5 A Eee PA 2? EUR Ss 
choice of the citizens having the 
right of suffrage in all the republic, 
to the point that the members who 
will compcse this general national 
assembly, and who will represent 
together all the Batavian people, 
have been effectively elected, or 
will be elected, are ready to begin 
their labours. - In ° consequence 
whereof, we entreat and charge the 
elected members, forasmuch as 
they are not yet arrived here, at 
the Hague, to repair there imme- 
diately, in order to assemble on 
Tuesday, the first of March next, 
at the place destined, by eleven 
o’clock in the forenoon, that they 
may be enabled, by a commission 
to be named by us, conformably to 
the act passed to open their as- 
sembly; that thus on the point of 
terminating our proceedings, at 
the moment when this assembly 
shall be constituted, we have 
thought it our duty solemnly to 
inform, by our present proclama- 
tion, our fellow-citizens thereof, 
and to testify, in the first place, 
our gratitude to the Supreme Be- 
ing, that in the midst of all the 
difficulties which have weighed 
down this republic since the re- 
volution of the month of Jan. 1795, 
and which have menaced even the 
total loss of its liberty and of its 
independence, we behold at last 
the desired issue of our continual 
cares, that our political liberty and 
independence have been confirmed, 
and that also the nation will 
see itself perfectly and really repre- 
sented by an assembly elected by 
herself, and which will be in ef-s 
fect honoured with her confidence, 
@ circumstance which never yet 
happened to our ancestors; for 
which reason we may with good 
cause expect from it such a plan of 
[187 
a constitution, under the appro. 
bation of the whole people as may 
be proper to regulate and establish 
its happiness on a stable footing, 
and may also assure ourselves firm- 
ly that this assembly will employ 
the power and authority which 
have been trusted to it, in such a 
manner as may be necessary for the 
safety and well-being of our coun- 
try; by means of which all and 
each will be able to enjoy indivis 
dual liberty, under the protection 
of the law to defend their own in- 
terests in union with the general 
interests, and to assist the prospe- 
rity of the republic to advance in 
such a manner as that she may be 
restored to her ancient splendour, 
and that her importance abroad 
may be re-established and defended 
as in former times, 
We pray and require, therefore, 
the representatives of the people in. 
the respective provinces, the coun- 
try of Drenthe and Batavian Bra- 
bant, to publish and affix our pre- 
sent proclamation in all places 
where it is the custom to make’ 
such publication and affixing: we 
order, at the same time, all and 
every one whom it may concern, 
to acknowledge the said national 
assembly as such, and to obey it - 
according to the act passed before ; 
and we inform by the present, the 
military as well as others, that as 
soon as this national assembly shall 
be solemnly constituted, they will 
pass immediately into the service 
of the said assembly, and will be 
obliged to pay it the same obedi- 
ence they have until now owed 
us: forasmuch as we declare, by 
our present proclamation, publicly 
and solemnly, that all authority 
which may have belonged to our 
assembly will then pass, with our 
consent, 
