P a 
SrivAcE jE) PsA PERS. 
firft decade of Fruétidor. The fin- 
ular and uncommon circumftances 
in which they. are placed, oblige 
them to lay before you the refults 
of this diftribution, which will con- 
vince you of the indifpenfable ne- 
ceffity of rendering the means dif- 
potable, which are requifite to pre- 
vent the impending difafters. De- 
ducting 63,888,967 livres, and 75 
centimes, which remain to be paid 
on warrants already iffued for ur- 
gent fervices, and payments become 
due, the moft prefling demands 
amount to 21,002,790 livres 54 
centimes. This fum confifts of the 
following articles: 
E. a. 
7,128,309 3 
3,944,916 95 
To pay the troops 
To fuitenance 
To penfions and di- 
vidends |. - 930,000 O 
To conftitutional fala- 
ries . 986,943 83 
To falaries and pen- 
fions - 
5,040,990 0 
To fundries 7,001,629 29 
The ways and means, as ftated 
by the National Treafury, prefent, 
at firft fight, inftead of difpofable 
funds, a deficit of 3,793,681 livres 
“which it would be neceflary to co- 
ver previous to afligning any fums 
of money for the fervice of the dif- 
ferent departments. It has been 
calculated that the above deficit 
may in a great meafure be covered 
by the prefumptive funds calculat- 
ed as exifting in the public chefts 
of the departments ; and that by 
adding to the funds actually exift- 
ing in the public treafury thofe 
which appear moft difpofable, the 
fuppofition might be admitted, that 
a Basce of about 800,000 livres 
3 might remain for the fervice of the 
decade, independently of fuch fuins 
as muft unavoidably be paid at Paris 
307 
on the arrears of the preceding de- 
cade. A calculation has afterwards 
been formed of thofe articles of ex- 
pence which it is indifpenfably ne- 
ceflary to meet for the execution 
of the laws, as wellas for the main- 
tenance of the public fervice. Un- 
der thefe heads have been claffed 
the pay and fuftenance of the land 
and naval forces, dividends and 
penfions, the conftitutional indem- 
nifications of the legiflative body 5 
63,703 livres 14 fovs for the pay- 
ment of bills of exchange accepted 
by the national treafury, and 50,000 
livres for the moft urgent expence 
to be made at Paris for the home 
department. Thefe objects amount 
toa fum total of 8,850,729 livres 
87 ceutimes. To find this fum, it 
has been fuppofed that the national 
treafury can furnifh 850,929 livres 
87 centimes, actually in its poffef- 
fion; that it is to receive in the 
courfe of the decade one million, 
and that the effective receipts in the 
departments during the laft decade, 
mutt be fuppofed to amount to fe- 
ven millions. This calculation is 
moft furely exaggerated: it violates 
all proportion, and exceeds all pro- 
bability, and the fubfifting circum- 
{tances would alone authorize its 
admiffion; and yet, citizens repre- 
fentatives, you cannot but perceive 
that this is the chief refource for 
meeting the moft urgent and moft 
indifpenfable expence. To this 
meflage are annexed the copy of a 
letter from the national treafury, 
dated the 1ft Fructidor (Auguft 17) © 
proving the neceflity of the repar- 
tition for this decade’ being made ° 
according toa prefumptive eftimate 
of the revenue, the ftatement of 
ways and means for the firft decade 
_ of Fructidor, tranfmitted by the na- 
tional treafury, and another of the 
2 divifions 
