Allemagne, à Bologne en Italie, à Constance, et le dernier dans l'endroit jugé le plus commode pour les royaumes de France, d'Espagne et d'Angleterre, et la république belgique, qu'il regardait plus particulièrement.

VII.--APPEL AU CONSEIL GÉNÉRAL

Mais quels que fussent le nombre et la forme de ces conseils particuliers, il était de toute utilité qu'ils ressortissent par appel au grand conseil général, dont les arrêts auraient été autant de décrets irrévocables et irréformables, comme étant censés émaner de l'autorité réunie de tous les souverains, prononçant aussi librement qu'absolument.

VIII. LA PARTIE DU DESSEIN POLITIQUE

La partie du dessein purement politique . . . . c'était de dépouiller la maison d'Autriche de l'empire de tout ce qu'elle possède en Allemagne, en Italie, et dans les Pays-Bas ; en un mot, de la réduire au seul royaume d'Espagne renfermé entre l'Océan, la Méditerranée et les Pyrénées, auquel on aurait laissé seulement, pour le rendre égal aux autres grandes dominations monarchiques de l'Europe, la Sardaigne, Majorque, Minorque et autres îles sur ces côtes; les Canaries, les Açores et le Cap-Vert, avec ce qu'il possède en Afrique; le Mexique, avec les îles de l'Amérique qui lui appartiennent; pays qui suffiraient seuls à fonder de grands royaumes; enfin, les Philippines, Coa, les Moluques, et ses autres possessions en Asie.

IX.-LES PAYS CONQUIS

Une précaution unique à prendre, par rapport à tous les pays conquis, eût été d'y fonder de nouveaux royaumes, qu'on déclarerait unis à la république chrétienne, et qu'on distribuerait à différens princes, en excluant soigneusement ceux qui tiendraient déjà rang parmi les souverains de l'Europe.

X. DES FRAIS

Il n'est question que d'engager chacun d'eux à se taxer luimême pour l'entretien des gens de guerre, et pour toutes les autres choses nécessaires à la faire réussir, en attendant que le conseil général eût spécifié toutes ces valeurs.

WILLIAM PENN'S EUROPEAN DIET, PARLIAMENT, OR ESTATES, 1693-94.

This is not a reproduction of Henry IV.'s grand design. Penn may have owed to it the formal suggestion of his plan, but that is all.

That plan was the creation of a permanent Sovereign Tribunal -an International Parliament or Congress, which should exercise judicial functions as well as deliberative, and also act as a Committee of Safety.

The judicial function was the chief feature of this proposed permanent Diet. Penn's proposals were :—

1. That the Sovereign Princes of Europe should, for the love of Peace and Order, agree to meet, by their appointed Deputies, in a General Diet, Estates, or Parliament, and there establish Rules of Justice for their mutual observance.

2. That this body should meet yearly, or once in two or three years at furthest, or as they should see cause.

3. That it should be styled the Sovereign, or Imperial, Diet, Parliament, or States of Europe.

4. That before this Sovereign Assembly should be brought all differences depending between one Sovereign and another that cannot be adjusted by diplomatic means, before its sessions begin.

5. That if any of the Sovereignties constituting this Imperial Diet should refuse to submit their claims or pretensions to the

Diet, or to accept its judgment, and should seek their remedy by arms, or delay compliance beyond the time specified, all the other Sovereignties, uniting their forces, should compel submission to, and performance of, the sentence and payment of all costs and damages.

6. The composition of this Imperial Diet should be by proportionate representation.

7. The determination of the number of persons or votes for every Sovereignty would not be impracticable if it depended on an estimate of the yearly value of their respective countries.

8. This estimate was to be reached "by considering the revenues of lands, the exports and entries at the Custom Houses, the books of rates, and surveys, that are in all Governments, to proportion taxes for their support."

9. It is not absolutely necessary that there should be as many Delegates as votes; for the votes may be given by one Delegate as well as by ten or twelve.

10. Though the fuller, that is, the larger, the assembly is, the more solemn, effectual, and free, the debates will be, and its resolutions will carry greater authority.

11. The place of the first session should be central, as much as is possible; afterwards as the Assembly itself shall determine.

12. To avoid quarrel for precedency the room may be round, and have several doors to come in and go out at.

13. The Assembly may be divided into sections, containing each ten members, each section to elect one of its number to preside over the Assembly in turn.

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14. All speeches should be addressed to the President, who should collect the sense of the debates and state the question before the vote is taken.

15. The voting should be by ballot, after the prudent and commendable method of the Venetians.

16. Nothing should pass except by a three-quarters vote, or at least by a majority of seven.

17. All complaints should be delivered in writing-in the form of Memorials and Journals, kept by a proper person, in a trunk or chest, which should have as many different locks as there are sections in the Assembly ("tens in the States ").

18. There should be a secretary for each section ("a clerk for each ten"), and a desk or table for these secretaries in the Assembly.

19. At the end of every session, one [member] out of each section ("ten") appointed for the purpose should examine and compare the records of those secretaries ("journals of those clerks "), and then lock them up in the common trunk or chest.

20. Each Sovereignty, if they please, as is but very fit, may have an exemplification, or copy, of the said Memorials, and the Journals of Proceedings upon them.

21. Rules and regulations of debate will not fail to be adopted by the Assembly, which will be composed of the wisest and noblest of each Sovereignty, for its own honour and safety.

22. If any difference arise among the Delegates from the same Sovereignty, one of the members forming the majority should take their votes on the question.

23. It is extremely necessary that every Sovereignty should be represented at the Diet under great penalties, and that none leave the session without permission till all the business be finished; and also that no neutrality in debate should be allowed; "for any such latitude will quickly open a way to unfair proceedings, and be followed by a train both of seen and unseen inconveniences."

24. The language spoken in the session of the Sovereign Estates must be either Latin or French. "The first would be very well for civilians, but the latter more easy for men of quality."