The National Register.
London, England, 1814-03-13 00:00:00

THE NATIONAL REGISTER.

164

STA 74 E 1).4 P ER.

PROCLAMATION 01"1111.1 PRINCE OF ORANGE.

We, William, by the grace of Ciod Prince of Orange Nassau,
Sovereign Prince of the United Netherlauds, Sze.
To all whom these presents come. greeting :
Invited to the Sovereignty of these States by your confidence amt
your attachment, we from the first declared, that we would under-
take the same only under the guarantee of a wise Constitution,
which inight secure 'your freedom against ah possible abuses; and
we have ever since continued to fret the tteceity thereof.
We regarded it, therefore, as one of the first and most sacred of
our duties, to sMiiillol) together some men of consideration; and to
charge them w ith the weighty task of establishing a tundamental
code, buiit upon your manners, your habits, and correspuuding to
the wants of the present time.
They cheerfully took 'twin themselves 614 office, performed it
with zeal, and have submitted to us the fruits of their uninterrupted
labours.

After a careful examination of this work, we have given it tam II
approhanien. Bit this dues not satisfy our heart. It respects the
concerns of the whole Netherlands. The w bole Dutch people Hoot
:be recognised in this important work. That people must receive
the strongest possible assurance that their dearest interests are
ficiently attended to therein ; that religion, as the fountain of all
good, is thereby honoured and maintained, and religious freedom
disturbed by 11°11611g of temporal concerns, but secured in the Most
ample manner ; tl.at the education of youth, and the spread of
scit ntifie knowledge, shall be attended to by the Government, and
freed from all those vexations regulations which oppress the gems,
and subdue the spirit ; that personal freedom shall no longer be an
empty name', and dependant on the caprices of a suspicious and
crafty police; that au impartial administration of justice, guided '1
by fixed principles, secure to every man his property ; that com-
merce, agriculture, and manufactures be no longer obstructed, but
have Isce course, like rich springs of public prosperity; that,
therefore, no restraint be imposed on the domestic economy of the
higher and lower chis-. 01 of the state, but that they he conformable
to the general laws and the genera: governim nt ; that the move-
meats of the government be not palsied by too great a zeal for
local Mica ests, but ralliel receive from it an additional impulse ; that
ge,.eral laws, by means of itil hartneilliMS CU-tpet ation of the
two principal branches of the government, be wooded on the trite
interests of the st ,te ; that the tinanc, s, and the arming of the
people, the wain pillar., of the body politic, be placed in that central
point, upon which the greatest and most invaluable privilege of
e‘ery let e people, their indepcndance, may be firmly fixed. Which
of qua can doubt of this truth, after the terrible experience you have
had of a fmeign tyranny, which acknowledged no right when it
wanted means for its own maintenance by violence; after having
sighed of late yekw, tinder the most oppressive yoke that ever was
imposed sioce the Spatii•h times ?
Now at least yon know the true value of those precious rights
for w Inch our fathers sacrificed their property and bkod ; of that
happiness which they bequeathed to their descindanta ; and which
we S.IW lost through the adversity of the times!
Following, therefitre, and deriving encouragement from their ex-
ample, it becomes my ditty, in imitation of those whose !lame f
bear, and whose memory I honour, to restore that which is lost ;
it is our duty to support me therein within all your carts, that
ender the blessing of Divine Providence, who summons us to this
task, we tua leave our beloved country completely reconquercd
owl re-estiblished to our children.
In order to be enabled to judge whether the core. titntionat code
Cols framed, as before stated, be a means of attaining the above
great object, we have thought it right that the said code be submit.
ted for mature consideration, to a numerous assembly of persons
the most considerable and best qualified among you.
We have for that purpose appointed a special commission
utio are to choose, out of a numerous list given in to ns,
aix hundred persons, in due proportion to the population of each
of the now existing departments.
Honoured with your confidence, they shall, on the 28t1► of this
mouth, assemble in the metropolis of Amsterdam, to come to a de-
termination upon this weighty !rosiness.
They shall, in like manner, with the letter of Convocation, re-
ceive the plan of the constitution, that they may be able to prepare
their (!eci•iort thereon with maturity and calmness of deliberation;
and for the more effeetnal attainment of this object, a copy of the
sattleshall be sent to each member previously.

