attive part in’ 
the transactions which at this pre- 
sent time cenvulse Kurope; that 
the welfare’ and safery ‘of this 
country should not be entrusted to 
the preponderance of any of the 
belligerent powers, but to the sa, 
‘cred right of nations, and to the 
inviolable faith of those. treaties 
which guarantee the immunities, 
and of course the neutrality of the 
port of Leghorn; and lastly, that 
the natural and political situation 
of his dominions demard the most 
impartial line of conduét, has re. 
