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entitled, "An act more effectually to fupprefs infurrections, and to prevent the difturbance of the public peace," it is enacted, that it shall be lawful for the juftices of the peace of any county, affembled at a fpecial feffion in manner by the faid act directed, not being fewer than feven, or the major part of them, one of whom to be of the quorum, if they judge fit, upon due confideration of the state of the county, to fignify by memorial, by them figned, to the lord lieutenant, or other chief governor, or governors of this kingdom, that they confider their county, or any part thereof, to be in a ftate of disturbance, or in imme. diate danger of becoming fo, and praying that the lord lieutenant and council may proclaim fuch county, or part thereof, to be in a ftate of disturbance, thereupon it fhall be lawful for the lord lieutenant or other chief governor or governors of this kingdom, by and with the advice of his majefty's privy council, by proclamation, to declare fuch county, or any part of fuch county, to be in a state of difturbance, or in immediate danger of becoming fo, and also such parts of any adjoining county or counties as fuch chief governor or governors fhall think fit, in order to prevent the continuance or extenfion of fuch difturbance.

And whereas twenty-four juftices of the peace of the county of Down, (feveral of whom being of the quorum) being the major part of the juftices of the peace duly affembled, pursuant to the faid act, at a fpecial feffion of the peace, holden at Hillsborough, in the faid county, on Friday the 11th day of November inftant, have, by

memorial by them figned, fignified to his excellency the lord lieutenant, that certain parts of the faid county are in a state of dif turbance, and have thereby prayed that the lord lieutenant and council may proclaim the parishes of Tullylifh, Aghaderg, Donaghcloney, Moira, Maralin, and Seapatrick, being parts of the faid county of Down, to be in a state of disturbance, of which all juftices of the peace and other magiftrates and peace officers of the faid county, are to take notice.

Given at the council chamber in Dublin, the 16th day of November, 1796.

Decree of the National Affembly of the United Provinces for the Abolition of a privileged Church.

1. THERE cannot, nor fhall be longer any reigning or peculiarly privileged church permitted in the United Netherlands.

2. All placards and refolutions of the former ftates-general, tending to opprefs the diffenting churches, are revoked and rendered void.

3. No diftinctive drefs fhall be worn, or church ceremonies be exhihited except within the respective buildings of either religious perfuafion. Nor fhall any bells be rung, in future, for the fervice of the church.

4. A commiffion fhall be appointed, as fpeedily as poffible, to inveftigate all thofe difficulties, which are the remains of a predominant church; to examine into the funds of payment, and to devife regulations, in fome wife, for the future fubfiftence of teachers, and others connected with the church.

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5. A circular miffive fhall be dispatched throughout all quarters of the republic, exhorting the proper perfons to remit and do away all perfonal fuppreffive burdens laid on thofe of the diffenting churches, and requefting their immediate anfwer, for the fatisfaction of this affembly. 13th duguft.

Proclamation of the National Affembly of the Batavian People against the Importation of British Manufactures. The National Affembly, reprefenting the Batavian People, to the Batavians, Health and Fraternity.

THE British minifter iffued on the 3d of this month a royal proclamation, by which," the free navigation of Great Britain to the United Provinces is granted, as well as the exportation of all kinds of merchandize, except military and naval ammunition, provided they be exported under a neutral flag." France, however, is excepted. This is an artifice which the Batayian people fee and properly appreciate-a lure which they difdain. Have we not ketched to the eyes of all Europe, in our manifefto of the 2d May of the prefent year, the perfidious traits of the conduct of this fame minifter? Did we not evince in the moft evident manner how this minifter completed his want of faith, when on the flight of the laft Stadtholder he feized more than a hundred thips richly laden, and feveral fhips of war; when, deaf to every reprefentation, he dared to appropriate this booty; when, by falle advices, he enticed into the EngWith ports feveral hips which were then at fea; when, violating the rights of nations, and confidering

