688 



ANNUAL REGISTER, 1804. 



to us, unworthy as we are. You 

 also are our witnesses, venerable 

 brethren, to whom, as we assisted 

 at J our councils, we wished that 

 every thin^ should be perfectly 

 known and understood, and to 

 ■whom we have fully communicated 

 the genuine feelings of our heart. 

 Therefore, when so great an object 

 is likely by divine assistance to be 

 completed, acting as a faithful vice- 

 gerent of God our Saviour, we 

 have undertaken that iovniey, to 

 which we have beL>n prompted by 

 such strong rt^asons. The Father 

 of all Mercies will, as we hope, 

 bless our footsteps, and shii\e oji this 

 new epoch of religiou, with the ful- 

 ness of increased glory. — After the 

 example of our predecessors, and 

 particularly the recent example of 

 pope Pius VI. of revered memory, 

 who made the same resolution w hen 

 he set out for Vendosme, we inform 

 you, venerable brethren, that.we 

 have disposed and ordered every 

 tiling, so as that the curia?, and the 

 hearing of causes with assistance 

 from this holy seat, shall remain in 

 their present state, until we shall 

 have returned, and, as we have con- 

 sidered in our minds that the neces- 

 sity of death is imposed upon all, 

 and that the day of our death is un- 

 certain, we have therefore thought 

 it necessary to follow the example 

 of our predecessors, particularly of 

 pope Pius VI. when he set out for 

 Vendosme, by ordering the ponti- 

 tical comitia to be held, if God shall 

 please to take us away from this 

 world, during our absence from 

 you.— Lastly, we beg and entreat 

 of you always to retain for me the 

 affection you have hitherto shewn 

 for me, and that in our absence 

 you will commend our souls to the 

 all-powerful God, to our Lord 



Jesus Christ, to his most gloriouf 

 Virgin Mother, and to the blessed 

 apostle Peter, that this journey of 

 ours may be fortunate and pros- 

 perous, and that it may end happily. 

 Which if we shall, as we hope, be 

 sble to obtain from the author of 

 all good, you, venerable brethren, 

 whom we have always called to 

 share with us in our councils, and 

 in all that concerns us, must have a 

 great share in the common joy, and 

 we shall exult and rejoice in the 

 mercy of the Lord. 



French Annual Exjwse at tlie opening 

 of the Session of the Legislative 

 Body as Pan\ the 16th of De. 

 cember^ 1804. 



Mr. Champagny. — Gentlemen, 

 In consequence of the nomination, 

 of which information has just been 

 given to you, I am about to have 

 the honour of stating to you the 

 situation of the French empire. — 

 The interior situation of France is 

 at this day what it was in the calm- 

 est times ; no movement which can 

 alarm the public tranquillity ; no 

 crime which belongs to the remem- 

 brance of the revolution ; every 

 where useful undertakings, every 

 where the improvement of public 

 and piivate property attest the pro- 

 gres.s of confidence and of security. 

 — ThsL leaven of opinion no longer 

 sharpens the spirits ; the sentiments 

 of the general interest, the princi- 



ples of social order, better known 

 and more refined, have attached all 

 hearts to the common prosperity. 

 This is what all the administrations 

 proclaim ; this is what the emperor 

 has witnessed in all the departments 

 he has travelled through ; this if* 

 what has been just demonstrated in 



the 



