fome individuals, is not to adjourn the activity of the navy; much lefs can it be its adjournment for a year. The inhabitants of our fea-ports, or those who have correspondence with them, cannot be ignorant of the number of armed fhips, frigates, and corvettes, which were equipped and failed from our harbours in the course of these four months. Can they be ignorant that forty-three fhips or frigates are now at fea, and employed on particular expeditions? Do they not know that about 150 corvettes, or light armed fhips of war, are destined for the protection of our coafts and coafting trade; and that about eighty fhips are equipped to carry provifions to our land armies? Do they not know of the fuccours, fortunate, and almost incredible, confidering the fituation of our navy for fix months, which have been fent to our colonies in the East and West Indies? Laftly, can they be uninformed that the port of Brest displays an activity unknown for a long time before; that the ovens, rope-walks, and workshops are all in motion, and that in a fhort time a numerous fquadron will be well armed and equipped; that the port of Toulon waits only for the supply of money destined for them, in order to complete a grand armament, and that it can, in a very short space of time, fend out a powerful squadron; that the port of Rochfort has given proofs of what zeal, activity, and fkill can effect, by equipping the greatest part of those expeditions which have gone out to our different colonies. From this expofition you must be convinced, citizen legislators, that while the Executive Directory meditated on the proper choice of perfons to complete the number of the defenders of the national flag, it kept the navy in activity, and did not adjourn its utility, or the fervices it could render to the flate. If they afforded fuch great proofs of its zeal in the general penury it experienced, what may we not expect from its energy and courage, when that alone shall attract the attention of the whole nation? Yes, our marine proudly perceives, that it is deftined to recount in its turn the number of those victories which give luftre to our armies by land. The council ordered this message to be printed, and referred to a commiffion, compofed of Trouilhe, Bland, Lefevre (De Nantes), Bergovin, and Riou,

Report made by Perree on the Expences of the Marine.

REPRESENTATIVES OF THE PEOPLE,

YOU nominated on the 7th (June 23) a commiffion to report on the refolution of the council of Five Hundred. The object of that propofition is to put 120 millions at the difpofal of the marine minifter, and it is accompanied by a meffage from the Executive

4

Executive Directory. To this meffage are joined fifteen statements, furnished the Directory by the minifter. First, on the real fituation of the finances of that department. Secondly, on the current fervice during the months Floreal and Prairial of the 4th year. Thirdly, on the arrears due at the period of the 13th of laft Brumaire. I am come, in the name of your commiffion, to prefent you with the refult of their reflections on the urgency and grounds of this refolution. The motives of urgency are thus conceived: "confidering the importance of putting in activity all parts of the fervice of the marine and colonies, by furnishing the expences of that department, declares that there is urgency.' Thefe motives appeared convincing, and it proposed to you to adopt and acknowledge the urgency. This was decreed. I come now to the grounds of the refolution. The firft article places at the difpofal of the minifter of marine and colonies a fum of 120 million fixed value, for the months of Floreal and Prairial, according to the statements figned by the minister, and annexed to the meffage of the Directory.

Your commiffion has examined the ftate of these accounts, and the nature of the different expences that compofed the total. It took for its guide the law of laft Ventose respecting the refponfibility of minifters. The law has been obferved, except in a fingle statement of No. 1, under the head of "The current service of the ports." This statement announces an expence of 37,916,180 francs fixed value. It is divided into twelve columns, on account of the twelve principal ports of the Republic, one of which makes the head of each divifion. The expence of each port is clear, and under a line at the bottom is found the fum total of 37,916,180 francs free from fractions. Such is the general statement of the expence of the current fervice of the ports for the months Floreal and Prairial. Though this statement thews the fum required for each port, it is not perfectly conformable to the intention of the law, which formally prescribes an indication of the perfons to whom the money is due. The minifter obferves, that it was impoffible for him to comply literally, in drawing up this account, with the provifions of the 4th article of the law of the third of laft Ventofe. He fhould be obliged to write out for every month upwards of 150 names, opposed to fo many fums; and, a thing ftill more impoffible, to bring forward unknown fums for work yet unfinished. Thefe obfervations will appear forcible to you. You will fix your attention for a moment on the twelve principal ports of the Republic, and you will fee the perpetual charge in the equipment of veffels, the charge of different kinds of workmen in the various fhops and working departments of each port, and the fight will, no doubt, convince you of the great difficulty of giving diftinct statements, together with the utter impoffibility

of bringing them forward in a fixed fum. You will regret that the law of the 3d Ventofe is too general, and you will, no doubt, direct your attention to render this method of accounting, at prefent too rigorous for practice, more convenient to the fervice of the marine. The ftatement of arrears in this department fwelled, on the 10th of laft Brumaire, to 105,040,161 francs. The meffage of the Directory has faid nothing on the important fubject of the debts owing to thofe citizens who had tranfactions with the ancient government. The council of Five Hundred has not thought proper to make any propofition upon that head; but I can announce to the council, that your commillion has learned from the principal of the marine department, that the Directory is employed in providing means of putting the minifter in a capacity to fulfil engagements, which, though not made with a conftitutional government, are not the lefs deferving of regard. I omitted to mention to you that the nature of the expences contained in the ftatements of the current fervice is perfectly analogous to fervices of that kind. We are certainly approaching to that period when they will be increafed on the fcore of provifions, and contracted in the interior management of the offices.

Francs.

