SS EB Ei PAP Bs: 
quate to the re-eftablifhment of 
public credit, and of proving that 
France is fully capable of maintain- 
ing order in the interior, and of 
combating her foreign enemies, 
But thefe refources, citizens repre- 
fentatives, are as if they never ex- 
ifted, fince the laws which are ne- 
ceflary to render them produétive 
are not enacted. Had thofe which 
regulate the dire& contributions of 
the 5th year been fooner pafled, 
ten millions would moft probably 
have been received, which remain 
ftill due, and the power of difpofing 
of them, for the purpofe of getting 
the principal articles of expence, 
would procure the means of obtain- 
ing what may be neceflary for the 
indifpenfable payment of penfions 
and {falaries. 
The Direétory, after preffing the 
neceflity of the council’s immedi- 
ately taking into their confideration 
proper meafures for the reftoration 
of public confidence and credit, 
concludes in the following manner: 
Our fituation is fuch, citizens re- 
prefentatives, that the {malleft delay 
increafes the danger to which the 
nation is expofed. The Executive 
Directory invites you to obtain an 
exact account of the ftate of the 
finances; of the neceflary wants of 
the public treafury; of the real, 
and by no means exaggerated, pro- 
duét of the means which yet can be 
made ufe of, and of the refources 
which can be employed. ‘You will 
find in the refult of your examina- 
tion, proofs of the truths to which 
the Dire¢tory has called your atten- 
tion in all its meflages. The exift- 
ing means are infufficient ; thofe 
which new laws have it in their 
power to produce will be adequate 
to meet all our expences; and the 
399 
moment of bringing them into ac- 
tion is arrived. 
(Signed) Carnot, Prefident. 
Lacarpe, Sec. Gen. 
Meffage to the Council of Five Hundred, 
and Elders, dated Sept. +, 1797. 
Citizens Reprefentatives, 
THE Executive Directory haf- 
tens to communicate to you the 
meafures it has been forced to take 
for the fafety of the country, and 
the maintenance of the conftitu- 
tion. With this view it tranfmits 
to you all the papers it has colleét- 
ed, as well as thofeit publithed be-. 
fore you were afflembied. If it had 
withheld itfelf from action one day 
more, the Republic would have 
been delivered up to its enemies. 
The halls themfelves in which you 
meet, were the points of union of 
the con{pirators; it was from thence 
that they yefterday emitted their 
cards and certificates for the delivery 
of arms; it was from thence that 
they correfponded with their ac- 
complices laft night; and, finally, 
it is there, or in the environs, that 
they ftill endeavour to make fedi- 
tious and clandeftine aflemblages, 
which the police is now employed 
in difperfing. It would have been 
to commit the public fecurity and 
that of the faithful reprefentatives, 
to have allowed” them to be con- 
founded with the other enemies of 
the country. You fee, citizens re- 
prefentatives, that the conduét of 
the Directory was marked out by 
the inftant neceflity of being be-° 
forehand with thefe confpirators, 
who were deftroying the govern- 
ment, who wifhed to deprive the 
French of the fruit of their triumphs, 
and to make this magnanimous na- 
1 U3 tion 
