Page images
PDF
EPUB

poses to repeal; and we may quote in support of his opinion the words of the son of Sirach, "The wisdom of a learned man cometh by opportunity of leisure. How can he get wisdom that holdeth the plough and glorieth in the

goad; that driveth oxen and is occupied in their labours, and whose talk is of bullocks? He giveth his mind to make furrows, and is diligent to give the kine fodder,"

II. VIEW OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS.

THE termination of the war which has so long desolated the different quarters of the globe, constitutes a new era in the history of the world. We cordially hail the re-establishment of peace, and we cannot announce it without expressing a hope, that every Christian will offer up his individual praises to that Being to whom we owe this mercy, and that his Majesty will also be pleased to appoint a solemn day of Thanksgiving to be observed by us as a nation. May our animosities be, on this occasion forgotten! The proper observation of our fasts, it is to be feared, was much hindered by political jealousies. May we now "with one heart and one voice glorify God;" and may we remember, that no prayers or praises are acceptable to Him, unless accompanied by the spirit of kindness and love towards our neighbours towards men, that is to say, of every sect, of every party, and of every nation.

DEFINITIVE TREATY OF PEACE

Between the French Republic, His Majesty the King of Spain and the Indies, and the Batavian Republic, (on the one Part :) and His Majesty, the King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, (on the other Part.)

THE First Consul of the French Republic, in the Name of the French People, and His Majesty the King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, being equally animated with a desire to put an end to the Calamities of War, have laid the foundation of Peace, by the Preliminary Articles, which were signed in London the 9th Vendemiaire, an.10, (or the 1st of October, 1801.)

And as by the 15th Article of the Preliminaries it has been agreed on, "That Plenipotentiaries should be named on the part of each Government, who should repair to Amiens, and there proceed to arrange a Definitive Treaty, in concert with the Allies of the Contracting Powers."

The First Consul of the French Republic, in the Name of the French People, has named

as Plenipotentiary the Citizen Joseph Buonaparte, Counsellor of State.

dom of Great Britain and Ireland, has named His Majesty the King of the United Kingthe Marquis Cornwallis, Knight of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, one of His Majesty's Privy Council, General in His Majesty's Armies, &c. &c.

His Majesty the King of Spain and the Indies, and the Government of the Batavian Republic, have appointed the following Plenipotentiaries, to wit; His Catholic Majesty has named Don Joseph Nicolas d'Azara, his Counsellor of State, Grand Cross of the Order of Charles III. Ambassador Extraordinary of His Majesty to the French Republic, &c. &c. And the Government of the Batavian Republic has named Roger Jean Schimmelpennick, its Ambassador Extraordinary to the French Republic, &c.

Which said Plenipotentiaries having duly communicated to each other their respective powers, which are transcribed at the conclusion of the present Treaty, have agreed upon the following articles:

Article I. There shall be Peace, Friendship, and Good Understanding between the French Republic, His Majesty the King of Spain, his heirs and successors, and the Batavian Republic on the one side, and His Majesty the King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and

Ireland, bis heirs and successors on the other

part.

The Contracting Parties shall use their utbetween their respective Countries, without most efforts to preserve a perfect harmony permitting any act of hostility whatever by sea or by land, for any cause, or under any pretext.

They shall carefully avoid every thing which might for the future disturb the happy Union now re-established between them, and shall not give any succour or protection directly or indirectly, to those who would wish to injure any of them.

II. All the prisoners made on one side and the other, as well by land as by sea, and the hostages carried off or delivered up during the war and up to the present day, shall be restored without ransom, in six weeks at the latest, to be reckoned from the day when the Ratifications of the present Treaty are exchanged, and on paying the Debts which they shall have contracted during their captivity. Each of the Contracting Parties shall respectively discharge the advances which shall have been

made by any of the Contracting Parties for the support and maintenance of prisoners in the countries where they have been detained. There shall be appointed by mutual consent for this purpose a commission, specially empowered to ascertain and determine the compensation which may be due to any one of the Contracting Parties. The time and the place shall likewise be fixed by mutual consent for the meeting of the Commissioners who shall be intrusted with the execution of this Article, and who shall take into account, not only the expenses incurred on account of the Prisoners of the respective Nations, but likewise on account of the Foreign Troops, who before being taken, were in the pay, and at the disposal of one of the Contracting Parties.

