


1796.) 
firict neutrality towards all the bellige- 
_ Fent powers ; in confequence of which, 
he pledges himfelf to prevent, indifcri- 
minately, accefs to his ports to all armed 
thips of war belonging to the faid powers, 
according to the regulations acknowledg- 
ed by the faid neutrality. Chat his ma- 
jefty of the Two Sicilies, in order to af- 
ford a proof of his friendfhip for the 
French republic, confents to fet at 
liberty every French citizen who had 
been arrefted and detained in his ftates, 
on account of his or their public opinions 
re{fpeéting the French revolution. That 
there fhall be negociated and concluded, 
without delay, a treaty of commerce be- 
tween the two powers, founded on the 
bafis of mutual utility, and fuch as fhall 
infure to the French nation advantages 
equal to all thoie which are enjoyed in 
the kingdom of the Two Sicilies by the 
moft favoured nations. That the fame 
peace, friendfhip, and good underftand- 
ing, that were ftipulated in this treaty 
between the king of the Two Sicilies 
and the French republic, fhall fubfitt 
between his majefty ard the Batavian re- 
public. ‘Phat the treaty fhould be ra- 
tihed within forty days from the. date 
| thereof.’’ 
The old ally of England, and the new 
one of the French republic, Viétor Ama- 
deus Marie, of Savoy, king of Sardinia, 
died on the 16th of Oétober. This event 
was notified to the Executive Direétory, 
by a difpatch from the prince of Piedmont, 
his fon and fucceffor, in terms the mot 
amicable and expreffive of his good will to- 
wards the French republic. 
The French Direétory returned an an- 
fwer to the new king of Sardinia, equally 
expreflive of their intention to preferve 
| peace and amity with the king of Sardinia. 
It would afford us the moft cordial fatif- 
faction, if we could announce to our rea- 
ders, that the negociation between lord 
Malmfbury and the French Direétory had 
_ been brought to the fame happy termina- 
| tion. While, however, thefe papers are 
_ comm'tting to the prefs.the hand of the 

writer is arrefted, and his long cherifhed 
hopes are defeated by the fatal intelli- 
ak that the treaty is abruptly broken 
off. , : 
{In the concluding pages of this Maga- 
xine, our Readers will find an exaé? copy of 
the official correfpondence which paffed dur- 
ing this important negociqgtion.. | 
Onthe 19th of Oétcber, CAMBACERES, 
in the name of a {pecial commiflion, made 
a reportin the council of five hundred on 
ameffage of the Direétory, in which he 
MONTHLY Mag. No. XI, 
Public Affaits——Frances ' 
907 
called on the legiflative body to fecure the 
return of peace, by a vigorous organiza- 
tion of the means proper for the continu- 
ance of the war. 
‘“‘ The French government,” faid he, “ ts 
defirous of a fincere, {peedy, and honour- 
able peace. If our enemies aét with 
franknefs and fincerity, tranquillity will 
{peedily be reftored to Europe. Our wants 
are multiplied, it is true, but our refources 
are not exhaufted: we have domains to 
alienate, and arrears to recover, we have 
no need of violent means: our territorial 
poffefons are fufficient for us, and will 
enable usto meet both the war expendr- 
ture and the acquital of the public debt.” 
He then prefented a feries of refolutions 
purporting—* That there fha!l be a fund 
of 450,000,000 of livres in fpecie for the 
fervice of the fifth year, for the fixed ex- 
pences; and another fund of 550,000,000, 
alfo in. fpecie, for the extraordinaries ; that 
the fund for the fixed expences {hall be 
drawn from the produce of the contribu- 
tions of the fifth year. The funds for 
extraordinaries fhall be drawn from the 
arrears of the contributions, and from the 
revenues of the national domains and fo- 
refts; andto complete the 550,000,000 a 
fufficient quantity of national domain fhall 
be fold by a€tion, and the payment fhall 
be made a tenth part in fpecie, four-tenths 
in {chedules, and the other five tenths in 
government debentures. 
That the territorial contributions for 
the fifth year are filled at 250,000,000, to 
be taken from the departments and the 
perfonal and fumptuary contributions at 
50,000,000.—That the members of the 
central and municipal adminiftrations fhall, 
as foon as poflible, proceed tothe colleétion 
of the direét contributions.” 
On the roth of December the Execu- 
tive Direétory addrefled a meffage to the 
Council of Five Hundred, reipecting the 
‘deranged ftate of the French finances; 
announcing that the multiplied wants of 
the republic call imperioufly upon the le- 
giflative body to difplay and employ all her 
refources ; that every branch of the pub- 
lic fervice experienced the utmoft diitrefs. 
The pay of the troops remaining unfet- 
tled; the defenders of tne country fuifer- 
ing all the horrors of want; the creditors 
of the ftate and contracters remaining un- 
paid ; and the adminiftration of the police 
unable to reprefs the intrigues of the dif- 
affected in every part of the republic.— 
The Directory then pointed out the em- 
ployment of the arrears due upon the laft ~ 
fourth part of the national domains, fold 
by the law of the 28th Ventofe, as the 
OG ie Ss: means 
