a ee ae 
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> Affairs. 
134 
the treafurye The confequence was ob- 
vious. The better informed among the 
eapitalifts being inclined to believe that 
this financial manoeuvre was little better 
than a fraud, declared that they ftood in 
Mees of heir capital. The timid and cre- 
dulous part confented to the abatement; 
and thus in a debt of the fame origin, na- 
ture, condition, and ‘tiipulation, ‘ fome. 
parts were paid in the preportion of four 
and fome of three!——-4. No pawn-brokers 
being in Naples, picus foundations, en- 
dowed with an immenfe wealth, receive 
pledges withcut intereft. As their wealth 
was much above the public wants in this 
he, fecret orders were given to tke go- 
vernors of thele Monti ai Pieta to convey 
to court the fuperfluous money !—5. Num- 
berlefs other pioes foundations, all over 
the kingdom, were intrufed with chari- 
table diftributions, fuch as dowries, fub- 
fidies, alms, &c. 
had been, perhaps, ill governed for fo 
many centuries— Phe time ot philofephi- 
eal and political reforms was come, and 
_ it was thought better to amalgamate all 
thefe heteregenzous elements into one ho- 
mogeneous. body, to be adminiltered by 
‘the court under, the direction of the Mi- 
nifter, ‘Yais attempt, however, was not 
carted into exccution, as they were afraid 
that fuch an unjufifiable fpoliation would 
unavoidably lead to a rebellion in the me- 
trcpolis, and. perhaps throughout the 
whole kingdom. The only refult was, 
that all theie ffcal operations rendered 
the name of the Minifter odious to ban- 
Kers and merchants, as it already was to 
fome other claffes of the people. 
The more, however, General Aton 
feemed cuilty of mifconduét, the more 
the Sovereign favoured him. In June, 
3789, after the death of Marquis Carac- 
.ctolo, he attached to his other appoint- 
ments the vacant Miniftry of Foreign 
This is the Gate of his meridian 
grandeur, unrivalled in any period of the 
Monarchy ot the Two Sicilies, even with 
out excepting Admiral Majone and Ser 
Gianni Caracciclo. The French Revolu- 
tion extended ‘its effe&ts—no one’s mind 
Original Poetry 
Thefe wealthy maffes 
(Sept. 1; 
was occupied on inferior objeéts, and 
much lefs towards a Minifter governing 
an infignificant ftate. His operations 
are, therefore, buried under a mafs of 
thofe events which have affliéted Europe. 
We cannot, however, help noticing, that 
in the year 1794, he was near expofing 
his Sovereign to an aggreffion from the 
Court of Sweden. Baron d’Armfeld, one 
of the chief confpirators againft the Re- 
gent, Duke of Sudermania, had taken re- 
fuge in Naples. The Regent fent his 
agents there in order to claim him, and 
to feize him, with the permiffion of the 
Government. Mr. Aéton not only de- 
nied the requeft, but helped the Baron to 
effect his flight through Apulia for Man- 
fredonia, and from the latter place to 
Triefte. ‘Ths behaviour expofed him to 
the Philippics of M. Piranefi, the Swedifh 
Conful at Rome; however, in the end 
it proved favourable to him. For the 
_ matters between the two Courts being ar- 
ranged, on condition that he fhould be 
difplaced from the Miniftry of Foreign 
Affairs, he was created Firft Minifter and 
Counfellor of State, in which ftation he 
held all the other Minifters under the: 
fame dependence as before. . 
If we fhould give credit to. certain pub- 
lic papers, his Sicilian Majefty, on his ar- 
“rival at Palermo, h.d removed Mr. Aéton 
from his Councils, into which he had 
taken the moft eminent perfons from 
among the Sicilian clergy, nobility, and 
magiftracy. 
Yet we are happy to ftate, that Gene- 
ral Acton has never been convicted of -ra- 
pacity ; fatisfied with the immenfe emo- 
luments of his places, and with the gee 
nercus and exiraordinary bounties and 
penfions of his Matter, he has never been 
fufpe ted of enriching himfelf in an un- 
lawful way! 
General Acton is upwards of 60 years 
of age, tall, and thin, of a pale com- 
plexion, a forbidding look, a piercing 
eye, and remarkably ferious and referved 
im his converfarion. i 
London, March 20, 1801. 
ORIGINAL POETRY. ) 
ANACREONTIC, 
C4 RE, caitiff wretch! begone from me, 
' And let me gaily quaff my bowl ; 
Hafte from my prefence, quickly flee, 
To joy alone L yield my foul, 
e 
My hours I dedicate to mirth, 
Then “let the liquid ruby flow,” 
Which gives to new ideas birth, © 
_ And bids the foul with rapture glow. 
Supremely 
