GENERAL HISTORY. 



[103 



CHAPTER X. 



France. — Decree respecting Slaves introduced in the Colonies. — Negocia- 

 tions ivilh the Allied Powers. — Ordinance concerning the Debts of the 

 City of Paris. — Disturbances at Lyons. — Royal Ordinances for the 

 creation of Majorats. — Election for the Chamber of Deputies, and Royal 

 Speech. — Project of a Law for the Press. — Law for the establishment 

 of Religion. 



FRANCE. 



THE following article made its 

 appearance in the French 

 papers in the month of January, 

 by order of his Majesty. 



Louis, &c. 



Art. 1. Every vessel, whether 

 French or foreign, which shall 

 attempt to introdiice into any of 

 our colonies purchased blacks, 

 shall he confiscated, and the cap- 

 tain, if a Frenchman, shall be held 

 incapable of holding a command. 



The whole cargo shall in like 

 manner be confiscated, although 

 not consisting of slaves : with re- 

 spect to the negroes, they shall be 

 employed on public works of uti- 

 lity in the colony. 



Art. 2. The contraventions for- 

 bidden in the preceding article 

 shall be tried according to the 

 same forms as contraventions of 

 the laws and regulations for fo- 

 reign commerce. As for the pro- 

 duce of the confiscations pionounc- 

 ed in conformity to the said arti- 

 cle, it shall be realized and sup- 

 jjlied in the same manner as the 

 produce of confiscations pronounc- 

 ed in matters of the contravention 

 of the laws concerning foreign 

 commerce. 



Given at the Thuilleries, &c. 

 Jan. 8, 1817. 



NtGOCIATIONS, &C. 



Early in the year negociations 

 were carried on between the court 

 of France, and the four principal 

 allies, for the purpose of alle- 

 viating the burden under which 

 that country was severely op- 

 pressed, in consequence of the 

 foreign aninies held by its prin- 

 cipal towns. The result was the 

 following official note presented 

 to the Duke of Richelieu by the 

 several resident ministers of she 

 powers in question. 



OFFECIAL NOTE RELATIVE TO THE 

 DIMINUTION OF THE AKMY OF 

 OCCUPATION. 



The Courts of Austria, Eng- 

 land, Prussia, and Russia, having 

 taken into consideration the desire 

 manifested by his most Christian 

 Majesty to have the numbers of 

 the Army of Occupation dimi- 

 nished, and proportionably the 

 amount of charge occasioned by 

 its presence on the French terri- 

 tory, have authorized the under- 

 signed to make the following 

 communication to his Excellency 

 the Duke de Richelieu, President 

 of the Council of Ministers, and 

 Secretary of State for the Depart- 

 ment of Foreign Affairs : — 



At the time when the King, 

 re-established upon his throne and 



put 



