Pruffian regency, and which the fenate have juft rendered public; they invite them, in confequence, to wait quietly for the iffue, and not to expofe themselves and their families to danger by useless refiftance, and a too exalted patriotic zeal. The fenate having thus fatisfied the defire of the burghers, by confiding to them for a time the care of the gates, expect that they will remember the promise they have made to abstain from all exceffes and precipitate fteps, and leave entirely to the magiftrate and fupreme tribunal of the empire, the care of terminating this affair. Subftance of a Letter addreffed by the Elector of Saxony to his Majefty the King of Pruffia, relative to the late Differences fubfifting between that Monarch and his Neighbours in Franco nia. FAR from meaning to decide upon, or to call in queftion the validity of the pretenfions of your Majefty to the rights of fovereignty, which, in later times, have been enjoyed by feveral of your neighbours in Franconia, reputed, in confequence, to be members of the Equeftrian Order of the empire, I think it my duty to fuppofe, from the known equity of your Majefty, that you will not determine to affume these rights without impartially examining your pretenfions, and that all the fteps which are taken respecting the principalities of Franconia have been directed by justice, and a defire to pave a way (for you and your electoral house, and for the advantage of the fubjects of Franconia, fuffering from the differences that have arifen re fpecting the fovereignty) which may lead to a diftinct and amicable conciliation of all their respective rights. Your Majefty, however, is too enlightened not to be convinced, thai, after all the laws which have been made, pretenfions to rights which are not united with the poffeffion must be previously referred to the judge, and decided, in order to be able to come at the enjoyment of them; and that the arbitrary depofing of him who is actually in poffeffion, cannot be approved by any one. In truth, it cannot be doubted, that if your Majefty had employed measures of negotiation with the different powers, it was much to be feared that the business would not have been speedily terminated and arranged. But this confideration was not sufficient to fet you above all the laws against arbitrary power, which are fo falutary in themselves, and fo interwoven with the fpirit of the Germanic conftitution. We can no longer accufe the fupreme tribunals of the empire with partiality and injuftice: if they exercife their functions agreeably to the laws by which they fhould be guided, and if they apply them to the actions and conduct of your Majefty, the confequences which will refult from it will be felt. Your Majefty has been revered with reafon by a great part of the empire, as one of the firft defenders of the conftitution; and what matter of affliction will it not be for every state of the empire torn from the country, if that confidence, which is founded upon veneration, is weakened by the new steps taken in Franconia! I leave to your Majefty's wisdom to decide, whether thefe premature steps will not lead them to form very cu rious notions of the Germanic affo- Madrid, March 1st. Proclamation of the King of Spain. THE glory of my crown and the honour of my people, with the government of whom I have been entrusted by Divine Provi dence, and the intereft I take in defending their rights, and in obtaining a juft fatisfaction for the infults they have fuftained by the English, by a notable infraction of the moft folemn treaties, founded upon the reciprocal utility of both ftates, obliged me, contrary to my pacific intentions, to enter into a new war, when hardly difengaged from that which I had maintained against the French republic, which terminated in an honourable peace that fecured the tranquillity and happiness of my faithful fubjects. But to consolidate this important benefit, and to contribute to the repofe of which Europe stood fo much in need, I find myself under the indifpenfable neceffity of entering into new engagements, which require an enormous expence and immenfe provifion. As it has ever been my principal object to unite the high dignity of my crown with the good of my fubjects, already to much oppreffed by the weight of the public revenue as fcarcely to admit of any new impofts, I have not availed myfelf of the power with which I am invested, nor adopted any of the means pointed out to me as capable of producing the defired effect; being perfuaded that, on the contrary, it would be more convenient to adopt other measures, which may greatly facilitate the neceffary fuccours, fuch as the re-establishment of the loan upon the revenue of tobacco, created by my auguft predeceffor, according to a royal decree of December 17, 1782, and conformable to my edict of December 10, 1794, which will effectually unite the neceffities of the ftate with the good of individuals, of which it is compofed. The return of the capital having the moft advantageous fecurity, will tend to infure the future fubfiftence of families, without the rifk to which money might be expofed when at the arbitrary difpofal of inexperienced and diffipated youth-I have therefore refolved to open the above loan for the term of one year, reckoning from the 1ft of January, 1797, with the liberty of continuing the fame as I may find it convenient. (Signed) I THE KING. Abstract of a Proclamation iffued by the Court of Spain, relative to the Prohibition of English Merchandize. THE first article prohibits the importation into Spain of all Britifh goods and manufactures, and likewife of all articles that have been conveyed to any port of Great Britain, and fubject to a duty, under any pretence what ever. The fourth article enjoins all perfons who have English goods in their poffeffion, to deliver an account of the fame within fifteen days after the date of the proclamation, and grants fix months for the fale of the goods specified in the inventory. Thofe that neglect to make a declaration within the period abovementioned, are informed by the fifth article that the goods will be