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as nothing the most folemn treaties, he changed the protection which he had promifed, into a declaration of good and legal capture of the Dutch hips; when he endeavoured to get poffeffion of our colonies in the moft traitorous manner; when he effectively established himself in feveral of our most important poffeffions; when he furnifhed money to the unnatural emigrants who were more influ enced by love for the Orange party than for their country, and whom he continually excited to come and tear down the ftandard of liberty in their own country, and to wafte it with fire and fword? In a word, is not the British minifter the fworn enemy to the well-being of the United Provinces, and is not he furious that the republic ftill exifts? Let him delude himfelf with the artificial calculation of the confequences of the prefent meafure! Let him imagine that his lure of the love of gain may either open a fource of finance, or in cafe the Batavian republic difdain it, may fow difcord, inflame the fpirit of party, and alienate the hearts of the people from the legitimate government! But your reprefentatives, oh, Batavian people! are and will remain, notwithstanding, faithful to their destination; they will not engage in a measure which would render the moft effential service to the enemy of the nation, check the wife and great project of their grand ally, and retard that peace which is the object of our wishes.

The English people are on the eve of awaking, and of forcing the minifter to accept an equitable and fpeedy peace. To avoid carefully every thing that may prolong the moft terrible war of which hitory makes mention, is cur mot

facred

facred duty: and to fpare no means that may haften the moment of a peace fuitable to the interefts of the Batavian people, of their faithful ally, of the British nation itself, and of humanity-fuch is our most ferious object

The momentary advantage of the few muft not be balanced against the well-being of the public, the well-being and profperity of the public which you with, fellow-citizens, is our principal object. We know that the British minifter at this moment wants fpe eie and circulating capital. He has wafted millions of money and rivers of blood; the prefent meafure evinces his embarraiment. The glorious victories of the French have fhut up feveral ports against the English, and will thu up ftill more. England, on the other hand, is full of her manufactures, of pillaged merchandize particularly of thofe articles with which our rich fhips returned from the Eaft Indies have furnished him. The British minifter muft befides make at this period his ufual contracts in the Baltic for the maintenance of his marine, and for the fupplying of his other wants: and without drawing upon the Dutch merchants, it appears. that he could not fucceed in this. Good faith, Batavian glory, feel all your dignity!

What Batavian heart is not fill. ed with indignation, on confidering, that the enemy of our country would offer us for fale thofe very effects which he has robbed us of fo fhamefully? And is it permitted to us to hesitate a fingle moment, in confoling ourfelves for this lofs of gain, and in fruftrating the grand object of this enemy? Citizens, his object is no other than

to exchange for money innumerable British merchandize; the faculty of being able to difpofe of the price of thefe purchases to his own advantage: to put an end to the juft murmurs of the English people; to prolong the war, and, above all, to excite the indignation of the French republic, which the proclamation excludes from the free navigation. It is therefore, in virtue of all these motives, that we have thought proper to determine upon what follows, as we do determine by these prefents.

Article. 1. It fhall not be permitted to import into the United Provinces any British manufactures whatever, any British merchandize in general, and particularly any effects of whatever nature they are, which proceed from the effects laden on board the fhips of the Eaft India company, feized or carried to Great Britain, in any manner, or under any pretext, whether the faid effects come directly from Great Britain, or by any other channel.

2. Upon the importation of all effects of this kind, they thall be firft confifcated to the profit of the Batavian people, and depofited in proper magazines, in order to remain there in depot, and not to be fold until it thall be ulteriorly demanded on the part of the Batavian people.

8. All perfons who may have participated directly or indire&ly in fuch importation, or who may have favoured it, or to whofe confignment fuch effects may have been addreffed and expedited with their knowledge, fhall be not only refponfible, independently, and befides confifcation of the etfects, but thall be proceeded againft before the judge of their do

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micile, as having entered into a connection with the enemy, to the ruin of the country, in cafe it appears, that after the promulgation of the proclamation they have had any knowledge of it, and have not informed the office of convoys and licences within twenty-four hours, or have not informed the administration of the place where they dwell.

4. It is alfo forbidden, under the fame penalties, to the inhabitants of this republic, to accept or pay any bills of exchange drawn from Great Britain.

5. The exact execution of our present serious refolution is confided to our committee for the affairs of the marine, with the particular injunction to neglect no means to watch over fuch an importation, with the authority to eftablish in the neceffary places, either in the towns or in the flat countries, fuch

fhall be published and ftuck up; We direct and entreat the fupreme authorities to make the neceffary difpofitions, in order that our prefent object may be duly effected; and more efpecially to direct all the municipalities in each province, to lend every affiftance to the committee for the affairs of the marine, and to fupport it against all oppofition to the accomplishment of the duties impofed on our committee, by our prefent proclamation.

