The National Register.
London, England, 1814-09-18 00:00:00

- TfL NATIONAL 1

s 4

FOREIGN INTELLIGENCE.

FRENCH PAPERS.

TRENCH HOIJBg O PEER!.
4.1111101 OF TUB PRINC! OP BEEETENTG, ON PECIENTING TI
BUDGET, THE BTH sIIPTEADER.
GeNTLessin—By order of the King we present you with the
project of the law on the Finances of the Kingdom.
" Tu a object of this law is to hi and regulate the public expen-
cell of the current sear—to provide in advaoce for the services of
the ensuing ve4t, and to assign the payment of the arrears anterior
to Ist of Apt il last tioio certain fonds at determined periods; and
in the mariner most just And least burthensome.
gi This projtct of the law, except some amendment, has been
already printaand di.trihnted. When, according to your establilli.
• ed firms, the House shall have sent it for examination to the Com-
/Mitres. if forher elocidations are required, the Ministers will be
happy to give all in their power. It is !lien ouly that Willie &tails
can b entered into, to lender the law Complete. The only object.
theretiny, which calls for your attentio,i to day on this subject; is the
spirit and outline of the law in question.
" You will there see, Gentlemen;- that the intention of the King
has b en not only to provide immediately: for the wants of the pnblie
service. by establishing a proper balance between the receipts and
expenditure, but also to create, in the fistancialadministration, a new
regime, both with respect to its object, incense it will found the
prosptsrity of France on a real public credit, proportioned to the
extent of her,resources. It is new with rospeet to its means. brcou.e
they are all adopted in the most perfect sincerity ; it is the drterini-
112tinn to.adliere to what has been promised—and fidelity to its en.'
gagements, which, this day, become the noble expedients proposed
by the candoar of the King to his subjects.
" By this simple proceeding, to the intrinsic power of the State
will speedily be added the influence of public opinion. These two
powers lend each other mutual succours ; and from their nnion,
when well understood, will result the whole power of *great national
credit.

" We do not now mean to enquire if public eredit, considered in
the abstract, is in itself a great advantage. j think so, but this is
nothing to the purpose. It is sufficient that it does exist elsewhere,
and as a great arm of strength to render it nreoisary that it shonld
also be found in France. I can only regard it, in, the present state
of Europe, with respect to its relative advantages ; and As a weapon
of the same kind of which other nations have taken so great advan-
tage.

" The Ministers of the King are happy in this tit Asee7ibly,
religiously approaching .the sacred altar oflienotir raised by the glory
of the French arms, to he enabled solemnly to abjure and proscribe
for ever all those miserable conception., all those dkastrons opera-
tions. known within the last century by the mines visa; reductions
de rents ; suspensions de remboursements ; reductions de valetas ; rem.
blarson‘nts ; valetas nominates ; ; inscriptions reAniles au
tiers ; liquidations en eakurs dc'finrcies ; recisions ; assortments de
r. visions ; rejets de I eat s par preeeription, t!cc. 85-c. tise. France, at
peace with the wi 01. universe. ought to aspire to new celebrity.
She ought to endeavour to establish in every department of the ad-
ministration, earldom- and justice in the exercise of its powers. To
obtain this great result, it is necessary to hod the means for paying
all demand: on t!!e State, and to prove that, with the ability, she
possesses the will to do so.

" France has now the means of paying all her expencea, all her
debts, a will be seen by comparing that which she haa, with that
which she owes.

The total amonnt of the debt now demandable is 756,000,000.
The revenue of the year 181.1 is estimated at 54.0,000,000, and that
of 1815 at 618,000,000. This revenue is entirely furnished by taxes,
direct or indirect, with the exception of 10 or I'2 Ilia esti-
mated produce of the Forest Domain. For the year 1814 there
Wilt be a deficit of 507,100,000 francs. This is ocewiioncd by the
lst of April, and consequently it makes
.nOO,OOO, now demandable. The expetices
547,700,000 francs, leave an excess in the
'0,500,000 frane9.

