1796.) 
clamation into ferious confideration, they 
iffued a proclamation, on the 16th of 
September, in which they termed the 
Britifh proclamation an artifice, which 
the Batavian people well knew how to 
appreciate—a lure which they difdainea. 
‘What Batavian heart,” faid the pro- 
clamation, ‘* is not filled with indigna- 
tion, on confidering that the enemy of 
our country would offer us for fale thofe 
very effets of which we have been wrong- . 
fully pillaged ?—They refolve, 
«That it fhall not be permitted to 
import into the United Provinces any 
Britifh manufactures whatever, nor any 
Britifh merchandize in general. That 
upon the importation of effects of this 
kind, they fhall be confifcated to the 
profit of the Batavian pecple. 
“¢ ‘That it be forbidden to the inhabi- 
tants of the Batavian republic to accept 
or pay any bills of Exchange drawn from 
Great Britain.” 
IRELAND. 
On the 13th of October, his excellency 
the lord lieutenant proceeded to the houfe 
ef lords, and opened the feflion with a 
fpeech, the echo of that made by his 
majefty to the Englith p.rliament. 
The addrefs to his majefty was moved 
for by Mr. Wore, ina maiden fpeech, 
and feconded by Mr. BaGweELt. 
Mr. GRATTAN propofed an amend- 
ment to the addrefs, the purport of 
which was, to effect the complete con- 
ceffion of the conftitutional privileges to 
the Roman Catholics of Ireland. This 
produced a debare, which was not con- 
cluded till paft two in the morning ; and 
the amendment was ftrongly oppoted. 
On the part of Mr. GraTTAN, and 
his friends, the debate was conducted 
with much force and {pirit; they fup- 
ported the indifpenfable neceflity of an 
hearty union of all forts of the people, to 
the fafety of the empire, at this crifis. 
It was oppofed by the other fide, upon 
the ground, that the mode and occafion of 
introducing it, asa clog to the addrefs, 
was inexpedient and ungracious, and that 
as going to demand a ftipulation for the 
Catholics, it was inimical, rather than 
friendly, to their caufe. 
The houfe at length divided---ayes 12, 
Noes 149. oe 
~The motion for the original addrefs 
was then put and carried. 
‘In a few days after, the attorney-gene- 
ral brought in a bill relative to perfons 
charged with high treafon, and for fuf- 
pending the act of Habeas Corpus in 
=v 
Political Affairss—Ireland 0 Frances 
Ireland, which was hurried through the 
houfe of commons in a fingle night. 
FRANCE. 
On the 23d of September, PELET DE 
LA LozERE made a motion, in the 
council of five hundred, for peace, upon 
which the order of the day was called for. 
On this occafion Boissy pD’ANGLAS 
rofe, and faid, *¢ that though he fup- 
ported the order of the day, he did not 
ihe le/s approve of the intention of PELE? 
He thought that French liberty would 
triumph over all its enemies; but it was 
_or ufe to declare to the people, that the 
war into which they have been-drawn 
was not a war of caprice, but of liberty.. 
‘«« Tt was of importance,” he faid, “ to 
announce to all Kurope the duplicity of 
Pirt, at the moment in which he was 
foliciting new fubfidies, and deceiving 
the Englith people. hat people,’’ he 
added, ‘* were fincerely defirous of peace, 
but the English government continued 
to urge, ‘we mui make war becanfe 
the French do not wifh for peace; or be~- 
caufe they do notdefire it until they have 
deftroyed all the thrones of Europe.” 
Thefe, he obferved, were undoubtedly 
the political principles which had direét- 
éd PeLer ; neverthelefs, as the agita- 
tion of the queftion might involve {ome 
circumftances injurious to the. interefts 
of the republic, he moved the order of 
the day, which was almoft unanimouily 
paffed. 
On the 22d of September, the executive 
directory difpatched a mefflage to the 
council of five hundred, purporting, that 
it found it its duty tofubmit to the coun- 
cil, for its confirmation, a meafure re- 
{pecting the diftribution of provifions ta 
the poor of Paris. After recapitulating 
the former arrangements with refpe& te 
this neceflary object of police, they add, 
* When the conftituticnal government 
was firft eftablifhed, bread and meat 
were diftributed to more than 600,c0@ 
perfons, at the daily expence of upwards 
of 130,000 franks. 
- « Atthis time the diftribution of the 
ratios of three quarters of a pound of 
bread is. made to no more than 185,000 
perfons ; and 16,000 pounds weight of 
meat, per day, are given away to the 
aged, the infirm, and the women whe 
are in labour. : 
“ The daily expence does not exceed 
the fum of 30,000 livres; this expence 
fhould be, from the firft of Vendemaire, 
at the charge of the commune of Paris ; 
but as the council had not taken care to 
' ue Jecure 
745 

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