STATE PAPERS. 



613 



fiernred from waste : a bridge will 

 open a communication of import- 

 ance to the city ; and agriculture 

 will draw riches from a valuable 

 tract recovered from the sea. Ant- 

 Averp has seen a military post, an 

 arsenal, and ships of war upon the 

 stocks, produced at once by a de- 

 cree. Two millions, secured on 

 the sale of national domains situ- 

 ated in the de|)artments of the 

 Scheldt and Deux-Ncthes, are ap- 

 propriated to the restoration and 

 augmentation of its ancient port. 

 On the credit of this security, com- 

 merce makes advances, the works 

 are begun, and will be completed 

 next year. At Boulogne, at Havre, 

 in every point of this coast, which 

 our enemies have heretofore called 

 an iron coast, great works are in 

 ])ro2ress or comi)letcd. The Mole 

 of Cherbourg, a long time given 

 up, long the object of solicitude 

 and doubt, rises at length from the 

 bosom of the waters, and is already 

 a source of destruction to our ene- 

 mies and a protection to our own 

 mariners. Undershelter of thisMole, 

 at tiie extremity of an immense 

 road, an haven is now digging, 

 where, in a few years, the republic 

 will have its arsenals and its lieets. 

 At Rochelle, at Cette, at Mar- 

 seilles, and at Nice, the ravages of 

 carelessness and of time are repaired 

 with well secured funds. It is in 

 our maritime cities in particular, 

 where tht; stagnation of commerce 

 has multiplied misfortunes and 

 wants, that the wisdom of govern- 

 ment has employed itself in creatiiig 

 resources by useful and necessary 

 works. The navigation in the in- 

 terior was in a state of decay, from 

 a forgctfulness of principles and re- 

 gulations ; it is henceforth subject 

 to a tutelary and cyuscrvativc re- 



gime. A duty is appropriated to 

 its support, to the works it re- 

 quires; to the improvements which 

 the public interest demands : sub- 

 mitted to the superintendance of 

 the prefects, it has also in the 

 chamber of commerce useful guar- 

 dians, witnesses, and estimators of 

 the proper application of the funds 

 it produces ; in short, enlightened 

 men, to appreciate the plans formed 

 for its preservation or exti-nsion. 

 The right of fishing in navigabla 

 rivers has again become, what it 

 ought always to be, a public pro- 

 perty. It is committed to the cara 

 of the administration of the forests; 

 and the triennial adjudications giva 

 it, in the farmers, still more active 

 guardians, because they are morn 

 interested. The last has been a. 

 year of prosperity for all our fi- 

 nances : the collection has happily 

 disappointed the calculation that had 

 been made before-hand of their 

 produce. The direct contributions 

 have been collected with more ease. 

 The operations M'hieii were to esta- 

 blish the respective proportions of 

 the tax on property of the ditlerent 

 departments, proceed with rapi. 

 dity. The subdivision will beconio 

 invariable. We shall never again 

 witness that opposition of difTerent 

 interests which corrupted public 

 justice, and tliat ji'alous rivalship 

 which threatened the industry and 

 prosperity of all the departments. 

 The prefects, the general council, 

 have requested that the sw.vic ope- 

 ration should extend to all the com- 

 munes of their deiyartment*, for the 

 purpose of ascertaining amongst 

 them the grounds of a ]ir(>]i()rtional 

 subdivisioiT. An arrelc of trovern- 

 ment has authorised this general opi'- 

 ration, becon)e more simple, more 

 economical by the succe»>s of the 

 R r 3 partial 