8. This proclamation fhall be fent to the committees for the

affairs of the marine, and for the Eaft India trade, in order to ferve as information and advice to them.

Done in the national assembly at the Hague, Sept. 16, 1796, fecond year of Batavian liberty.

(Signed) J. J. CAMBIER. D. VAN LAER.

extraordinary furveyors, receivers, Proclamation of the States General of

or clerks, as they fhall judge neceffary, in order to fulfil our intentions.

6. The committee for the affairs of the marine is qualified, in cafe of the feizure of the effects prohibited in Art. 1. to order de plano (without form of procefs) upon its refponfibility, the confifcation, and to effect the depofit in the neceffary magazines mentioned in Art. 2. In confequence, in this refpect, the ordinary form of proceeding is fufpended in cafes of frauds comnitted with regard to the marine rights, and to every contravention of the placards iffued on that fubject, which fhall remain fufpended with respect to thofe who fhall prefent themselves as defenders in the affairs above-mentioned.

7. The prefent proclamation

the United Provinces.

THE ftates general of the United Provinces to all thofe who may fee or hear thefe prefents, health and fraternity: Be it known, that in compliance with the with and defire of the Batavian people, and the approbation of the refpective confederates, we have paffed an act, according to which a general national affembly for the adminiftration of fœderal affairs, as well as to form the plan of a conftitution for all the republic, to be submitted to the approbation or refufal of the Batavian nation, should be convoked and put in activity: that this important work, of lo great an intereft for our country, has been conducted actually, under the divine benediction, by the

choice of the citizens having the right of fuffrage in all the republic, to the point that the members who will compofe this general national affembly, and who will reprefent together all the Batavian people, have been effectively elected, or will be elected, are ready to begin their labours. In confequence whereof, we intreat and charge the elected members, forafmuch as they are not yet arrived here, at the Hague, to repair there immediately, in order to affemble on Tuesday the first of March next, at the place deftined, by eleven o'clock in the forenoon, that they may be enabled, by a commiffion to be named by us, conformably to the act paffed to open their affembly; that thus on the point of terminating our proceedings, at the moment when this affembly fhall be constituted, we have thought it our duty folemnly to inform, by our prefent proclamation, our fellow-citizens thereof, and to teftify, in the firft place, our gratitude to the Supreme Being, that in the midft of all the difficulties which have weighed down this republic fince the revolution of the month of Jan. 1795, and which have menaced even the total lofs of its liberty and of its independence, we behold at laft the defired iffue of our continual cares, that our political liberty and independence have been confirmed, and that alfo the nation will fee itself perfectly and really reprefented by an aflembly elected by herfelf, and which will be in effe& honoured with her confidence, a circumftance which never yet happened to our ancestors; for which reafon we may with good cause expect from it fuch a plan of

a conftitution, under the approbation of the whole people as may be proper to regulate and establish its happiness on a flable footing, and may also affure ourselves firinly that this affembly will employ the power and authority which have been trufted to it, in fuch a manner as may be neceffary for the fafety and well-being of our country; by means of which all and each will be able to enjoy individual liberty, under the protection of the law to defend their own interefts in union with the general interefts, and to aflift the profperity of the republic to advance in fuch a manner as that the may be reftored to her ancient splendour, and that her importance abroad may be re-eftablished and defended as in former times.

We pray and require, therefore, the reprefentatives of the people in the refpective provinces, the country of Drenthe and Batavian Brabant, to publifh and affix our prefent proclamation in all places where it is the cuftom to make fuch publication and affixing: we order at the fame time, all and every one whom it may concern, to acknowledge the faid national affembly as fuch, and to obey it according to the act paffed before; and we inform by the prefent, the military as well as others, that as foon as this national affembly thall be folemnly conftituted, they will pafs immediately into the fervice of the faid affembly, and will be obliged to pay it the fame obedience they have until now owed us; forafmuch as we declare, by our prefent proclamation, publicly and folemnly, that all authority which may have belonged to our affembly will then pafs, with our

confent

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