III. His Britannic Majesty restores to the French Republic and its Allies, viz. His Catholic Majesty and the Batavian Republic, all the possessions and Colonies which respectively belonged to them, and which have been either occupied or conquered by the British Forces during the course of the present War, with the exception of the Island of Trinidad and of the Dutch possessions in the Island of Ceylon.

IV. His Catholic Majesty cedes and guarantees in full property and sovereignty the Island of Trinidad to His Britannic Majesty.

V. The Batavian Republic cedes and guarantees in full property and sovereignty to His Britannic Majesty all the possessions and establishments in the Island of Ceylon, which previous to the War belonged to the Republic of the United Provinces, or to the Dutch EastIndia Company.

VI. The Port of the Cape of Good Hope remains to the Batavian Republic in full sove. reignty in the same manner as it did previous

to the war.

The Ships of every kind belonging to the other Contracting Parties shall be allowed to enter the said Port, and there to purchase what provisions they may stand in need of as heretofore, without being liable to pay any other imposts than such as the Batavian Republic compels the Ships of its own Nation to

pay.

VII. The territories and possessions of Her Most Faithful Majesty are maintained in their integrity, such as they were antecedent to the War. However the boundaries of French and Portuguese Guiana are fixed by the River Arowary, which empties itself into the Ocean above Cape North, near the Islands Nuovo and Penctentia, about a degree and a third of North Latitude. These boundaries shall run along the River Arowary, from its mouth the most distant from Cape North to its source, and afterwards on a right line, drawn from that source, to the Rio Branco towards the West.

In consequence, the Northern bank of the River Arowary, from the said mouth to its source, and the territories that lie to the North of the line of the boundaries laid down

as above, shall belong in full sovereignty to the French Republic.

The southern bank of the said River, from the same mouth, and all the territories to the South of the said line, shall belong to Her Most Faithful Majesty.

The navigation of the River Arowary, along the whole of its course, shall be common to both Nations.

The arrangements which have been agreed upon between the Courts of Madrid and Lis bon, respecting the settlements of their boundaries in Europe, shall nevertheless be adhered to conformably to the stipulations of the Treaty of Badajos.

VIII. The territories, possessions, and rights of the Sublime Porte, are maintained in their integrity, as they were before the War. IX. The Republic of the Seven Islands is recognised.

X. The Islands of Malta, Gezo, and Comino, shall be restored to the Order of St. John of Jerusalem, to be held on the same conditions on which it possessed them before the War, and under the following stipulations:

1. The Knights of the Order, whose Langues shall continue to subsist, after the exchange of the Ratification of the present Treaty, are invited to return to Malta, as soon as the Exchange shall have taken place. They shall there form a general Chapter, and proceed to the Election of a Grand Master, chosen from among the Natives of those Nations which are to preserve their Langues, unless that election has been already made since the Exchange of the Preliminaries.

It is understood that an Election made subsequent to that epoch, shall done be considered valid, to the exclusion of any other that may have taken place at any period prior to that epoch.

2. The Governments of the French Repub. lic, and of Great Britain, desiring to place the Order and Island of Malta in a state of entire independence with respect to themselves, agree that there shall not be in future either a French or an English Langue; and that no in. dividual belonging to either the one or the other of these Powers shall be admitted into the Order.

3. There shall be established a Maltese Langue, which shall be supported by the territorial revenues, and commercial duties of the Island. This Langue shall have its peculiar dignities, an establishment and a mansion house. Proofs of Nobility shall not be neces sary for the admission of Knights of this Lan.

*The word Langue may be translated by that of Class or Tribe. The Knights were considered as consisting of eight Classes or Tribes (commonly called Langues) of which Spain and Portugal furnished two, Italy one, Germany one, Bavaria one, and France three. The number of Knights sent by France was, then, about three hundred and thirty-nine out of the thousand.

gue; and they shall be moreover admissible the time of its restoration to the Order, his to all offices, and shall enjoy all privileges Representative, as well as his Successors, shall in the same manner as the Knights of the other be bound to take an oath for their punctual Langues. At least half of the Municipal, Ad- observance. ministrative, Civil, Judicial, and other employments depending on the Government, shall be filled by inhabitants of the islands of Malta, Gezo, and Comino.

