294 ANNUAL REGISTER, 1797. 
day, amount to the fum of four 
hundred and five millioris. The 
fums paid in the aforefaid period, 
fuch as annuities and penfions, arid 
the falaries in myriogrammes, a- 
mount to twenty or twenty-five 
millions; the total fums of which 
the payment ‘has been authorifed 
by the legiflative body to about 
four hundred ‘and twenty-five mil- 
lions, 
- Of this fum, the minifters have 
ftill feventy millions to  difpofe. 
The minifter of finance has fuf- 
pended the payment of thirty-eight 
millions, on orders of payment de- 
livered to him. That fum may, to 
a certain degree, be confidered as 
if it had not been appointed to be 
paid ; and thence it refults that the 
expences actually difburfed, whe- 
ther by the authority of the two’ 
councils of the legiflative body, by 
the minifters, or by other perfons, 
amount only to three hundred and 
feventeen millions. The expences 
of the campaign of Italy are not 
included in this fum, except fome 
fums particularly authorifed; be- 
éaufe- as the army lives on the pro- 
duce of the contributions which it 
caufes to be levied, -the account 
will be regulated definitively. But 
the army. of Italy conftitutes not 
the fole force which. the republic 
fupporis; it has befides under its 
ftandards, the armies of the Rhine 
and Mofelle, the Sambre and the 
Meufe, ‘the garrifons of the inte- 
rior, the extraordinaries of the ma- 
sine, °&c. and when ‘the ‘political 
fituation of the republic ts confide- 
red with impartiality, it thould be 
matter of furprife to fee ourfelves 
arriving within two months of con- 
cluding the year with a fimple au- 
thority for the expence of three 
hundred and feventeen millions, 
whereas previous to the revolution, 
‘much gieater fums were expended 
in ordinary periods.” 
‘-Doubttefs, the fum total of the 
expences is not yet exaétly knowny 
nor confequently fettled; but what 
we already know and perceive; fup- 
ports the force of this obfervation. ' 
This ftate of things will appear 
ftill more aftonifhii-z,. when you 
confider that of thefe three hun- 
dred and feventeen millions ex- 
pended, more than eighty are ‘ftilk 
due to the parties who fhould re- 
ceive them, and that their titles 
confift cither in a pledge on the 
value of national property, or on 
the’ produce of ‘contributions to be 
brought in; thence it refults, that 
if, on the one hand, the authorifed 
expences amount to three hundred 
and feventeen millions, the pay- 
ments made amount only to two 
hundred and forty, or two hundred 
and fifty millions, All the chefts 
however areempty. We exift only 
from day to day; and this pofition; 
well known to the national treafure; 
ought to prevail over all the hypo- 
thetical calculations which may be 
prefented to attempt to deftroy it. 
Tts exadtnefs is befides demonftrated 
by all the ftatements of monies al- 
ready received, and. of thofe to bé 
received, which the commiffaries of 
the national treafury have prefent- 
ed ‘almoft every month. ‘Yow will 
thence fee, Citizens Reprefenta> 
tives, that whatever efforts we ufe, 
we cannot calculate, by the exifting 
laws,‘on more than twenty-four or 
twenty-five millions ; you mutt alfo 
forefee ihat the amount of! the two 
or.three following months will not 
arrive, by, reafon of the. flownefs 
experienced in the receipt of direct 
contributions during the harveft. 
If caleulations apparently higher 
’ & care 