MARCH 13

And as it is of the first importance that e %Albers fie po-wse-
ed of the general confidence, we order that a 114 of the pi
chosen fur each department be made public, and that to all the in-
habitants of the same being howekeepe is, an omit tunitv .e.lll
be afforded, by signing his name without any other .11 a
register which shall lie open in each canton for eight dis-
approve of any such person or persons as he may deem mural:fled.
No inhabitant is c!eprived of this right, %vitt' the eiteention of do-
mestic servants, valets, bankrupts, persons in a state of non are-, or
under accusmion.
When it shill appear to us, from the summing up of the registeio,
OM the nojority are sati,fied with the persons tilts sulopitted to
their electiou, we shall consider them as the Representatives ot the
whf-le DaZeil people, call them together, appear in the !enkt of
them, and saltue them as constituting the great assembly represent•
int: the United Netherlands.
They shall then commence their labours in freedom, and give us
an account of their progress by a committee appointed to that effect ;
and 4. soon as the adoption ot the eonstittitional rode is the rectilt
of their deliberations, v, e shall make the necessary arrangement. for
taking the oath prefxribed to us by the Constitution. with all due
solemnity, in the midst of the assembly, and after toat ne installed
in state.
In the adoption of these treasures, worthy countrymen, you 'DLit
feel convinced, that the welfare of our beloved country is my first
and only object ; that your interests and mine are the same : and
how can they be more manifestly promoted, thin by toe iottodue.
tion of constitutional roles, in which yen find the enarootte
of youf dearest tidits? They will furnish me with the advantage
of conducting, on fixed principles, the charge and lespon—ln itv of
Goverment, assisted by the best and most intelligent of the citi-
zens; and will secure to me the continuance of that affection, the
expressions of which rejoice my heart, animate my,eonr:e.:e,
my Inutile'', and bind me and my house for ever to our regenerated
country.
Given at the Hague this 2d of March, 1814, and of t%nr Reign the
Ist. (Signed) WILLIAM.
A. R. FALCK, See. of State.

By command,

AI?RirAL OF MONSIEUR IN FRANCE.

The f,llowing extract of a letter was received freni a gentleman
immediately attached to the person of his Royal Highness, Mon.
sienr, on Wednesday last.

Extract of a Letter from Alonsleur Le ('ount d'Escars, Captain of thi
Guards of Monsieur.
Vesoul, Franche Comte, Feb. 2,2.

" We reached Basle on Saturday evening, and left it on Sunday,
and arc now arrived here in Franche Comte. Throngli all The
towns and villages we have passed, all ranks of people have received
ns with acclamations, and with cries of " Vire It Roi Louis XII IL
et les Bourbons!" They were enchanted to behold our dear Prince,
whose demeanour has greatly affected them ; women, children, old
men, all stengeling to he fiat to kiss his hands and clothes. Plea-
sure was painted in every countenance. They were so delighted
With the affability of Monsieur, that nothing was to he seen but tears
of joy. The old men and women said, " We shall die content, since
we have the happiness of being again under our old masters, yaw
have always lived in our hearts." Others cried, al We give you oar
hearts. for the monster has left us nothing else."

" When we arrived 'here another seenetook *cc. The popu-
lation of this town is oNtV about 500° souls : the whole came wit to
meet Hs. They entreated us to go in on foot, that every one might
see his Prince. It was an intoxication of joy. The nubility is
faithful in all the provinces. Gentlemen flock in from all parts,
announcing that all the peasants of their communes are at their dis-
posal, and are crying out to be allowed to march fur their legiti-
mite Sovereign.

" An emiss.iry from Alsace came into to-day with a regneq to
the Allied Power§, to he permitted to raise a Legion with the
White Cockade, to assist in the reestablishment of their legitimate
Master.

" Towns request to surrender to Louis. XVIII. All France is
ready to rise, in spight of every attempt to prevent it; but such
attempts will be in vain.—France will free herself.
" On the first day of our entering France we travelled thirty-three
leagues. Had the Pi ince been an Angel from Heaven, the people
could not have •hewn more eagerness to see him."

A letter of the 4thrfrom bead-quarter`, Fads, '• Montilearbas new
an army of 8,000 Maul of whom a part arc cavalry."