ruffian regency, and which the nate have juft rendered public; hey invite them, in confequence, > wait quietly for the iffue, and not > expofe themselves and their failies to danger by useless refiftnce, and a too exalted patriotic eal. The fenate having thus fatisfied he defire of the burghers, by coniding to them for a time the care of he gates, expect that they will renember the promise they have made to abftain from all exceffes and precipitate steps, and leave entirely to the magiftrate and fupreme tribunal of the empire, the care of terminating this affair. FAR from meaning to decide upon, or to call in queftion the validity of the pretenfions of your Majefty to the rights of fovereignty, which, in later times, have been enjoyed by feveral of your neighbours in Franconia, reputed, in confequence, to be members of the Equeftrian Order of the empire, I think it my duty to fuppofe, from the known equity of your Majefty, that you will not determine to affume these rights without impartially examining your pretenfions, and that all the fteps which are taken refpecting the principalities of Franconia have been directed by justice, and a defire to pave a way (for you and your electoral houfe, and for the advantage of the fubjects of Franconia, fuffering from the differences that have arifen re fpecting the fovereignty) which may lead to a distinct and amicable conciliation of all their respective rights. Your Majefty, however, is too enlightened not to be convinced, that, after all the laws which have been made, pretenfions to 'rights which are not united with the poffeffion must be previously referred to the judge, and decided, in order to be able to come at the enjoyment of them; and that the arbitrary depofing of him who is actually in poffeffion, cannot be approved by any one. In truth, it cannot be doubted, that if your Majefty had employed measures of negotiation with the different powers, it was much to be feared that the bufinefs would not have been speedily terminated and arranged. But this confideration was not fufficient to fet you above all the laws againft arbitrary power, which are fo falutary in themselves, and fo interwoven with the spirit of the Germanic conftitution. We can no longer accufe the fupreme tribunals of the empire with partiality and injuftice: if they exercife their functions agreeably to the laws by which they fhould be guided, and if they apply them to the actions and conduct of your Majefty, the confequences which will refult from it will be felt. Your Majefty has been revered with reafon by a great part of the empire, as one of the firft defenders of the conftitution; and what matter of affliction will it not be for every state of the empire torn from the country, if that confidence, which is founded upon veneration, is weakened by the new fteps taken in Franconia! I leave to your Majefty's wifdom to decide, whether thefe premature steps will not lead them to form very cu Z3 rious 4 rious notions of the Germanic affociation, whofe founders had for their principal object the support of the laws of the empire, and the prefervation of its conftitution? Upon the feizure of the county of Schaumbourg by Heffe, your Majefty teftified that a member of that affociation would draw upon him the reproaches of the whole body, if he attempted to difpoffefs a coeftate of the empire without having recourfe to a judicial process. I confefs that that differed in feveral particulars from the prefent cafe; but they are fimilar in refpect to the arbitrary procedure in both cafes. It is fatisfactory for me to learn, that after having concluded an arrangement with different ftates, your Majefty hopes that the fame thing will take place with neighbouring ftates. I confider the fpeedy fulfilment of this profpect as the only means of preventing thofe confequences which will follow from a juridical information if the difference cannot otherwife be accommodated. After all these confiderations, and conformably to the fentiments of friendship and veneration which I feel for your Majefty, I intreat you to employ ultimately the most proper means for effecting an equitable arrangement with the ftates of the empire, and to remove every thing which looks like being unconftitutional in your conduct to thefe ftates. Madrid, March 1f. HE glory of my crown and the the government of whoin I have been entrusted by Divine Provi dence, and the interest I take in defending their rights, and in obtaining a juft fatisfaction for the infults they have sustained by the English, by a notable infraction of the most folemn treaties, founded upon the reciprocal utility of both ftates, obliged me, contrary to my pacific intentions, to enter into a new war, when hardly disengaged from that which I had maintained against the French republic, which terminated in an honourable peace that fecured the tranquillity and happiness of my faithful fubjects. But to confolidate this important benefit, and to contribute to the repofe of which Europe ftood fo much in need, I find myfelf under the indifpenfable neceffity of entering into new engagements, which require an enormous expence and immenfe provifion. As it has ever been my principal object to unite the high dignity of my crown with the good of my fubjects, already to much oppreffed by the weight of the public revenue as fcarcely to admit of any new impofts, I have not availed myfelf of the power with which I am invested, nor adopted any of the means pointed out to me as capable of producing the defired effect; being perfuaded that, on the contrary, it would be more convenient to adopt other measures, which may greatly facilitate the neceffary fuccours, fuch as the re-establishment of the loan upon the revenue of tobacco, created by my auguft predeceffor, according to a royal decree of December 17, 1782, and conformable to my edict of December 10, 1794, which will effectually unite the necellities of with the good of individuals, of which it is compofed. The return of the capital baving having the most advantageous fecurity, will tend to infure the future fubfiftence of families, without the rifk to which money might be expofed when at the arbitrary difpofal of inexperienced and diffipated youth-I have therefore refolved to open the above loan for the term of one year, reckoning from the 1ft of January, 1797, with the liberty of continuing the fame as I may find it convenient. (Signed) I THE KING. Abstract of a Proclamation issued by the Court of Spain, relative to the Prohibition of English Merchandize. THE firft article prohibits the importation into Spain of all Britifh goods and manufactures, and likewife of all articles that have been conveyed to any port of Great Britain, and fubject to a duty, under any pretence