1797+] 
minifter.—He, and his-colleagues have 
carefully looked into former periods, and _ 
ha.e difcovered how it happened that 
majorities were loft in parliament when 
the voice of the peupie was againft-a mi- 
nifters they faw where they were the 
mofl expofed to danger, and they have 
pointed their defence accordingly., This 
olwervation, he obfervedyaoplied to thofe 
who are calied country genticmen, who 
are ulually confidered as independent 
men, and ijuppofed to be influenced by 
the opmions and defires of their coniti- 
tuents. ' 
: FR ANCE. 
The French Directory finding the fi- 
nances in an embarraffed and critical 
ftate, in order to prevent the fatal confe- 
quences which might thence eafue, have 
recommended to the legiflative bodies the 
adoption of a plan for the payment. of 
two-thirds of the national debr. 
On the 1isth of September, Villar’s 
plan for that purpofe was adoped by the 
Council of Five Hundred. The follow- 
ing are the principal aiticles, 
ArT. 91. The reimburfements of the two 
thirds fhall be made by notes to the bearer, de- 
livered by the national treafury. ; 
Art. 92. The notes delivered to the bearer 
for the reimburfement of the public debt fhall 
be taken in payment for national property, at 
the period, and in the manner hereatter ex 
prefled. ’ 
ART. 94. One month after the ratifica- 
_ tion of the lait treaty of general peace, the 
price of the fales of the national domains, fhall 
be totally difcharged by the notes to the bearer, 
arifing from the reimburfement of the pubiic 
debt. 
ART. 95. The fale of the national pro- 
perty thall be carried on with il poiible acti- 
vity, fo that it'may be concluded in the year 
fublequent to a general peace. . 
This important regulation was at 
Jengih adopted by the Council of Five» 
Hundred, and fent to the other houfe of 
legillarors, . 
Cretet, in the Council of Elders, on 
the 29th of September, delivered in the 
name of the Committee of finance, a re- 
“oh on a refolution relative to ftamps, the 
ottery, the abolition of the nationai debt, 
&c. He divided his fubject into two 
Parts, the ordinary and extraordinary 
expences. ‘The ium total of the expence 
had been acucraely rated at fix hundred 
and fixteen millions for the fixth year. 
This tum was neceflary during the war. 
Cretet then analyzed the different heads 
,0f receipts which were to meet thefe ex- 
ences. The ftamp duty extended to 
Journals, playing cards, parcels, memo- 
jals, petitions, &c, Though a lottery, 



Public Affairs... Frances 
Zit 
he faid, was an immoralimpoft, yet he 
found an indifpenfible necefliry, for cre- 
ating one. He then pafled ro the repay - 
ment of the public debt. According to 
the committee, every government ought 
to reduce a portion of the debt it is not 
able to pay, when the expences exceed 
the receipts... 
The. republic, at prefent, finds, itfelf 
in this condition, fince itis not able to 
raife the contributions fufficiently high 
to furnith payment for the wavle of the. 
national debt. In the ancient regime 
contributions were more defective than at 
this day, at the fame time the people were. 
more oppreffeds yet France, exclufive 
of confiderable commerce, pofleffed con- 
fiderable colonies. The reduction of the 
national debt, was a political operation ; 
it would fix order in the public finances, 
and would be advantageous to the credi- 
tors. themfelves ;-for, it would give to 
their titles a certain and real value, in 
place of avariable one which they had 
before. ‘The repngnance to the funds 
which the nation gives to the creditots, 
arifes from iwe caufes:—The firft, that 
*people will not be willing to purchafe 
national property : the other caute is de- 
rived from the errononeous eftimate of 
the value of the national property th-t 
remains to ve fold. ‘Here the re- 
porter calculated all the property that 
remains to be fold, and found it amount« 
ed to a milliard, three hundred. and 
ninety - four millions, that is yo fay, 
1,394,000,000. He confeffed-the Com- 
mittee had not proofs tufficiently precife 
to judge whether the reduétion of the 
deht to two-thirds had been made ina 
fair proportion; and concluded by de- 
claring, thar the Committee thought the 
thirteen firft titles of the refolution 
ought t» be readily adopted. ‘The re- 
port was ordered to be printed. 
On the next day the C. uncil of Elders 
ref{umed the fubjeé&t. Rouffeau oppofed 
the refolution, and expreffed his fur- 
prife, that a plan chat tended to ruin 
200,000 families fhould be fo, little re- 
fieéted upon. He contended it would¢ be 
injurious to the property of the ftate cre- 
diors, 
Clauzel obferved, that when the affairs 
of a private individual were embarraffed, 
he had a right to propofe arrangements 
with his creditors, by giving up his pro-' 
perty to them; and why fhould. nor the 
Republic have the fame privilege. He 
declared, that if the refolution. was not 
adopred, he, would not take any part in 
a deliberation, the whole odium of which 
would fall on the Council of Antients, 
fince, 
