veffels, or their confignees, by them figned and certified on oath; the liberty of franquin ftill, how ever, to remain as heretofore, for all veffels that hall require it, according to the rules as eftablished by the custom-houfe of this city; fuppreffing all other duties, and revoking all and whatever difpofitious that may oppofe or infringe on the liberty and freedom, which are to conftitute the advantages of the establishment. Further to animate and promote in this capital, a concurrence and abundance of articles of the first neceflity, I am pleafed to declare, that all qualities of grain, meat, and food, which are free from paying duties inward, fhall not only enjoy the free liberty of exportation, but thall be alfo free from payment of the aforefaid contribution impofed on other goods, and continue to be received and dispatched through the fame departments as heretofore. In case it should happen that the Crown of Portugal fhould enter into war (which God forbid) with any power whofe fubjects might be interested in goods in the free port, in which condition it is to be understood the aforefaid grain, meat and food, are included, no arreft, embargo, fequeftration, or reprifal, thall on that account be made thereon; but on the contrary, they fhall remain in the utmott freedom and fecurity, as if each individual had them placed in his own houfe, to difpofe of them as he may judge moit fuited to his interest. The administration of the aforefaid free port fhall be conftituted under the fuperintendance of a general comptroller, with the ne ceffary officers under him that I Dated at the palace of Queliez, May 13, 1795. Manifefto, or Declaration of the Queen of Portugal, against the Republic of the United States of the Netherlands. WHEREAS the Portuguese envoy extraordinary with the republic of the United States of the Netherlands, has, in his report of the 15th of June, tranfmitted to her majefty the copy of a letter which he received from the committee for foreign affairs of the republic, in which has been notified to him the fixed refolution of abstaining from all political communication with him, as reprefentative of her majefty, the queen of Portugal, till the conclufion of a peace with the French republic. Befides which, the faid envoy ultimately fignifies in his letter, P 2 that that all commercial tranfactions bad alfo been fufpended: her majefty has therefore refolved, under the prefent circumftances, to fufpend in a like manner, on her part, all commerce with the ftates general of the Netherlands, to prohibit her fubjects all transactions, of mercantile connections, with the fubjects of the republic, and to forbid them all navigation to the harbours of the faid ftates. Her majefty has been farther pleafed to ordain, that all tranfactions in the interior of her dominions with the fubjects of the United Provinces be fufpended; and that their capitals fhall, under no pretence, be carried out of the Kingdom, The departure of all Dutch fhips, which are in the harbours under the dominion of her majefty, is alfo entirely ftopped, because there they must remain under embargo till further orders. That this refolution may reach the knowledge of every one, and be put in force, it has been publickly potted up. The fecretary of the tribunal of commerce, (Signed) RICOBONO GOMES DE CARVALHO, Lisbon, Jub 19, 1796. The above manifefto was revoked two days after it was iffued; and the Portuguese minifter, M. Pinto, tranfmitted a letter on the 23d of July upon the fubje&t to the Dutch ambaflador at Liibon, citi zen Geldemeefter. In this letter M. Pinto declares, "that the enbargo laid on the Dutch fhips in the Portuguefe harbour had been taken off, that her majefty the queen of Portugal, wifhed for nothing more than to preferve peace and friendship with the Batavian republic; that the hoped there fubfified no other caufe of difagree ment between both ftates, and that the Dutch government would obferve reciprocity with regard to the commercial connections; and that the temporary embargo had been occafioned by the measures manifefted in Holland against Portugal, and her majefty thought it very strange that Portugal thould not have been confidered like other friends of France who were at peace with the Batavian republic." Copy of the Letter font by the King of Naples to the Marquis del Vafo, who, after the receipt of it, fet out for Rome as Ambassador Extraordi nary, and concluded there the offen= five and defenfive Treaty between Naples and the Pope. Not HIS holiness acquaints me by letter of his determination to reject the unjust and execrable conditions of the French, on which account he demands of me, though