STATE PAPERS. 



695 



Decree of the Council of Slate at Vien- 

 na. DuiedVicnna,\\thAug. 1804. 



His royal imperial apostolic ma- 

 jesty arrived in this city on the 10th 

 instant, from Baden, to assist at an 

 extraordinary conference of state ; 

 at which wiire present his royal 

 highness the archduke Charles, the 

 archduke palatine of Hungary, the 

 chancellor of Hungary, that of Bo- 

 hemia and Austria, that of Transil- 

 vania, the tavernicus of Hungary, 

 and the president of the chamber of 

 finances and of the bank. In con- 

 sequence of the supreme determina- 

 tion Avhich has been declared in this 

 council of state, the following pa- 

 tent is published : 



Patent. — We, Francis II. by the 

 grace of God, eledted emperor of 

 the Romans, always august, king of 

 Germany, of Hungary, and Bohe- 

 mia, of Gallicia, Lodomeria, &c. 

 archduke of Austria, duke of Bur- 

 gundy and Lorraine, grand duke of 

 Tuscany, &c. — Though we have al- 

 ready attained, by the Divine will, 

 and by the choice of the electors of 

 the Roman and Germanic empire, 

 to a dignity which leaves no room to 

 desire any augmentation of titles and 

 consideration ; it is however our 

 duty in our quality of chief of the 

 Austrian house and monarchy, to 

 provide for the maintenance and 

 preservation of that equality of here- 

 ditary titles and dignities with the 

 first sovereigns and powers of Eu- 

 rope, which belongs to the sove- 

 reigns of Austria, both on account 

 of the ancient lustre of their house, 

 and in regard to the extent atul po- 

 pulation of their estates, compre- 

 hending independent kingdoms and 

 principalities, so considerable, and 

 which have been secured to them l)y 

 po>!Scssion, agreeably to the right 



of nations, and by treaties. To 

 establish, in a durable manner, this 

 perfeft equality of rank, we haAe 

 determined, and think ourselves au- 

 thorized, after the example which 

 has been given us in the preceding 

 century by the imperial court of 

 Russia, and that^hich is now given 

 to us by the new sovereign of 

 France, to confer also on the house 

 of Austria, as far as relates to its 

 independent states, the hereditary 

 title of emperor. We have there- 

 fore resolved, after mature reflec- 

 tion, solemnly to assume and to 

 establish for us and for our succes- 

 sors, in the unalterable possession 

 of our independent kingdoms and 

 states, the title and dignity of here- 

 ditary emperor of Austria (as the 

 denomination of our house), in such 

 a manner that all our kingdoms, 

 principalities, and provinces shall 

 invariably retain the titles, consti- 

 tutions, prerogatives, and relations 

 which they have hitherto enjoyed. 

 • — According to this supreme de- 

 cision and declaration, we decree 

 and enact : I. That immediately af- 

 ter our title of elected emperor of 

 the Romans, shall be inserted that 

 of hereditary emperor of Austria, 

 after which shall follow our other 

 titles of king of Germany, Bohe- 

 mia, Hungary, &c. ; then those of 

 archduke of Austria, duke of Sty- 

 ria, &c. and those of the other 

 hereditary countries. But as, since 

 our accession to the throne, there 

 have successively taken place in the 

 possessions of our house, several 

 changes which have been confirmed 

 by solemn treaties, we at the same 

 time make known the undermen- 

 tioned titles, newly regulated ac- 

 cording to the ])resentstate of things, 

 and our Mill is that they be intro- 

 duced and employed in futuro. II. 

 yy4 The 