4. The forces of His Britannic Majesty shall evacuate the Island, and its dependencies, within three months from the exchange of the Ratifications, or sooner if possible. At that epoch it shall be given up to the Order in its present state, provided the Grand Master, or Commissaries, fully authorized according to the Statutes of the Order, shall be in the Island to take possession, and that the force which is to be provided by His Sicilian Majesty, as is hereafter stipulated, shall have arrived

there.

5. One half of the Garrison, at least, shall be always composed of native Maltese; for the remainder, the Order may levy Recruits. in those Countries only which continue to possess the Langues. The Maltese Troops shall have Maltese Officers. The Commandership in Chief of the Garrison, as well as the nomination of the Officers, shall pertain to the Grand Master, and this right he cannot resign even temporarily, except in favour of a Knight, and in concurrence with the advice of the Council of the Order.

6 The independence of the Isles of Malta, of Gezo and Comino, as well as the present arrangement, shall be placed under the protection and guarantee of France, Great Britain, Austria, Spain, Russia, and Prussia.

7. The Neutrality of the Order and of the Island of Malta, with its dependencies, is hereby proclaimed.

8. The Ports of Malta shall be opened to the Commerce and the Navigation of all Nations, who shall there pay equal and moderate Duties: these Duties shall be applied to the maintenance of the Maltese Langue, as specified in paragraph 3, to that of the Civil and Military Establishments of the Island, as well as to that of a general Lazaret, open to all colours.

9. The States of Barbary are excepted from the conditions of the preceding paragraphs, until, by means of an arrangement to be procured by the Contracting Parties, the system of hostilities, which subsists between the Sates of Barbary, and the Order of St. John, or the powers possessing the Langues, on concurring in the composition of the Order, shall have ceased.

10. The Order shall be governed, both with respect to Spirituals and Temporals, by the same Statutes which were in force when the Knights left the Isle, as far as the present Treaty does not abrogate them.

11. The Regulations contained in the Paragraphs 3, 5, 7, 8, and 10, shall be converted into Laws and perpetual Statutes of the Order, in the customary manner; and the Grand Master, or, if he shall not be in the Island at Christ. Observ. No. 4.

12. His Sicilian Majesty shall be invited to furnish 2000 men, natives of his States, to serve as a Garrison in the different fortresses of the said Islands. That force shall remain one year, to bear date from their restitution to the Knights; and if, at the expiration of this term, the Order should not have raised a force sufficient, inthe judgment of the Guaran. teeing Powers to garrison the Island and its Dependencies, as is specified in the 5th paragraph, the Neapolitan Troops shall continue there until they shall be replaced by a force deemed sufficient by the said Powers.

13 The different Powers designated in the 6th paragraph, to wit; France, Great Britain, Austria, Spain, Russia, and Prussia, shall be invited to accede to the present stipulations.

XI. The French troops shall evacuate the kingdom of Naples and the Roman States; the English Forces shall also evacuate Porto Ferrajo, and generally all the Ports and islands that they occupy in the Mediterranean, or the Adriatic.

XII. The Evacuations, Cessions, and Restitutions, stipulated by the present Treaty, shall be executed in Europe within a month; on the Continent and Seas of America and Africa in three months; on the Continent and Seas of Asia in six months, which shall follow the Ratification of the present Definitive Treaty, except in case of a Special Re

servation.

XIII. In all cases of Restitution, agreed upon by the present Treaty, the fortifications shall be restored in the condition they were in at the time of signing of the Preliminaries; and all the works which shall have been constructed since their occupation, shall remain untouched.