rather late, fpeedy fuccour. with ftanding this is againft my ori-. ginal plan, I hefitate not a moment to grant it to him, as it concerns. our holy religion, to which I have conftantly been devoted. As his. holinefs demands of me, at the fame time, to fend fome perfon with whom he may confult on our common affairs, I have appointed you, the marquis del Vafto, for this purpose. Depart immediately, and have at heart the honour of God and the holy church, the good of the ftate, and the tranquillity of my fubjects, who daily give fresh proofs of their attachment and fidelity to me. Done in the camp of FERDINANDO REX. Proclamation Proclamation of the King of Naples. THE long war which ftill defolates Europe, which afflicts fo ma ny nations, and costs so much blood, and fo many tears, is not a mere political conteft, but a religious war. Our enemies are the foes of chriftianity; not content with destroying it in the breafts of their own nation, they would alfo banish it from every quarter of the globe, and replace it by atheifm or enthufiaftic idolatry. Religion openly reprobates their projects. They aim at the overthrow of all princely government, and to attain this, they difturb the peace of nations, ftimulate them to revolt against their Jawful fovereigns, plunge them into the moft dreadful anarchy, and fink them in an abyfs of confufion and mifery. Belgium, Holland, and fo many Gerinan and Italian provinces have become the wretched victims of their feduction, and thirst for plunder. Thofe unfortunate countries groan and lament, but in vain, under the vain defpotifm of their oppreffors, while the calls of justice and humanity are unattended to. It was neceffary that religion, the most powerful obftacle of their horrid projects, fhould be removed and deftroyed, in order that this fence being once broken down, all laws, both divine and human, might be violated without thame or reserve. Religion, whilft it informs us of our duties, ought alfo to infpire us with courage. The religious citizen well knows that he was born for himself and for others; that at the moment of his birth he contracts the obligation to love his native land, to protect it, in times of diftrefs, and even to hazard his life in the defence of the country where he repofes in fafety, and finds a livelihood for himself and his family, efpecially when that country is invaded by an enemy, who fpares neither law nor property, neither life nor religion; who, wherever he makes his appearance, infults, profanes, and deftroys the churches, breaks down the altars, perfecutes the priests, and tramples under foot the most facred emblems of the church of Chrift. It is impoffible that a citizen, devoted to the caufe of religion, should remain unconcerned at the dangers which threaten his country; prompted by the impulfe of his confcience, and a proper fenfe of his own welfare, he will haften to its defence, join the military force, and co-operate in a vigorous refistance; he will place his confidence in the God of Hofts, who often ftrikes an unexpected blow, and difperfes his enemies like chaff before the wind. I myfelf will fet you the example of zeal and courage; I will put myfelf at the head of my dearly be loved fubjects, affembled for the defence of their country, fully relying on the protection of the King of Kings, and the Lord of Lords, who guides the counfels of princes, and enlightens their minds, if with fincerity they implore his holy name. Yet at the fame time I fhall neglect no proper means for procuring peace and tranquillity to the people whom Divine Providence has entrusted to my care. But in order to obtain this end, we ought not to neglect the neceffary precautions, that we may be prepared for every event. Negociations for peace fhall occasionally be fet on foot, but they muli be P 3 carried carried on with arms in our hands, that we may not be obliged to fubmit to deftructive and difgraceful conditions, which this enemy, fo apt to avail himself of the weakness of his adverfaries, might choose to dictate. For this purpose lend me your affiftance, ye prelates of the realm, ye who are the depofitaries and first defenders of our holy religion, and fupport my exertions with a zeal worthy of your apoftolic miffion. Summon the inhabitants of your diocefes to join me and my troops, to repel the enemy, if he fhould dare to approach our frontiers. Explain to them the juftice and importance of our caufe, and convince them that it is their bounden duty to concur in its defence. Let the voice of the church be heard through her minifters, and invite her children to fupport the cause of God, and to offer up prayers to him, that, in his