240 



ANNUAL REGISTER, 1810. 



department to which he belongs. 

 Art. 15. When the director gene- 

 ral inhibits the printing of any 

 work, he shall send a copy of it 

 to a censor, chosen from a number 

 of persons to be named for that 

 office by the emperor. Art. IG. 

 On the report of the censor, the 

 director general may point out to 

 the author such alterations or era- 

 sures as may be thought proper. 

 If he should refuse to agree to 

 these, the sale of the work to be 

 inhibited, the forms to be broken, 

 and possession taken of the sheets 

 or copies printed. Art. 30. War- 

 rants tobe delivered to booksellers 

 on or after the first of January, 

 1811, on their taking the pre- 

 scribed oath, by the director ge- 

 neral of the press, submitted to the 

 approbation of the ministers of the 

 interior. They shall be registered 

 at the civil tribunal of the book- 

 seller's place of residence. Art. 33. 

 Warrants not to be granted to any 

 other persons wishing to set up 

 the business of a bookseller, than 

 such as should have recommended 

 themselves by good lives and good 

 morals, and also by an attachment 

 to their country and to their sove- 

 reign. Art. 38. When books are 

 allowed to be published, a copy of 

 each, or the first volume, shall be 

 marked with a stamp at the pro- 

 visory depot, and the books shall 

 be returned from thence to the 

 proprietor. — Never, perhaps, was 

 the importance of the printing 

 press so emphatically illustrated 

 as by this decree of the tyrant of 

 France. 

 An imperial decree was also 



published respecting state prisons ; 

 their number, which was only 

 eight ; the means by which they 

 were to be watched and guarded ; 

 the checks or securities for the 

 fidelity of those to whom the cus- 

 tody of the prisoners was commit- 

 ted ; the internal regulations or 

 economy of the prisons, &c. The 

 preamble to this decree stated, 

 that there were many persons 

 charged with crimes against the 

 state whom it was not safe either 

 to liberate or bring to trial. — 

 Who, in all these jealous and 

 anxious decrees, does not see the 

 naked sword suspended by a 

 slender thread over the head of 

 Damocles ? 



Next to the desire of maintaining 

 internal tranquillity, and prevent- 

 ing all attempts against either 

 his government or life, that of 

 ruining the English commerce ap- 

 pears to have been in the mind of 

 Buonaparte the strongest. The 

 war in Spain was not pushed with 

 so much vigour as was at first ex- 

 pected ; but in the war against 

 commerce, certes there was no re- 

 missness. Not only were military 

 governors appointedat theportsof 

 the maritime coasts of Germany 

 annexed to France, but at Dant- 

 zic, Colberg, and some other 

 places, we believe, in Prussia, for 

 preventing the introduction of 

 English goods and colonial pro- 

 duce. A very great number of 

 French troops, at the head of 

 which was general Rappe, was 

 stationed in Dantzic. This was 

 the head-quarters of the army at 

 war with commerce.* The Eng- 



• It will readily be noticed, that it was on the pretence of enforcing the conti- 

 nental system, and ruining the commerce of Britain, that French troops were fii-st 

 introduced, in 180S, into Spain. 