It is agreed besides, that in all the stipulated cases of Cessions, there shall be allowed to the inhabitants, of whatever rank or nation they may be, a term of three years, reckoning from the notification of the present Treaty, to dispose of all their properties, whether acquired or possessed by them before or during the continuance of the present War; during which term of three years, they shall have free and entire liberty to exercise their religion, and to enjoy their fortunes. The same power is granted in the Countries that are hereby restored, to all persons, whether inhabitants or not, who shall have formed any establishments there, during the time that those countries were in the possession of Great Britain.

As to the inhabitants of the Countries restored or ceded, it is hereby agreed, that no person shall, under any pretence, be prosecuted, disturbed, or molested, either in person or property, on account of his political conduct or opinion, or for his attachment to any of the Contracting Parties, on any account whatever,

2 N

except for debts contracted with individuals, or for acts subsequent to the present Treaty. XIV. All the Sequestrations laid on either side, on Funds, Revenues, and Credits, of what nature soever they may be, belonging to any of the Contracting Powers, or to their Citizens, or Subjects, shall be taken off immediately after the Signature of this Definitive Treaty.

The decision of all claims among the individuals of the respective nations, for debts, property, effects, or rights, of any nature whatsoever, which should, according to received usages, and the Law of Nations, be preferred at the epoch of the Peace, shall be referred to the competent Tribunals in all those cases speedy and complete justice shall be done in the countries wherein those claims shall be respectively preferred.

XV. The Fisheries on the coasts of Newfoundland, and of the adjacent islands, and in the Gulf of St. Laurence, are placed on the same footing as they were before the War

The French Fishermen of Newfoundland and the inhabitants of the islands of St. Pierre and Miquelon, shall have liberty to cut such wood as may be necessary for them in the Bays of Fortune and Despair during the first year, reckoning from the Ratification of the present Treaty.

XVI. To prevent all grounds of complaint and disputes which might arise on account of Captures which may have been made at sea, subsequent to the signing of the Preliminaries, it is reciprocally agreed that the ships and property which may have been taken in the Channel, and in the North Seas, after a space of twelve days, reckoning from the exchange of the Ratifications of the Preliminary Articles, shall be restored on the one side and the other; that the term shall be one month for the space, from the Channel and the North Seas, as far as the Canary Islands inclusively, as well in the ocean as in the Mediterranean; two months from the Canary Islands to the Equator; and, finally, five months in all the other parts of the world, without any farther exception, or distinction of time or place.

XVII. The Ambassadors, Ministers, and other Agents of the Contracting Powers, shall enjoy respectively in the States of the said Powers the same rank, privileges, prerogatives, and immunities which were enjoyed before the War by Agents of the same class. XVIII. The branch of the House of Nassau, which was established in the cidevant Republic of the United Provinces, now the Batavian Republic, having experienced some losses, as well with respect to private property as by the change of Constitution adopted in those Countries, an equivalent compensation shall be procured for the losses which they shall be proved to have sustained.

XIX. The present Definitive Treaty of Peace is declared common to the Sublime Ottoman Porte, the Ally of his Britannic

1

[ocr errors]

Majesty; and the Sublime Porte shall be invited to transmit its act of accession as soon as possible.

XX. It is agreed that the Contracting Parties, upon requisitions made by them respectively, or by their Ministers or Officers duly authorized for that purpose, shall be bound to deliver up to justice persons accused of murder, forgery, or fraudulent bankruptcy, committed within the jurisdiction of the requiring party, provided that this shall only be done in cases in which the evidence of the crime shall be such that the laws of the place in which the accused person shall be discovered, would have authorized the detaining and bringing him to trial, had the offence been committed there. The expenses of the arrest and the prosecution, shall be defrayed by the party making the requisition; but this Article has no sort of reference to crimes of murder, forgery, or fraudulent bankruptcy, committed before the conclusion of this Definitive Treaty.

XXI. The contracting parties promise to observe sincerely and faithfully all the Articles contained in the present Treaty, and will not suffer any sort of counteraction, direct or indirect, to be made to it by their citizens, or respective subjects; and the Contracting Parties guarantee generally and reciprocally, all the stipulations of the present Treaty.

XXII. The present Treaty shall be ratified by the Contracting Parties as soon as possible, and the Ratifications shall be exchanged in due form at Paris.

