JEWS. 
perishing annals of newspapers and pam- 
phlets. Posterity will see how far these 
flattering prospects have been built on a 
permanent or a sandy foundation. 
In May, 1806, was issued, by the French 
Emperor, the following very extraordinary 
decree concerning the Jews. 
“ Palace of St. Cloud, May 30, 1806. 
“ Napoleon, Emperor of the French, and 
King of Italy. 
“ Accounts having reached us, that in 
several of the Northern departments of our 
empire, certain Jews, not exercising any 
other profession than that of usury, have, 
by extorting an enormous interest, reduced 
a number of farmers to a state of very great 
distress: we have conceived it our duty 
to succour such of our subjects, as have been 
reduced to these sorrowful extremes by an 
unjustifiable avarice. These circumstances 
have, at the same time, furnished us with 
an opportunity of knowing the urgent neces- 
sity of re-animating the sentiment of civil 
morality among those persons who profess 
the Jewish religion in the countries under 
our jurisdiction; sentiments which unhap- 
pily have been extinguished among a great 
number of them in consequence of the state 
of debasement under which they have long 
languished, which it has never entered into 
my views either to maintain or renew. lor 
the accomplishment of this design, we have 
resolved to collect the principal persons 
among the Jews in an assembly ; and then, 
through the means of commissioners, whom 
we shall nominate for the purpose, to com- 
municate our intentions ; and who will, at 
the same time, learn their wishes in respect 
to such manner as they may deem most ex- 
pedient to awaken among their brethren 
the exercise of the arts and useful profes- 
sions of life, in order that an honest in- 
dustry may take the place of those scanda- 
lous resources to which many persons among 
the Jews have given themselves up, from 
the father to the son, for several years past. 
To this end, and upon the report of our 
Grand Judge, Minister of Justice, our 
Minister of the Interior, our Council of 
State, &c. we declare as follows : 
“ i. The execution of all contracts or ac- 
tions against farmers, not merchants, shall 
be suspended for one year, reckoning from 
the date of the present decree, simple con- 
servatory acts excepted; such farmers be- 
longing to the departments of Le Sarre, 
Roer, Mont Tonnere, Haut, and Bas Rhin, 
Rhin and Moselle, Moselle and Vosges, in 
cases where they have been granted in 
favour of the Jews. 2. On the 13th of 
July next, an assembly of individuals pro- 
fessing the Jewish religion shall be held in 
our good city of Paris. This assembly is 
to be formed of those Jews only who in- 
habit the French territory. 3. The mem- 
bers shall be regulated according to the 
table hereunto annexed, taken from the 
various departments, and selected by the 
prefects from among the Rabbins, pro- 
prietors of land, and other Jews the most 
distinguished by their probity and intel- 
ligence. 4. In the other departments of 
our empire, not named in the annexed 
table, should any individuals be found pro- 
fessing the Jewish religion, to the number 
of one hundred and less than five hundred, 
the Prefect shall select a deputy for five 
hundred ; and above that number to one 
thousand, two deputies ; and so on in pro- 
portion. 5. The deputies chosen shall be 
at Paris before the 10th of July, and shall 
announce their arrival, and their place of 
residence, to the Secretary of our Minister 
of the Interior, who shall inform them of 
the place, the day, and the hour when the 
assembly shall meet. Our Minister of the 
Interior is charged with the execution of 
the present decree.” Here follows a list of 
the deputies, being seventy-four in number. 
These deputies accordingly assembled at 
Paris on July the 15th 1806, and were met 
by the Emperor’s Commissioners. At their 
second sitting, the Commissioners put seve- 
ral questions to them, relative to the in- 
ternal economy of the Jewish nation, and 
their ideas of the allegiance due from the 
Jews to the French government. The 
questions were generally answered in fa- 
vour of the French. At this meeting a 
letter was read from M. Jacobsolm, Agent 
of the Finances at the court of Brunswick, 
addressed to Bonaparte. This letter was 
expressive of the gratification he felt in 
the interest which the Emperor of the 
French had shown towards the people of 
the Jews in France, and praying his Im- 
perial Majesty to extend the like favour 
and indulgence to the Israelites inhabiting 
the countries adjoining the French Empire, 
and in particular to those of Germany. 
On the 18th of September the Commis- 
sioners agaiq proceeded to the Jewish as- 
sembly. At this assembly the Deputies were 
assured of the satisfaction which their an- 
swer had given his Imperial Majesty ; and 
at the same time declared, that it was the 