what ever. The fourth article enjoins all perfons who have English goods in their poffeffion, to deliver an account of the fame within fifteen days after the date of the proclamation, and grants fix months for the fale of the goods specified in the inventory. Thofe that neglect to make a declaration within the period abovementioned, are informed by the fifth article that the goods will be confifcated. The fixth article states, that fuch prohibited goods as fhall not be difpofed of in the space of fix months allowed for that purpose, fhall be fold by public auction in lots. The price of each article cannot exceed the price of the fame kind of goods before the war: the value fhall, therefore, be afcertained before the fale. The merchants who may not have had an opportunity to difpofe of all the British merchandise in their poffeffions, and who may not choose to have the residue fold in the manner stated in the preceding article, will be permitted to send them to Cadiz, whence they may export them to the West Indies. The English merchandise that may be imported fubfequent to the proclamation, fhall be confifcated, together with the fhips or other vehicles by which they were conveyed. The carriers of these goods, if it should be proved in evidence that they acted with intent to evade this proclamation, fhall be imprisoned for the term of eight years. The fourteenth article provides, that, three months after the publication of the royal fchedule, no merchandife shall be received in the ports of Spain from foreign parts without the magiftrate's or infpector's certificate refident at the place whence they have been exported. The certificates muft fpecify the quality and quantity of the goods, the materials of which they were fabricated, and likewife that they have not been manufactured in, or paid any duties to England. The twentieth article mentions, that, as many articles of English manufacture are imitated with the greatest exactness in France, the utmost care is to be observed by the collectors of the duties, that goods of French manufacture may not experience any diminution in the demand in Spain. to The twenty-fecond article relates the regulations with refpect to Ꮓ Ꮞ British British merchantmen who may be forced into Spanish ports through ftrefs of weather. The twenty-third and fucceeding article mentions, that the former regulations will be obferved with refpect to English property taken and carried into Spain by Spanish or French privateers. Imperial Ukafa, or Edict, iffued at Pete fourg, refpecting the Importation of French and Dutch Merchandize. Paul I. by the Grace of God, Emperor and fole Governor of all the Ruffias, &c. We do moft graciously ordain, 1.TH HE importation of all French wines, without exception, alfo fallad-oils of Provence, olives, capers, anchovies, to be freely permitted in all our harbours in neutral bottoms. 2. French and Spanish brandy is only permitted to be imported by neutral thips in thofe harbours which are fecined in the ukafa of the 11th of December, 1784, and to which we add the ports of Liebau and Windau. 3. The duties on wine, oils, &c. fhall be taken from the tariff of September 27, 1782, till a new one fhall appear; and the duty on French brandy fhall be regulated agreeably to the ukafa of Novem ber 25, 1793. 4. The ukafa of the 8th of April, 1793, fhall be strictly obferv ed, as far as it forbids the importation of various French goods, and of others which are mere objects of luxury; as likewife ail communication with the French until a lawful government and order of things ihall have been introduced into that country; the certificates of Conful or Government, ordained by the faid ukafa, fhall alfo no longer be demanded in the future importation of French goods, except for fuch articles for which fome duties are to be remitted. Done at St. Petersburgh, January 22, 1797. SECOND UKASA. Paul I. &c. WE do hereby most gracioufly permit the free importation, in all our harbours, of fuch Dutch goods as are not prohibited in the tariff or ukafa, provided fuch importation takes place in fhips belonging to neutral powers. Thofe goods are to pay the duties prescribed by the tariff of September 27, 1782, till a new tariff shall be published. Done at St. Petersburgh, January 22, 1797. CHARACTERS. CHARACTERS. MR. BURKE'S WILL. The Laft Will and Teftament of the Right Hon. Edmund Burke. Extracted from the Regiftry of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury. my dear fon and friend had have been unneceffary; but fince it has pleafed God to call him to himfelf before his father, my duty calls upon me to make fuch a difpofition of my worldly affairs as feems to my best judgment moft equitable and reasonable: therefore I, Edmund Burke, of the parish of St. James, Weftminster, although fuffering under fore and inexpreffible affliction, being of found and difpofing mind, and not affected by any bodily infirmity, do make my Laft Will and Teftament in manner following: Firft. According to the ancient, good, and laudable cuftom, of which my heart and understanding recognize the propriety, I bequeath my foul to God, hoping for his mercy through the only merits of our Lord and Saviour Jefus Chrift. My body I defire, if I fhould die in any place very convenient for its tranfport thither (but not otherwise) to be buried in the church at Beaconsfield, near to the bodies of my dearest brother and my dearest fon, in all humility praying, that as we have lived in perfect amity toge 2 ther, we may together have a part in the refurrection of the juft.—I wifh my funeral to be (without any punctilioufnefs in that refpect) the fame as that of my brother, and to exceed it as little as poffible in point of charge, whether on account of would go to a greater expence; and I defire, in the fame manner, and with the fame qualifications, that no monument beyond a middlefized tablet, with a fmall and fimple infcription on the church-wall, or on the flag-ftone, be erected. I fay this, because I know the partial kindness to me of fome of my friends; but I have had in my lifetime but too much of noife and compliment.-As to the reft, it is uncertain what I fhall leave after the difcharge of my debts, which, when I write this, are very great. Be that as it may, my will concerning my worldly fubftance is fhort. As my entirely beloved, faithful, and affectionate wife did, during the whole time in which I lived (moft happily with her) take on her the charge and management of my affairs, aflifted by her fon, whilft God was pleased to lend him to us, and did conduct them (often in a ftate of much derangement and embarraffment) with a patience and prudence which probably have no example, and thereby left my mind free to profecute my public duty, or |