115,256,927

The total of the ftatements produced by the minifter, forms a mafs of .. The national treasury having paid by anticipation on the demand of the minifter of the marine, and the authority of the minister of finance, for the purchafe of grain, and the falaries of workmen. 5,468,430

These fums united make a total of

120,725,273

Accordingly, the meffage of the Directory for the funds to be placed at the difpofal of the minifter of marine, makes a demand of 120 millions. The council muft certainly obferve, in this anticipation of payment, however it may be authorifed by the minifter of finance, an irregularity, the repetition of which would break through the tutelar forms of the public property. Your commiffion had in mind the law of the 9th Floreal. It adjourned all deliberation on the exceeding of 9,543,640 francs, which appeared in the four statements annexed to the meffage of the Directory, till thofe ftatements fhould be reproduced, according to the form prefcribed by the law of the 3d Ventofe. From this difpofition it will appear that the want of form alone prevented the execution of the fund. The neceflities, however, were imperious; the proceeding was neceffary for the purchase of fubfiftence, and the daily wages of the workmen for the fervice was interrupted.

Thefe

Thefe confiderations induced the council of Five Hundred to pafs lightly over a meafure which may be executed by the indirect provifion of the law of the 3d Ventofe, and the exifting neceffity. Your commiffion thought proper to enter into thofe details. The reprefentative body will no doubt take measures to prevent that abufe from being again repeated. The fecond refolution, which affigns to the treafury the payment of 120 millions, is a fequel to the first, and offers no fubject of obfervation. After the heavy verification of figures, which I have fubmitted to the council, your commiffion was folicitous to anticipate your defires, in drawing your attention to the important interefts of the Republic, on the report of the marine commerce, fo rarely fpoken of in this tribune. The marine has fuffered more than any other department by the revolutionary delirium. There dilapidations are more eafy, the faults of ignorance more fatal, and profeffional men more scarce. Some citizens, poffeffing patience as well as zeal, have weathered the ftorm by yielding to its violence; they never defpaired of the public weal, and their ufeful labours have prepared for our fucceffes. At the time when the legislative body' entrufted to the Directory the reins of government, our colonies appeared to be forgotten by the metropolis. They wanted more fupplies, more provifions; they were loaded with debt, and they had no money. The English minifter infulted the miferies of which he himself was the artificer, and the British flag was floating in our roads. The government found powerful refources in the confidence of the legislative body, the courage of its chiefs, and the love of the French for a conftitution, which affured them the reign of liberty and the laws. Circulation was restored by our coafters. Numerous divifions of our fleets carried fuccours to our colonies in the two Indies, while other divifions iffued occafionally from our ports, and activity revived in our arfenals.

We have loft fome frigates, but the English commerce has fuffered greatly, and numerous and rich prizes have fallen into our hands. The liberty of cruizing, the wifdom of the law in that respect, the activity of the marine, have produced these advantages, and every thing announces our approaching amelioration. Every inftant in the life of empires, as well as of individuals, carries with it the character of their wifdom. To lay up and preferve, is to make acquifition for the time to come. But the legislative body will haften to nationalize the principles of government. By the fide of the emblem of liberty it will fix thefe unerring truths, that without colonies and fisheries a navy cannot be maintained, and without a navy there can be no commerce. The practice or the neglect of these principles, have been the æras of the profperity or calamities of France. Behold a marine and commerce receive their birth from the creative voice of Colbert, the wreck of the fyftem of law founding in Afia a commercial and military

power.

power, Machault difputing the empire of the feas, and a navy and commerce affording mutual fupport to each other. All these advantages, which coft fo much blood and treafure, have been facrificed in their turns by levity and inconfideratenefs, by the paffions and the intrigues of courts. Thofe times of vertigo are paffed. The Republic has every thing to hope from the firmnefs of its conftitutional fame; its allies are in hopes, and England begins to tremble. Victory and glory are the faithful companions of your armies. Wisdom and justice fhall foon fhut the temple of Janus.

Then experience and conftancy fhall be the guides of government; it will give a free courfe to an expenditure directed by order and œconomy, and march with an even pace to the restoration of commerce, the navy, and the colonies. Such are the fources of the profperity of the Republic. We all take pleasure in contemplating it beyond the term of our own existence. We love to draw afide the veil from futurity, and to behold our country strong in her free government, cherishing the fciences, which charm the paffage through life, honouring agriculture, and the arts, which multiply its enjoyment; protecting commerce, which unites all people in the bands of friendship, and acknowledging no other titles of fuperiority than thofe of talents and of virtue. The council of Five Hundred has feen the neceffity of affording affiftance to the marine; your commiffion is impreffed with the fame motives, and propofes to you to adopt the refolution.

The refolution was adopted by the council.

Report of Defermond on Contributions and Mandats.

CITIZEN REPRESENTATIVES,

THE

HE law which the council of Elders has announced its acceptance of, refpecting the payment of the land contribution, demands at this moment your most serious attention.

When paper money was first created by the conftituent affembly, it obtained and preferved for a while, in private tranfactions, the nominal value which the law had given it. Confidence alone could affure its currency, and the way in which they could expect to confolidate the public fortune and credit, was an inceffant application to useful reforms, and confecrating the national domains to the liquidation of our debts.

After the time of the constituent affembly, a concourse of new circumstances brought on a new order of things. France, obliged to affert by arins the liberty which it gave itfelf, and involved in extraordinary expences exceeding its revenue, found itself conAtrained to direct the whole of its attention to the means of repelling the enemy. All projects of order and economy were fuf

pended,