Ese 7 | 
OF PUBLIC. AFFAIRS, - 5 aie 
STATE 
‘ 
In Fuly 179 . 
FRANCE. 
OME important changes have taken 
S place among 
Repu blie fince our lat publication. 
The firt fy mptoms of hoftility to the 
Directory apneared in the Sittings of the 
Council of Five Hundred, on the Fifth of 
June, whena meflage was fent, defiring 
information upon the fituation of the Re- 
panes and -expi ‘effing fome furprife at 
the filence which the " Direory had hi- 
therto obferved. An addrefs to the peo- 
pie was at the fame time drawn ups 
ftlatine-the dangers and difficulties to 
which the Republic was expofed, declaring 
that the refponfibility of the Executive 
Agents fhould be enforced ; and that 
while: the Council were aS mined. on 
i lelr part not to tran{greis the limits pre- 
{cribed by the Conftitution, they were re- 
folved at the fame time that the Direétory 
-ffiould not exceed theirs. Fo this meflage 
of the Council of Five Hundred, the Di- 
re€tory returned no aniwer. On the 16th, 
the United Committees moved, that an- 
other meffage fhould be fent, defiring an 
anfwer to the preceding. one; and that, 
fill it fhould be received, the fitting fhouid 
be permanent. This was refolved upon, 
ard immediately communicated to the 
Council of Ancients, who alfo voted their 
fitting permanent. At feven in the even- 
ing the Direétory fent a meflage, in which 
they ftated, that they were engaged in 
drawing up an an{wer, and that the docu- 
ments fhould~ be furnifhed on the next. 
day. But the Councils, upon the obfer- 
vation of a member that fome movement 
again{t the national reprefentation was ex- 
pected, refufed to adjourn. They then 
proceeded to annul the nomination of 
Treilhard to the Direétory, as contrary 
to the 136th Article of the Conftitution. 
Gohierf was appointed in his ftead. On 
the next day a communication was made 
by the Directory, in anfwer to the meflage 
from the Counc:! of Five Hundred on the 
Fifth of June. This communication was 
fhort and unfatisfaGory, and indireétly. 
accufed the Council of calumniating the 
Directory. —~ The Council refented this 
with great fury. —Bertrand, of Calvados, 
ina very animated fpeech, defended the 
Jegiflature, and commented, with great 
feverity, upon the conduét of the Di- 
reGrory.—Boulay, of La Meurthe, de- 
nounced Merlin and Lepaux, chara¢terifing 
the former as a man of a trifling mind, 
the latter asa fanatic. He hinted at the 
I 
o the Rulers of the French © 
rece of ftriking a blow, if they did not 
refign. Another member moved for ades 
cree Sn accufation againft Merlin, 
The Council refolved, on the 17th, in. 
the afternoon, that every perfor who fhould 
Ausuft, 
make an attempt upon the fafety and li- » 
-berty of the legiflature, or any of its» 
members, fhould be outlawed. In the_ 
evening a meflage,figned by Barras, com-_ 
municated to the Council the refignation 
of Merlin and Lepaux. Roger Duclos 
and General Moulins: were appointed te 
fill their places. 
Lucien Buonaparte, in the name of a- 
Committee, on the 19th, prefented a re- 
port upon the conduct of the Directory, 
and on the finances. Upon this occafion, 
a member denounced the embezzlements 
of Scherer, and the falfe calculations of 
Ramel, the Miniffer of Finance. On the 
20th, one of the diftriéts of Paris congra- 
tulated the Councilupon the energy it had 
difplayed, and aed Reubel, Merlin, 
Lepaux, ‘Scherer, and Frangois de Neuf- 
chateau, as authors of the tyranny which 
had exifted. On the next day a report was 
prelented upon the meafures to be adopted 
at the prefent crifs. The Prefidency of 
the Direftory beimg vacant by the refigna- 
tions, Sieyes was appointed to that feat. 
The New. Direétory, on the 27th of 
June, fent a meflage to the two Councils, 
giving an account of the ftate in which 
they had found the Republic, upon their 
admiffion to power ; they did not diffem- 
ble the dangers by which it was furround- 
ed. <* It was but too true,”? faid they, - 
‘€ that acsfatal’ fyftem, that ill-founded. 
prejudices, had removed from public funce 
tions and employments citizens beft qua~_ 
lifed to maintain the high deftinies of 
the Republic ; that almoft all the ad- 
miniftrations confifted either of weak 
and inefficient men, or of enemies to 
the Republican Conftitution, and that . 
of courfe it was neceflary that they 
fhould be new-modelled.— It was alfo 
true, that, emboldened by the weaknefs 
er connivance of the public functionaries, 
the robbers who infefted the interior of 
the Republic, had appeared with new au-_ 
dacity, and defolated feveral departments 
of the Weft and South—the purchafers of 
national property were attacked, and tra~ 
vellers and public vehicles were no longer 
fafe on the highways—-And that the pro- 
duce of the taxes were pillaged at the dif~ 
ferent places of colleétion, and on the way 
te the treafuzy—all thefe crimes too were 
committee - 
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