STATE PAPERS. 



3^3 



the same, and have affixed thereto 

 the seals of their uniis. 



PJIOCLAMATION. 



Parma, March '-(). 



" We, Francis. \>y the i;race 

 of God Emperor of Austria, &c. 

 — By GUI' letters-jjjiteiit of tlic 

 2d of April 1815, we made 

 known, that, on the request of 

 our beloved daughter, tlie Aich- 

 duchess Maria Louisa, Duchess 

 of Paima, Flacentia, and Guas- 

 talla, we charged ourselves with 

 the pieliminary administration of 

 these provnices. '1 he circum- 

 stances which at that lime led us 

 to such a deteiminatiun being 

 happily ended, we restore the 

 thus intrusted government into 

 the liands of our beloved daugh- 

 ter ; and we have ordered tliat 

 the same shall b" made kncwn to 

 the people by letters-pntent. Done 

 at Milan, tliis 7th of xM arch 1816", 

 tlie 25th of our reign." 



'J'he above was accompanied by 

 the following proclamation : — 



" We, Maria Louisa, Impe- 

 rial I'rincess, A^chdllche^s of 

 Austria, by the grace of tiod 

 Duchess of Parma, Placeniia. 

 and Guastalla, tkc. — Our illus- 

 trious and deaily beloved father, 

 his Majesty the ICmpcn r and 

 King, having desired tliat on our 

 repaiiing to our duchies of I'ar- 

 nia, &c. we should again take into 

 our hands tlie govern ii;cnt of 

 these provinces, which he had so 

 graciously accepted in trust for 

 us (as we communicated in our 

 letters-patent from the Imperial 

 Palace of Schoenlu'unn of da e the 

 3 1 St of March LSI 5), we have 

 therefore thought proper to make 



known, as ue hereby make known, 

 thatwe again take upon ourselves 

 the government of our subjects, 

 at tlie same time giving ihai.ks 

 for the care which our illustiious 

 father has taken of the welfare 

 of (mr subjet ts : — We moreover 

 declare, that it is our pleasure to 

 confirm all the ordinances issued 

 by our father during liis govern- 

 ment, and strictly enjoin the in- 

 habitants of our Siiid duch;es to 

 conform thereto. Given at \'e- 

 nice, this 17th March 1816"." 



IONIAN ISLES. 



Proclamation, by Sir Thomas Mait- 

 land. 



Among tlie various and high 

 duties intiusted to the adminis- 

 tration of Ills Excellency by his 

 gracious i-overeign, theie is none 

 UKue important in itself than the 

 conservation of all the riglits, 

 l)ri\ileges, and prcr(!gatives, of 

 the dominant and of the toleiated 

 religion. 



Jt has been, and always will 

 be, a fixed maxim of tlie pi ley of 

 Great Britain, and an invariable 

 principle of its conduct, both with 

 regarU to those countries tliat 

 may be under its immediaie s. ve- 

 leignty, and those that may lie 

 under it-; excluiNe protection, to 

 guarantee and maintain the va- 

 rious religious estahlislimei.t-;, as 

 being essentially sonnected with 

 the vital principles of good go- 

 vernment, nioials, and happi- 

 ness. 



His Excellency, impressed \\ ith 

 this tiuth, and haxing ot.seivcd 

 with regiet that the French, with 

 that impious indifference which 

 distinguished their revolutionary 



caieer. 



