In May, 1795, the Reprefentatives of the People in Holland iffued Publication refpecting the National Loan Bank, of which the followis the fubftance.

ITS

TS principal end is to enable the citizens to pledge in a fecure manner their goods and effects for ready money, for a certain time, to make good the extraordinary levies of money in hard

cash.

It confifts of twenty-four articles; its chamber of accounts is at Amsterdam; begins the 1ft of July, this year, is to last until the 1st of July 1798; and is to be directed by fix fworn commiffioners, each of whom is to receive 6000 guilders annually, befides neceffary clerks and book-keepers.

All fecurities and bills accepted by government, or the Eaft India company, and other public bodies, are to be taken by this bank, befides all forts of immoveable goods and merchandizes that bear a current price. Jewels, corn, rice, and all other provifions, are excepted. Whoever has other kinds of goods to pledge, must apply to the provifional reprefentatives. The whole pledge given on the goods fhall not exceed eighty per cent. Bank bills of 100 guilders and upwards are given, which are to have a free circulation at the approaching great money levy. The pledger pays four per cent. for the capital received, and thofe that have bank money on their account, receive three per cent, interest annually.

Speech of Citizen Van Lyeden, on prefenting a Plan to the States General of the United Provinces for calling together Primary Affemblies to elect Members for a Batavian National Convention, delivered in May, 1795.

BY

Y the treaty of alliance concluded between our country and the Republic of France, we have become entirely freed from the anxiety under which we groaned relative to the fate, and even the existence of our Republic. By this treaty, its freedom and independence have been established upon the moft folid foundations. At this period, we have the fatisfaction of offering to you a plan, according to which the citizens of these provinces may enjoy the happiest right of a free people-namely, to determine upon the form of their government.

Your High Mightineffes, but a very little time after we had recovered our liberty, felt the neceffity there is that the government of these provinces fhould undergo an organization; and that in order to attain that defirable object, it was neceffary that the generality of the people fhould be invited to form themselves into primary affemblies. The people have now charged us to propose to

you

you a plan tending to accomplish thofe important measures. Perfuaded that the permanent happiness of our fellow citizens depends in a great measure on the manner in which this first national affembly will be formed, we have thought it proper to take the neceffary time, in order to enter into clear deliberations, and in no manner to act with precipitation. It is the refult of a connected and laborious work, fupported by perfeverance and the most ardent zeal, which we this day fubmit to your High Mightineffes, to the representatives of provinces, and to the Batavian people in general.

If we had not been firmly convinced that a convocation of primary affemblies is the univerfal wifh of our nation, we fhould have thought it our duty to declare to your High Mightineffes that, under the prefent circumftances, it is the only means to fave our country. Have we not long enough groaned under a government and under a constitution of corruption? a conftitution which never deferved that name. How many fources of profperity were shut up by that government? How many imprefcriptible rights have been weakened, and even annihilated by it? In fhort, how many times has not the general interest been forced to yield to private intereft? A new order of things ought fpeedily to be established. An affembly elected by the people will finish that beautiful edifice of which your High Mightineffes have already laid the foundations. Agriculture, as well as commerce and manufactures will flourish; all the means of fubfiftence will lie open before every citizen. Every citizen will be supported in the quiet enjoyment of his rights; and by this means the intereft of every inhabitant will be infeparably united with the public intereft.

The orator then prefented a plan for the convocation of Primary Affemblies, and the election of members for a National Convention, of which the following is the fubftance.

Chapter I. Treats of the divifion of the people. The prefent representatives are to count all the people, and to divide them in bodies of 10,000 perfons. Every 10,000 fhall elect one reprefentative, to represent them in the National Convention. Every body of 10,000 perfons fhall be fubdivided into twenty parts, each part confifting of 500 fouls. Every part of 500 nominates one elector.

II. Treats of the right of voting.

III. Of the elector.

IV. Of the reprefentatives. He that is chofen representative, fhould he hold any public office, muft refign it. The national convention is to be held at the Hague, and the representatives must repair thither in a fortnight after their election. For every hour's facrifice of their occupation, to take their new functions upon VOL. III.-PART ii.

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them,

them, they receive ten ftivers, and every day ten florins, from the time they fhall present their credentials, &c.

V. Treats of the operations of the National Convention, whose chief defign is the establishment of a conftitution for the people of Batavia. The convention is charged with the administration of the department for foreign affairs-the organization of the forces by land and fea-the maritime and continental fyftem of defencethe arming of the citizens. It is to protect the people against the oppreffion of public officers-to difpofe of the public charges relative to the common weal. It takes care of the credit of the nation-directs the expenditure of the fums of money to be difbursed to execute its meafures, and to be fixed by extraordinary deputies of the provinces, The provinces muft pledge themselves to pay their refpective contingents at the fixed period, otherwife the convention takes entirely at its own difpofal the finances of thofe provinces. The convention has nothing to do with domeftic concerns, in the fame manner as the reprefentatives of the people of the different provinces fhall have nothing to do with the general government of the Republic. All the committees and colleges, to whom the executive power of the public is entrusted, are made refponfible to the convention.

VI. Treats on the mode of deliberation. Every member in the convention is to give his vote individually. The affembly fits with its doors open.

