8797+] 
Avupouin fpoke with much energy 
againft the priefts making a declaration. — 
“ To require an oath from the prietts,” 
faid he, ‘* is to acknowledge a religion 
in the ftate. Is there any neceility for 
a promife to obey thofe laws which ought 
to be obeyed? Why exaét from the 
priefts, a clafs of men whom you do not 
acknowledge, a declaration which you do 
mot require from any other citizen? 
‘You are apprehenfive that the priefts 
might difturb the public tranquillity ; 
but there are laws to punish them.” 
PANVILLIERS {poke in favour of a 
declaration from prictis. 
On the next day (the 16th of July) 
the Council of Five Hundred brought 
this important fubjeét to a conclufion. 
Phe appel nominal was \oudly demanded 
on the queftion of compelling the priefts 
to make a declaration. After much tu- 
mult the votes were raken ; when there 
appeared a great majority in favour of 
enforcing a declaration from the priefts. 
Within courfe of a few days a 
material ehange has taken place in the 
French miniftry. Talleyrand Perigord 
replaces Charles Delacroix in the depart- 
ment of foreign affairs ; general Hoche 
fucceeds to Pethier in the war depart 
ment; Francois de Neutchateau is nomi- 
nated for the’interibr, inftead of, Bere- 
zech; Pleville le Pelley, one of the ne- 
gceiators at Lifle, fucceeds to Truguct 
in the department of the marine; Le- 
noir Larouche, ex-member of the con- 
ftituent alfembly, fucceeds to Cochon in 
_the department of police; Merlin of 
Douay, minifter of finance, and Ramel, 
_remain in place. When we refle& that 
Perigord, the new minifter for foreign 
affairs in France, was fent out of Eng- 
Jand by lord Grenville, under the alien 
bill, ata time when ke could hardly find 
an abode of fafety in Kurone, and attend 
to the charaéters and political cunnec- 
tions of the other new members; we are 
inclined to conjecture that this change in 
the adminiftration of affairs in France 
cannot be of any great afliftance to the 
Britifh cabinet’ in the pending negocia- 
tion at Lifle ; and that if the iffue was 
_ doubtful when his majefty delivered his 
{peech to both houfes of parliament, it 
will fcarcely be lefs fo at the prefent 
moment. - 
ITALY. 
All ‘the popular parties in the demo- 
cratized parts ef Italy are now exerting 
themfelves to become one united repub 
lic. Bologna has fent deputies, requeft- 
ing an union with the Cifalpine republic, 
Public Affairs Ttaby, Pruffia, America. 
67 
The +epublic of Lucea is about to be de- 
mocratized ; and fhould the fenate refufe 
to refign its privileges, the French and 
Cifalpine troops will, in ail probability, 
be united to aid them to change their 
ariftocratic conftitution. 
; ‘ PRUSSIA. 
By a public paper given at Berlin the 
14th of July, 1797, itappears, that the 
Aulic Council of Vienna have adopted, 
without confulting the Pruflian court, 
different meafures, on the requeft of one 
party, and wholly to the difadvantage of 
the complainants, by which they have 
attacked fome rights belonging to Prufiia, 
and diffuaded her fubjeéts from perform- 
ing thofe obligations which they had 
contracted on oath, and had formally 
fummoned thofe of the Equettrian order 
not to regard his Pruffian majefty as their 
fovereigh. The principal meafures al- 
luded to are, firft, a mandate of the Au- 
-lic Council, dated March 17th, 1797, on 
the fubject of the claims of the fove-~ 
reignty of Brandenburgh againft the 
bithopric of Eichftadt. Second, a con- 
clufum of the Aulic Council of the 23d 
of March, concerning the pretenfions of 
the Sovereignty of brandenburgh againft 
the Equeftrian order in Franconia, 
Third, Idem, of the 8th of April, 
againft the Imperial town of Weiflem- 
burg, &c. 
AMERICA. 
The Prefident of the United States, 
on the 16th of May, took his feat in the 
fenate, and delivered a f{peech, in which 
he expreffed his regret at the neceflity for | 
convening the congrefs at fuch a feafon 
of the year ; a neceflity which originated 
in the conduét of the French Direétory 
towards the United States. He then ad- 
verted to the war then carried on in Eu- 
rope, and dilated upon the treatment of 
the American minifter at Paris, and the 
determination of the Direétory not to 
receive another minifter from the United 
States till the American government 
redrefs the grievances complained of. 
The Prefident, however, informed the 
Congrefs that he thould infutute a frefh 
attempt at negociation; yet he recom- 
mended effeétual meafures of defence. 
He direéted the attention of Congrefs to 
the navy ; ftated the neceffity of equip- 
. ping frigates and other veffels to convoy 
the merchantmen ; and recommended it 
to the legiflature to confider whether 
it would not be proper to make arrange~ 
ments for forming a previncial army, 
and for increafing the regular artillery 
and cavalry ? ee 
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