confifcated. The fixth article states, that fuch prohibited goods as fhall not be difpofed of in the space of fix months allowed for that purpofe, fhall be fold by public auction in lots. The price of each article cannot exceed the price of the fame kind of goods before the war: the value fhall, therefore, be ascertained before the fale. The merchants who may not have had an opportunity to difpofe of all the British merchandife in their poffeffions, and who may not choofe to have the refidue fold in the manner stated in the preceding article, will be permitted to fend them to Cadiz, whence they may export them to the Weft Indies. The English merchandise that may be imported fubfequent to the proclamation, fhall be confifcated, together with the fhips or other ve hicles by which they were conveyed. The carriers of thefe goods, if it should be proved in evidence that they acted with intent to evade this proclamation, fhall be imprisoned for the term of eight years. The fourteenth article provides, that, three months after the publication of the royal schedule, no merchandise fhall be received in the ports of Spain from foreign parts without the magiftrate's or infpector's certificate refident at the place whence they have been exported. The certificates muft fpecify the quality and quantity of the goods, the materials of which they were fabricated, and likewife that they have not been manufactured in, or paid any duties to England. The twentieth article mentions, that, as many articles of English manufacture are imitated with the greatest exactnefs in France, the utmost care is to be obferved by the collectors of the duties, that goods of French manufacture may not experience any diminution in the demand in Spain. The twenty-fecond article relates to the regulations with refpect to Z 4 British British merchantmen who may be forced into Spanish ports through ftrefs of weather. The twenty-third and fucceeding article mentions, that the former regulations will be obferved with refpect to English property taken and carried into Spain by Spanish or French privateers. Imperial Ukafa, or Edict, iffued at Peterburg, refpecting the Importation of French and Dutch Merchandize. Paul I. by the Grace of God, Emperor and fole Governor of all the Ruffins, c. We do moft graciously ordain, 1.THE importation of all French wines, without exception, alfo fallad-oils of Provence, olives, capers, anchovies, to be freely permitted in all our harbours in neutral bottoms. 2. French and Spanish brandy is only permitted to be imported by neutral fhips in thofe harbours which are fpecified in the ukafa of the 11th of December, 1784, and to which we add the ports of Liebau and Windau. 3. The duties on wine, oils, &c. fhall be taken from the tariff of September 27, 1782, till a new one fhall appear; and the duty, on French brandy fhall be regulated agreeably to the ukafa of November 25, 1793. 4. The ukafa of the 8th of April, 1793, fhall be ftrictly obferv. ed, as far as it forbids the importation of various French goods, and of others which are mere objects of luxury; as likewife all communication with the French until a lawful government and order of things fhall have been introduced into that country; the certificates of Conful or Government, ordained by the faid ukafa, fhall alfo no longer be demanded in the future importation of French goods, except for fuch articles for which fome duties are to be remitted. Done at St. Petersburgh, Janu ary 22, 1797.. SECOND UKASA. Paul I. &c. WE do hereby most graciously permit the free importation, in all our harbours, of fuch Dutch goods as are not prohibited in the tariff or ukafa, provided fuch importation takes place in fhips belonging to neutral powers. Thofe goods are to pay the duties prefcribed by the tariff of September 27, 1782, till a new tariff shall be published. Done at St. Petersburgh, January 22, 1797. CHARACTERS. CHARACTERS. MR. BURKE'S WILL. The Laft Will and Teftament of the Right Hon. Edmund Burke. Extracted from the Registry of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury. F my dear fon and friend had me, I have been unneceffary; but fince it has pleafed God to call him to himself before his father, my duty calls upon me to make fuch a difpofition of my worldly affairs as feems to my best judgment moft equitable and reasonable: therefore I, Edmund Burke, of the parish of St. James, Westminster, although fuffering under fore and inexpreffible affliction, being of found and difpofing mind, and not affected by any bodily infirmity, do make my Laft Will and Teftament in manner following: Firft. According to the ancient, good, and laudable cuftom, of which my heart and understanding recognize the propriety, I bequeath my foul to God, hoping for his mercy through the only merits of our Lord and Saviour. Jefus Chrift. My body I defire, if I fhould die in any place very convenient for its tranfport thither (but not otherwife) to be buried in the church at Beaconsfield, near to the bodies of my deareft brother and my deareft fon, in all humility praying, that as we have lived in perfect amity toge would go to a greater expence; and I defire, in the fame manner, and with the fame qualifications, that no monument beyond a middlefized tablet, with a small and fimple infcription on the church-wall, or on the flag-ftone, be erected. I fay this, because I know the partial kindness to me of fome of my friends; but I have had in my lifetime but too much of noife and compliment.-As to the reft, it is uncertain what I fhall leave after the difcharge of my debts, which, when I write this, are very great. Be that as it may, my will concerning my worldly fubftance is fhort. As my entirely beloved, faithful, and affectionate wife did, during the whole time in which I lived (moft happily with her) take on her the charge and management of my affairs, affifted by her fon, whilft God was pleafed to lend him to us, and did conduct them (often in a state of much derangement and embarraffment) with a patience and prudence which probably have no example, and thereby left my mind free to profecute my public duty, |