ShT Asa) EV OPSA PVEER &, 
midor. With means fo feeble, it 
will. be impoffible to maintain the 
public fervice; and the difficulties 
it labours under renders its fituation 
worfe every day. This ftate of 
things deferves your attention the 
more, as it might be altered by 
making ufe of the refources which 
the republic has yet left. The per- 
fuafion, Citizens Reprefentatives, 
that thefe refources ftill exift, has 
hitherto fupported our courage and 
animated our hope; but it is time 
to improve them. The minifter of 
finances ‘has pointed out fome of 
them: in the report annexed to this 
meflage. The Directory has met 
with frequent opportunities to in- 
vite you to examine into thefe re- 
fources, and the danger of the pre- 
fent moment obliges them to repeat 
this requeft. From a conviétion 
that the adoption of proper mea- 
fures for reftoring public credit 
would produce the moft fortunate 
change, the Directory fincerely with 
that you may take them into {peedy 
confideration. ~ 
; (Signed) 
Carwor, Prefident. 
Lacarpe, Secretary General. 
Meffage from the Dire€ory to the Council 
of kive Hundred, 9th of Auguft. 
Citizens Reprefentatives, 
THE Executive Directory tranf- 
mits you the decifion which it has 
juft made refpecting the urgency 
of the payments which are to take 
place during the 3d decade, the ftate 
of the demands formed by the pro- 
per officers, and the report of the 
minifter of the finances. It defires 
- you would infpeét thefe documents, 
and compare the prefent ftate of 
things with the fituation in which 
207 
we have been at a fimilar period, 
during the two preceding decades, 
It requefts, above all, that you 
would compare the urgency of the 
public wants, the evils refulting 
from them, the anxiety which they 
diffufe, and the apprehenfion which 
they infpire on the fubject of the 
common fafety, with the advantages 
that could be enfured, were the 
refources which are {till in the pof- 
fefion of the republic made difs 
pofable. 
Take away, Citizens Reprefenta- 
tives, every thing that prevents you 
from enfuring the neceflary returns 
for the maintenance of the military 
fervice, the pay and fubfiftence of 
the troops, the payment of the pub- 
lic creditors, the falaries of the 
public funétionaries, already feveral 
months in arrear, and the difcharge 
of the expences which the govern- 
ment cannot poftpone, without 
compromifing the conduét which it 
ought to obferve. for the perform- 
ance of its duty,—the internal and 
external fafety of the republic. 
The refources which can be 
brought into action are of two kinds. 
The one requires fome previous 
meafure before they can be made 
difpofable ; the other may ferve as 
fecurities for contraéts, the execu- 
tion of which would furnifh a fuffi- 
cient delay for the attainment of 
the firft. 
' But they both call for an immedi- 
ate determination; and if no ufe 
be made of them, they are of as 
little moment as if they never ex- 
ifted. A proper ufe of them may, 
and can, extricate the finances from 
the dangerous crifis: to. which they 
are at prefent reduced. The peril 
is imminent; but. if you enaét) the 
laws which have been demanded of 
you, which the public opinion calls 
for, 
