Star.
London, England, 1814-09-14 00:00:00

FItINCH HOUSE OF PURL

SPEICM OP THE PRINCE ON BENEVENTO, ON PRUZETINO
THE BUDGET, BTII ELPTEUEBE•

GENTLMEN—By order of the King we present
you with the project of the law on the Finances of the
Kingdom.
" The object of this law is to regulate the public
expenses of the current year—to provide in advance
for the services of the ensuing year,. and to assign the
payment of the arrears anterior to Ist April last,
from certain funds at determined periods ; and in the
manner most economical and least burthensome.
" This project of the law, with some amendmeits,
has been already printed and distributed. When, ac-
cording to your established forms. the House shell
have sent it for examination to the Committees, it
further elucidations are required the Ministers will be
happy to give all in their power. It is then only that
all the details can be entered into. taf render the law
complete, The only object, therefore, which calls
for your attention 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 Kiel; has been not only to provide immediately
for the wants of the public service, by establishing a
proper equilibrium between the receipts and expenses,
out also to create, in the financial adrniuistration, a
new regime both with respect to its object and its
means. It is new with respect to its object, because

it will found the prosperity of France on a real public
credit, proportioned to the extent of her resources.—
It is new with respect to its means, because they are
..11 adopted in the most perfect sincerity : it is the de-
' termination to adhere to what has been promised—
and fidelity to its enegements, which, this day, be-
come the noble expedients propo.e_d by the candour of
the King to his subjects.
66 By this simple proceeding, to the intrinsic power
of the State will speedily be added the influence of
public opinion. These two powers will lend each
other mutual succours ; and from their union, when
well understood, will result the whole power of a
great national credit.
,66 We d' not now mean to enquire if public credit,
considered in the abstract, is in itself a great advan-
tage. I 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 necessary that it
should also be found in France. I cam only regard
it, in the present state of Europe, with respect to its
relative advantages ; and as a weapon necessary for
opposing the weapons of the same kind of which
other nations have taken so great advantage.
66 The Ministers of the King are happy to have it
in their power, amid this august assemblage, and
bowing religiously to the sacred altar of honour,
raised by the glory of our arms, solemnly to abjure
and to proscribe, for ever, all those miserable
conceptions and all those disastrous operations
known for upwards of a century by the names of
reduction: demon, niefinuiotts de rembearsentent, re.
duction: ek vakure, remboureetterse ea 'dears nonti-
nake, mobiEsa iss, inuriptiseu reduites ors tiers, hid.
dation es valeure &precise:, revisions, alearentou tk
rejde de meet Iteer Ste. Sic. Set..
France, at peace with the universe, ought to aspire at
a new celebrity. She ought to establish candour and
justice in every branch of her administration. To
obtain this grand result the means must be provided
for paying all the charges and all the debts of the
state.

[Here M. TALLEYRAND gave a short outline of the
Resent state of the French finances, drawing favour.
able conclusions, and stating that the Ministers had
uniformly, in the calculation, kept in 'view the maxi-
mum of the claims and the minimum of the receipts
for their liquidation. Such of the taxes as weigh
most heavy on the people are to be moderated, and
the deficit to be supplied by the sale of National do-
mains, woods, ani forests.]
" Amidst all the calculations into which the pre-
sent discussion leads us, it will be p'easing, and per-
naps instructive, to remark, in the relative state of our
hurthens with those of nations whose eirospairity is the
m.,st striking, that the situation of Fiance, after so
,1
nany storms, is still protuising. According to the
last census the population of France wits 9.8 millions.
Dividing equally among all the annual amount of
th t rtes which we take at 6bo miliions. the ..quots
paid by each is a little *es 22 francs. dg Enfinati

the produce of the tans, not inelang those of !re
land, has risen of late years to at least 60 millions
sterling, which, divided among 12 millions of inha.
bitants, give five pounds sterling or 120 francs as the
contribution for each individual :—that is to say, up.