'e seemed to some persons- to be not stehri-
of perfeetnesg cannot be 9ati,fied. We
tent ourselves w;th approximations; but
tied that it bas before it the maximum of

REGISTER.

rSEPT.:IB.

debt, and the minimum of the receipts, so that if there be errors,
they will be attended with no danger. If the results are exagge-
rated,".the surplus, on whatever side it will be, will only be ijvau.
tageous, since it removes the inconvenience of a deficit, and gives
the State the means of improvement and present credit. France
hititeen but little accustomed .to this sort of exactness, which by
increasing the difficulties of . the present year, is an alleviation of
those of the years which follow.

de We do not hesitate to declare, that if In the want of extraordi-
nary resources we bad been reduced to taxation alone, we should
not have the less proposed an emits. liquidation. It might hive
been effected by au addition of some centimes to the indirect con-
tributiont, during a certain number of years, and this eflort,iliei favourstate.
of public credit, would not have exhausted the strength of the
But we are happy to be able to present you with a 1110110 of re-
payment which dues riot require an increase of taxation,- but leaves
room to hope for a diminution. France possesseA yet 1,400,0011
hectares of forest Land. We propose tide sale of ,soo.octo to effect
the payment of the arrears without Increasing the buttliens on the
nation. The produce of the sale of the property of tTit. Corpora.
tiuns, which was previously ordered. and of the other property given
up.to the Sinking Fund, will be applied to the same object. If
supplementary means be necessary, they will be famed in. the surplus
at succeeding Widgets: and that of 1513 presents a snrplus of v
applicable to chi. end. Amidst ill the ealcaletions into-which the
present discusaion leads us, it will be plea•ine, and perhaps instine-
live, to remark, in the Motive state of our burthens with those of
nations whose prosperity is the most striking, that the situation of
• france, idler wimpy storms. is still promising. According to the
last crosses the palpitation of France was xo millions. Dividing
equally among all the annual almond of the tries which we take at
1500 millions, the quota paid by each is little under 22 francs. In
England the produce of the taxes, net including those of Ireland,
has risen of late years to at least 00 millions sterling, which, divided
among 16 millions of inhabitants, give Ave pounds sterling, or 120
franca as the contribntioti for each individital :-.-that is to say, up-
wards of five times as much as the .amounts for each individual in
!ranee.

"In the United States-of America the roctiptA of the Customs,
which, previous to the two last years of war, formed
_almost -the
only revenue. produced annually 16 millions Of =dollars. 'This suns
divided among seven millions of inhabitants . glees about It francs
It'or each individual; to which must be added the local- taxes peen.,
liar to each state, amounting to about •11. franca more, making 2
francs for each in-iividual. Whence it followein all. respects, whe-
ther in popnlntion, extent of territory or taxable property, the ad.
vantage! of France over these natiols are great These relative ap..
Proximations are sufficient to show tis the grounds of confidence
which remain for us., and those which should entromrage an active
and industrious nation like our own to undertake with ardour all
enterprises useful to agriculture. industry. and commerce. Thus
is the question respecting our power to discharge our burthens and
to deliver ourselves from debts answered.
66 It would seen) necks, to take up your time with the second
question, for having shown that we can free ourselves from debt,
we have showo that we ought to do it. But, laying asidv for tie
present the consideration of those principles of morality and justice
from which neither Governments nor iiMividuals deviate with im..
punity. and let n+ examine if sufficient reasons may not be drawn
from the interest of the state alone, for the adoption of the piinciple
of speedy and entire payment of our debts.
" We must acknowledge that the Gnveroment in France has
been but little accustomed tb make use of the power arising Irons
fidelity to its engageo.eots: and in this re: pert we must rather ac•
CUSP the nature of things
,than the men in power : for the theory of
a regular and constant credit can mdv be established under a'reure-
sentative and constituent government, such as that which the
bounty of the King v:ables us now to enjoy for the first time. It
is because this powerful sprits!.( was wanting, that France, situated
in the most happy climate, and posse:sen of the richest soil, cover( d
with a WlllierntN, atiive, anl industrious population, heaped id
short with all the elements of prosperity, has nevertheless reioained,
in some respects, below the level which she might to have attained.
Thus arc explained the disadvantieves v, Inch have attended-soma
operations of the ;govt rninvtit in Cie times jest p4st, a. well as dur-
ing former periods. The exa^tuess wit o whirls the present govt rims
molt will acquit all its engin:ements, will time France a new pones
which has been too• long unknown. The iNlinistets have thought
that thee should give the best pledge for the fotnre, he pa?ing at
[
pre,ent the rteditovs who have rentraeted bans
,fide o,:ht, ‘sits the
last administrA ion, and by ridding the future from the embarrano
meats a past thews.

ryf is whiciwviecetleff till
. oidirisilikt of 7.59,0;
.. _ - ar. :;. _ - 4. ,', qt at .'
Ai . '7 7 --': - ' •of 71
' PI; : , si ,= .•!-, ' . sM '
•-• •" 'l.,' ' . ave
Mit 4 .:.- . 4V-e -tro ~ ' Care
r 4 . e 4.„......,,, ~... , el,. 're
\ . 4.,.
4.....' 4 ont
No. j'
:,.;# aid ' SI azAr
Ira,— i

• •

'.

. ...ii. _

-...%-

I'~-~:;

~~~~~

-.-- ---

_~
~

506