VII. Treats of the responsibility of the members of the convention. All the members are refponfible to the whole nation, and not to a part only. They cannot be recalled by any part of the people. They are not to be tried for any advice they shall give in the convention. The members of the executive power, and the ministers of the Republic, fhall be amenable to justice in the fame manner as the members of the convention.

VIII. Fixes the diffolution of the convention. The convention is to prepare, in a twelvemonth at fartheft after its meeting, the plan of the conftitution. If the conftitution is univerfally accepted, a new National Convention is to be elected, and as foon as its members are arrived at the Hague, the former are to separate themselves.

June 5.

The citizens Graweld and Siter, members of the States General of Holland, and ambaffadors extraordinary from the Republic of the United Provinces to the Republic of France, entered the hall of the National Convention on the 5th of June, accompanied by the members of the committee of public fafety. They were received with the loudeft plaudits.

One of the ambaffadors made a fpeech, in which, in the name of the Batavian Republic, he fwore eternal alliance against its enemies.

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The prefident teftified to him the fatisfaction which the affembly felt, in feeing amongst them the deputies of an allied nation. He affured them attachment and affistance in the name of the French Republic, and then gave them the fraternal embrace in the midst of the loudest plaudits. The National Convention acknowledged the citizens Graweld and Siter, in the capacity of ambaffadors extraordinary from the Republic of the United Provinces to the French Republic. These speeches were ordered to be printed, as well as the proces verbal, and to be fent to the Republic of the United Provinces, to the departments, and to the armies. The acts of ratification shall be deposited in the national archives.

In the National Convention of France, on the 3d Meffidor, Sunday, June 21, 1795.

SYEYES, in the name of the committee of public fafety, announced, that the ambassadors of the United Provinces being on the point of leaving Paris, the States General had fent two minifters with full powers (Blauw and Meyer) to refide with the French Republic. The committee had infpected their credentials, and it was decreed that they should be admitted to-morrow.

Monday, June 22.

Citizens Blauw and Meyer, minifters plenipotentiary from the Republic of the United Provinces, were admitted into the hall, accompanied by the members of the committee of public safety, and followed by a numerous crowd of Dutch patriots, carrying in the midst of them the colours of the Dutch nation. The ministers were feated in arm chairs prepared for them.

The prefident having announced their arrival, the following credentials were read:

The States General of the United Provinces to the Reprefentatives of the French Nation.

"Citizens Representatives,

"Nothing could be more agreeable to us than to witness an unfortunate war, in which the enemies of the French and Batavian nation had involved them, terminated by a treaty of peace and alliance, a treaty which has fo happily re-established a good understanding between the two countries, and which is calculated to contribute to their common welfare. In order ftill more to cement those ties of friendship and fraternity of which our extraordinary ambassadors laid the bafis, by exchanging a reciprocal ratification, we have made choice of citizens Blauw and Meyer, deputies to our affembly, for the purpose of difcharging the functions of our minifters plenipotentiary, and intreat you to acknowledge them in that character, to grant them favourable audience, and to give faith and

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and credence to all that they may fay in our name, and on our part. We embrace with pleasure this fresh opportunity of repeating to you the fentiments of our esteem and profound refpect for the French nation and its reprefentatives.-Health and fraternity. "PIPERS, V.

"By order of the States General,

(Signed) "W. QUARLES." Citizen Meyer made the following speech, which was interrupted feve ral times by applaufes and enthufiaftic exclamations of Long live the two Republics!

"Citizens Representatives,

"The minifters plenipotentiary from the Batavian people are this day discharging a duty dear to their hearts, viz. that of manifefting their gratitude and admiration. Far from us be all fentiments of vanity! All that pompous display of infignificant words with which the courts of kings fo often refounded! The Batavian nation, proud of its union with the first people of the universe, comes to discharge her debt. Too long have the magnanimous and generous defenders of the fovereignty of the people remained alone in the bloody field of combat. An immenfe chain of banditti furrounded your ravaged frontiers; whilft, in the interior, their chief tyrant breathed over the Republic, difcord, defolation, death, and a mass of crimes. Ye people, truly fublime in your efforts, as well as in your fufferings for the cause of liberty, we do not come to congratulate you; we come to pour into the balance of the avengers of humanity our tribute of defence. The cry of victory has refounded on the banks of our rivers: the Batavians heard it from the bottom of their marshes. They were inflamed with the fire of a facred enthusiasm; their future wifh is to have no other but a destiny fimilar to that of the French. The domineering and arrogant English are infulting our misfortunes, and meditate to enflave us afresh. We wish that our alliance may fo far increase our strength as to prove their deftruction! O! who has more ships, treasures, and men to claim from them than we? Have they not, in contempt of all public faith, detained our rich cargoes delivered up to them by the Stadtholder? The feas infefted by those pirates, are asking what is become of thofe glorious days when the Dutch navy, most powerful by the bold genius of Ruyter and Tromp, were thundering upon their fleets; were covering the Thames with the wrecks of their fhips, and spreading terror even to the heart of London. May thofe ferocious enemies meet every where our victorious phalanxes, and our avenging fleets! May the Scheldt, the Meuse, and the Rhine contemplate our republican battalions! May the abundance of our colonies, and their rich productions be distributed amongst our deliverers, in equal proportions, as amongst ourselves. And may the astonished universe every where fee the united flags

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