mercy, he may grant us either a juft peace, or a glorious triumph. (Signed) FERDINAND. Naples, May 18, 1796. Edict of his Majefly the King of Naples and the two Sicilies, addreffed to his Subjects. We, FERDINAND IV. by the Grace of God, &c. &c. SINCE the time when peace was interrupted in Europe, we redoubled our care to preferve the public tranquillity, and to put the flate in a fafe condition of defence. We were, therefore, difpofed to aug, ment our land and fea forces, and to raise a confiderable hoft of brave warriors on the frontiers of this kingdom We afterwards put ourfelves at the head of our courageous troops. firmly refolved to use all the means in our power, and even to facrifice our royal perfon. Thefe effective preparations, added to lawful and becoming fteps to obtain peace, give us hopes that our dominions will forthwith enjoy tranquillity. At the fame time we ought not to conceal, that in order to gain the propofed end of our defigns, it is abfolutely neceffary to double the faid preparations for the defence of the tiate, and the acceleration of a lafting and honourable peace, and to ftation a ftill greater force than the present on the frontiers of our kingdom. We addrefs ourselves to all the claffes of our beloved fubjects; and hereby do require them to contribute with all their power to the speedy augmentation of the army ftationed in cantonments. We expect, amongst others, that the brave young men who have enrolled themselves for the defence of religion, the throne, and the country, will now repair without delay to the frontiers, in order to put themfelves under our immediate and perfonal command, with their brave comrades; and we hope that in confequence of this, other volunteers will, in greater number, repair to the cantonments, that we may bring together a formidable army, and be enabled to fecure the fafety and tranquillity of the state, either by a permanent peace or by brilliant victories. Done at Naples, Sept. 12, 1796. Proclamation iffued at Petersburgh, rt lating to Dutch Ships. WE, count Alexander Nikolazenwitfch, do hereby give directions for the immediate release and departure of all the Dutch veffels, together THE empreis was already informed, through the public prints, of the treaty of peace concluded between Spain and the French, and, the unpleasant fenfations which, this unexpected and difagreeable. tranfaction had produced in her Imperial majefty's mind, were greatly increafed when this intelligence was confirmed by the miniiter of his catholic majetty. The emprefs, however, has during the new connection which fo happily, fubfifts between her and his catho-, lic majefty, met with too many op-, portunities of learning the true fen-, timents of that prince, not to be thoroughly convinced that the concurrence of the mott imperious circumftances can alone have determined him to act in direct oppofition to his principles. No doubt it has been for him a task infinitely, hard, to enter into negotiations, with thofe, who with their own hands murde ed the chief of his illustrious family, and to conclude a peace with thofe difturbers of the tranquillity and fafety of all Europe. No one knows better than her Imperial majefty to value and appreciate all the difficulties and obftacles, which his Catholic majefty must have had to furmount, before he could prevail upon him-. felf to adopt a measure, which to, all appearance has been brought about through the most urgent neceflity, and the most threatening. danger. Her Imperial majefty being at a loss to account for the motives. which can have determined his Catholic majefly thus to infulate his intereft from that of the coalition, on, that notwithstanding this fudcannot but perfevere in the opini-, den change, his Catholic majefty will continue fincerely to interest:. himfelf in the fuccefs of the ope-, rations of the evangelic powers; and to far from throwing any ob-ɔ flacle in the way of the new meafures which thofe powers may find it neceffary to purfue, rather fup-, port them by every means, which the fyftem of neutrality he may, perhaps, think proper to adopt,. does not preclude, His. Catholic majesty cannot yet · have forgotten the high importance, of the caufe for which the coalefced powers are contending-to reftore order and tranquillity, to lead the nations back to a fente of their duty, and to fhield all urope from the most dangerous infection.— These are the important motives which have induced the coalefced powers to unite their counfels, and, exert their joint efforts to render them triumphant. It is for this purpose, that the three courts have juft now, by means of a folemn treaty of alliance, P4. ..trengthened" |