‘ 
$20 
The wages of vulgar labour in the 
country have risen about a fourth ; and 
the consequent increase of ease and 
luxury in the most numerous class is real 
and apparent. The quantity of waste 
land has decreased, and a very indus- 
trious agriculture prevails. Still the ex- 
_eessive subdivision of estates, the mis- 
chievous smallness of farms, which are 
mostly occupied by the owner, and the 
deficiency of stock and capital, render 
French agriciwture less productive than 
our own. A conscription of 120,000 
men, requires but two men and a fraction 
out of each commune, which is a conso- 
lidation of three or four parishes, so that 
the requisition is little felt, and substi- 
tutes have seldom cost more than one- 
third of what is paid here to supply the 
army of reserve. 
The historical digressions in this work 
of Sir Francis D’Ivernois, are of more 
value than that part.of the work which 
respects the finances of France: none 
better deserves the attention of Europe, 
than the appendix which respects the 
justly odious conduct of the French in 
Switzerland. 
« Bonaparte has omitted nothing in his 
power, to obliterate the Swiss from the list 
of independant states; he has reduced the 
great bulk of that people to utter desperation, 
and to ensure their peaceable submission, he 
finds himself above having recourse to any 
other measures than those of restoring their 
arms, and withdrawing his army, at the very 
moment in which he takes from them every 
means of maintaining their own tranquillity! 
Thus it is, that he thinks it necessary to bol- 
ster up the odious laws which he has forced 
on them, by no other support than that of his 
name, and of the heterogeneous 'amalgama 
imposed upon them, an amalgama equally 
detested by both parties. After this, lest 
any observer should have retained a doubt of 
‘the real object of the first consul, he himself 
most fully explained it. When he dismiss- 
ed the Swiss deputies, he disclosed the secret 
of his system toward their country, and pro- 
claimed it to the world through the news- 
papers of Paris; ‘If,’ said he, * you shall 
again fall into a state of anarehy, Imust reduce 
you to order by force, and by the annihila- 
tion of your independence*.’ 
«¢ Who is so blind as not to see in this de- 
elaration, that by thus having in some can- 
tons permitted the predomination of the 
friends of order, and in others forcibly esta- 
blished the triumph of the jacobins, he is 
sowing the seeds of new commotions? Agi- 
taied as the inhabitants of Switzerland have 
HISTORY, POLITICS, AND STATISTICS. 
been, his contrivance of Jeaving them te 
themselves may not improbably produce some 
internal measures of opposition, which the 
dictator will brand with the stigma of rebel- 
lion. Then will he represent to the world 
that finding his benevolent intentions frus- 
trated by the prevalence of internal factions, 
no remedy is left but the immediate incorpe- 
ration with France, of those cantons which 
prove themselves incapable of the liberty 
which he had provided for them, and unfit 
for the absolute independence of which he 
had thought them worthy. ‘ Can I,’ will he 
say, ‘ suffer such a source of inquietude to 
continue ? must not this anarchy produce 
the most dangerous consequences? have [ 
not exhausted the utmost efforts of kindness ? 
shall I be held excused, if I leave to them- 
selves people who thus tear themselves to 
pieces ?” Keen Nbihing can be more eas 
than to anticipate the new manifesto whic 
is preparing for them, and which in all like- 
libood will, in the first instance, be address- 
ed to his protégés in the pays de Vaud. 
“« Tn this last scene of the political drama 
which their protector is exiitthan he will 
not fail to remind them, that he has always 
held the same language, and truly in this 
instance he will have a right to say so: his 
last declaration by word of mouth, that he 
would reduce them to order by the annihila- 
tion of their independence, is probably much 
more sincere than the assurance wibich he 
sent to them in June 1802; when on with- 
diaving his troops, he solemnly asserted his 
repugnance to take part in the internal affairs 
of other nations. 
«« Afier he had satisfactorily proved to the 
Swiss the reality of this repugnance, by ma- 
nufacturing for them nineteen constitutions, 
and committing several of them to the charge 
of the very men whom he had before re- 
proached with the overthrow of the legitimate 
government of M. Reding, he had only to de- 
cide on the fate of that individual, and five 
other prisoners at Arbourg. To have pro- 
longed their confiaement, would have been 
absurd, as its only sbjett was that the seve- 
rity of their tredtment? might induce them 
to asqjst at the consulta at Paris, where Mr. 
Reding’s presence would indeed have com- 
pleted the triumph of the mediator. At the 
first mention of such a proposal, he only 
replied, that having already unsolicitedly re- 
sresented his sentiments to the first consul, 
re had no farther communication to make to 
him. Afterwards, when they had the assu- 
rance to repeat their attempt, he by his si- 
lence demonstrated to his jailors, that he 
neyer retracis his resolutions. 
<< I know not whether my readers will 
agree with me, but in my estimation, the 
illustrious Aloys Reding voluntarily submit- 
ting to wear chains himself, rather than assist 
in forging those of his country, and repelling 
* «© See Journal des Diélats, Marcli 18th. 
t © They were all like malefactors, locked up together in onc room.. 
