638 



ANNUAL REGISTER, 180^. 



is not the greatest duty imposed 

 upon us, to take care, in good time, 

 that the inhabitants be not burdened 

 and oppressed beyond measure ? 

 This is a very serious concern. — 

 The motive for the present proposi- 

 tions is, the pressing demands of a 

 contractor for the troops, who was 

 kept waiting for payment until a 

 million was due to him, and he had 

 complained to the French general, 

 threatening to stop his deliveries, 

 consequently those of meat and 

 bread for the French soldiers. So 

 this contractor and co. hold in their 

 hands the fate of the republic ! be- 

 cause our financiers have not chosen 

 or not been able to satisfy them, 

 they endeavour to obtain a new im- 

 post of one per cent, on property ; 

 the st.ite directory, openly, and 

 without reserve, announcing a mili- 

 tary contribution or quartering, at 

 the expencc of the citizens, just as is 

 practised in an enemy's country, 

 unless we chuso to agree to their 

 proposal immediately. To what 

 extremes are they come! It seems 

 as if they would reduce us to this, 

 to demand another government, at 

 the head of which some individual 

 should be placed. — Financial impo- 

 tency and the derangement result- 

 ing therefrom, is ever the fore-run- 

 ner of the downfal of a government, 

 and especially of such an unwieldy 

 and expensive one as ours, which, 

 istaggering from day to day, tries to 

 preserve its existence only by forced 

 contributions ;, and which, as we arc 

 publicly told, must endure unheard- 

 of degradation, and lose its charac- 

 ter both at home and abroad. Go- 

 vernment wants again to carry the 

 proposed contribution, by hurrying 

 «s, and without hardly allowing us 

 time to give it a thought. It gives 

 us to understand, at the same time, 



and as it were in the s«me breath) 

 the insufficiency of the measure; 

 which certainly will not answer the 

 expectation, on account of the na- 

 tural counteraction which may be 

 expected. With some modification, 

 it is cutting the pill into four pieces, 

 and continuing to the very last the 

 cherished system of immoral and ru- 

 inous imposts on property, which 

 not only clash with the constitution, 

 but are also known beforehand to 

 be insufficient, and that there will 

 again be a deficiency ; whilst in se- 

 veral 'cities the whole of that of 



1803 is not all comein, andof that of 



1804 nothing is yet received. What- 

 ever measures of coercion may bo 

 uscd^ whatever detestable and un- 

 lawful means may be employed, to 

 persecute those who should contri- 

 bute, the petty or secret war against 

 the finances increases in the same 

 proportion as the pressure; the 

 people can no longer endure it ; 

 they begin to feci, after having but 

 too long performed their duty to 

 their country with their purses, 

 that the first duties of a husband and 

 a father call on them to be careful, 

 and make them swear to resist new 

 extortions, and the dangers impend- 

 ing over their heads. I have long 

 sincethought this operation muststop, 

 as it was only kept on foot in the hope 

 and expectation of uncertain events. 

 I have seen, during and since last 

 summer, hew obstinately, and with- 

 out the least concession, the state 

 directory, notwithstanding this as- 

 sembly endeavoured to preserve 

 unanimity with them (which is the 

 best way to promote the greatest 

 concerns of the state, especially in 

 such ruinous and deplorable circum- 

 stances) thought proper to try to T 

 intimidate it by the most improper : 

 and preposterous menaces. Thi8J|S 



ha» *'i 