In testimony whereof, we, the undersigned Plenipotentiaries, have signed with our hands, and in virtue of our respective full powers, the present Definitive Treaty, causing it to be sealed with our respective seals.

Done at Amiens, the 4th Germinal, in
the year 10, (March 25, 1802.)
(Signed)

(A correct Copy,)

BUONAPARTE,

CORNWALLIS,

AZARA, and

SCHIMMELPENNICK.

F. Buonaparte.

FRANCE.

There has been no intelligence of any importance this month from France, except what relates to the re-establishment of Religion in that country, of which we have already, in a former part of this number, given a full account. Some farther details on the same subject we shall reserve till next month.

The Definitive Treaty of Peace between this country and France was ratified by the Chief Consul on the 17th inst, and the

ratifications were exchanged on the following day.

The following is the statement of the French army, at the beginning of this month:

[blocks in formation]
[blocks in formation]

The Emperor has announced to the Hungarian States his intention of holding a general Diet at Presburgh, on the 2nd of May next, for the purpose of concerting the most effica cious and practicable means of re-establishing the prosperity of that kingdom; and of insuring the preservation, utility, and glory of its inhabitants; of consolidating and alleviating the weight of the public taxes; and of introducing at the same time, a more speedy and perfect administration of Justice, as one of the principal modes of augmenting the interior felicity of the country.

The Senate of Hamburgh has received official intelligence from Paris, that all the differences between the First Consul and that city are amicably adjusted.

NETHERLANDS.

A Letter has been published written by the Prefect of the Department of Deux Nethes to the Mayor of Antwerp, informing him, that in consequence of the Treaty of Amiens, the Scheldt is now perfectly free, and inviting all merchants to avail themselves of the benefits which this circumstance is calculated to afford them.

HOLLAND.

On the 16th inst. the Treaty of Amiens received the sanction of the Senate. Its annunciation seems to have excited no public expression of joy among the people of that country.

To the Copy of the Definitive Treaty, published in the Dutch Papers, is subjoined a separate convention between France and Batavia, whereby it is agreed that the Indemnity stipulated in favour of the House of Nassau, in the 18th Article of the Treaty of Amiens, shall not be at the charge of the Batavian Republic; the French Government being guarantee to this effect towards the said Republic.

RUSSIA.

The following remarkable Ukase has lately been issued by the Emperor, which promises to have very important effects on the political state of his extensive dominions.

"As we desire to give new encouragement to agriculture, proportioned to the means which Russia possesses in consequence of her extent and position, we have judged it necessary to extend to our subjects the right of acquiring lands without peasants (with the exception of lands which belong to gentlemen,) and give to them the exclusive property of all that is produced either by the surface or the soil of these lands. In consequence we permit merchants, citizens, and all persons who enjoy the rights of the city, peasants of the crown, to whatever department they belong, also peasants freed by gentlemen, to purchase land of those who have the right to sell it, and to secure their acquisition by articles of sale, which shall be made in the name of each, and preserved according to the or dinance in the Courts of Justice intended for this purpose, in order that each man's property may be guaranteed in an inviolable manner.

TURKEY.

This Country still appears to be in a state of great distraction. Passwan Oglou is said to be forming combinations for resisting the Forte, should the attempt be made to reduce him to obedience. The insurgent Janissaries still retain possession of Belgrane, where they are making preparations for a vigorous defence against the Turkish troops said to have marched against them. Egypt is also in a very unsettled state, and it seems still doubtful whether the Beys can be subjugated.

EAST INDIES.

In September last a Treaty between the Company and the Nabob Azeem al Dowlah was ratified, whereby the succession to the Soubadarry of Arcot is settled, and the entire civil and military Government of the Carnatic vested in the Company.

The last accounts from Madras announce the continued success of the Company's forces employed against the Insurgent Polygars in the provinces of Tinnivelly and Ramnad, but a doubt existed whether tranquillity could be completely restored before the season for active warfare was over.

The Victor sloop of war of 18 guns, commanded by Captain Collier, after a very close and severe action, sunk La Fleche, French national frigate of 36 guns.

« PreviousContinue »