1797)] Report of the French ‘Commiffioners on a National Ban’. 1 85 
were all read. The firft man arrefted, 
was Duwnau, defcribing himlelr a grocer 
in Paris, a native of St. Auge, in the 
department of La Nieve, aged 33, on 
whom was found a paffport for Ham- 
burgh, with power of palling and re- 
pafing, without interruption... The 
fecond was BROTHIER, a native of 
Elamecy in the department of La Nieve, 
aged 44. Several letters, addrefied to 
him in the Rue d’Enfer, were found in 
his portfolio. His powers were dated 
Verona, in the month of February, in 
the year of God, 1796, the firft year of 
eur reign, and figned, Louis XVIII, 
‘The third perfon arrefted, was LAVILLE 
HARNOIS, a native of Toulon. 
The plan of inftructions which thefe 
con{pirators had received from their 
“employers, directed them ft. T’o place 
guards, that might be depended upon, 
at- all the barriers, and-even at. the 
breaches of the wall, round Paris; to- 
permit none to enter but confidential 
perfons with fupplies, who fhould anfwer 
to a word previoufly agreed upon, and 
kept as fecret as poflible ; to futfer no 
perfon to go out during the firft twenty- 
four hours, except porters difpatched 
by the depofitaries of the royal authorsty. 
2d, To take poffeflion, in a mpment, of 
the Hétel des Invalids, the military 
fchool, the arfenal, the mint, the trea- 
fury and all the public offices, of the 
Luxembourg, and the houfes of the 
Minifters. 3d, To make fure of the 
courfe. of the river, both above and , 
below Paris——to take poffeffion alfo, of 
all the powder magazines, and of the 
flour-mills of Courbeil. The temple 
being infulated, and eafy to defend, was 
thought te be a proper refidence for the 
repre‘entation of the king. If one of 
the Direfiors fhould have efcaped, a 
price was to have been put-upon his 
head, and it was to be declared, that 
whoever concealed him, would be conii- 
dered as a traitor to his country. The 
principal Jacobins and ‘Perrorifts in 
every municipality, were to be fe- 
cured.—The old punifhments were to 
be re-eftablifhed, and the guillotines 
publicly burnt. A general amnefty 
was to be proclaimed in the name of tlie 
king, and an approaching peace an- 
nounced. A proclamation was to have 
been iffued, at the fame time, honourabie 
to the armies, and amicable to foreign 
- powers. ans . 
Among the various plans lately pro- 
_ pofed, for “meliorating the finances and 
mercantile concerns of the Republic, 
Montury Mac. No. XIV.- 
a national bank appears.to have engaged 
the moft ferious attention of — the 
legiflature. 
The affemblies requefted the opinions 
of the moft intelligent men-in the coms 
mercial. towns, upon this important fub- 
ject. In the month of January, the 
extraordinary deputies from thofe towns; 
remitted a letter to the Minifter of f- 
nances,, containing their motions upon 
banks in general. 
That fyitem,” faid thefe deputies, 
‘‘ which appears proper to be foilowed 
in the prefent fituation of the Republics 
would-net, perhaps, offer the fame ad- 
‘vantages ata more diftant period, even 
though the propoied meafure of creating 
a bank fhould now be adopted.—Circu- 
lating banks being the means of extend-= 
ing that credit by which trade is vivie 
fied, they .muft -be fo far ufeful..- But 
) 
When it is confidered, that all govern- 
ments have abufed the facility they have 
of drawing upon the banks, the inde= 
pendence of which they have pua- 
ranteed; that they have frequently, 
by the abufe of power, received private 
fortunes, and given deep wounds to 
public credit; it muft be’ confefled; 
tbat banks have alfo their incon 
yeniences, and that they have not always 
proved advantageous. 
“The property of the debtor, thé 
notoriety of his ability to pay, his pru- 
dence in his enterprifes, the flate of 
legiflation, with regard to the fecurity 
and protection of property, may be con-~ : 
fidered as the principal bafis of publie 
confidence. Any bank, which might be 
formed under the direction. of the mok 
virtuous, the moft enlightened, and the 
moft wealthy men, would certainly fail, 
if it did not poiiels afecurity, capable of 
operating full conviction in every mind, 
that no power could, in future, feize 
upon its funds, nor break the contract 
fubfifting between it, the proprietors of 
its ftock, and the public. 
«France recollecting,; that under-the 
pretence of eftablifhing a public bank, 
fo many fortunes were deftroyed at the 
commencement of this century, has a 
general repugnance to. the idea of any 
-great affociation, which, concentrating 
the property. of many citizens in the 
hands of a few individuals, accountable, 
in fome manner, to the public for their 
management, would leave to the govern- 
ment, the power of taking poffeffion of 
the common ftock.’’ 
The deputies then obferved, ‘‘ that 
after the failure of the-affignats and the 
D4 _ Mandats, 
nae pee = Es 
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