mavano opportuno di farlo perciò s'intenderà chiaramente che cessa ogni responsabilità riguardo a qualsiasi Ministro, e che ogni Ministro, nell'adempire ai doveri del suo Uffizio, sarà tenuto di eseguire gli ordini del suo Superiore, o Superiori, presso i quali rimane tutta la responsabilità di Uffizio. XI. Si dovrà chiaramente intendere, che nei casi in cui vengono occupati posti vacanti siasi a motivo di morte, o di altre ragioni, la Persona, o le Persone, che li occupassero, non resteranno nei medesimi, che pel solo tempo che doveano restarvi le Persone che li lasciarono vacanti. XII. Siccome le basi solamente della nuova Costituzione di questi Stati sono state stabilite nella presente Carta Costituzionale; e rendendosi necessario prima di tutto di non perdere alcun tempo nel preparare le Leggi opportune per dare effetto alla Costituzione stessa, si dichiara: che l'attuale Assemblea Legislativa all'epoca della sua Riunione, dacchè sarà conosciuta la Volontà di Sua Maestà il Sovrano Protettore, riguardo alla Ratificazione della detta Carta Costituzionale, sarà considerata come il primo Parlamento degli Stati Uniti delle Isole Jonie; e che la Riunione della medesima, in luogo di cominciare nel 1° giorno di Marzo, come viene ordinato dalla Carta stessa, comincierà i suoi lavori 3 giorni dopo la promulgazione della Ratificazione della suddetta Carta; e la seconda Riunione cominciarà nel 1° giorno di Marzo 1819, come their varions Situations, according to their own judgment: it is clearly to be understood, that all responsibility shall cease in the instance of every Ministerial Officer; and that all such shall be bound, ex officio, to execute the orders of his Superior or Superiors, all responsibility resting with them. XI. It is clearly to be understood that, in the instance of all Successions, where a vacancy occurs, either by death or otherwise, the Person or Persons succeeding to such Situation or Situations, shall only hold his or their Office for the period of time the Person to whom they did so succeed was entitled to hold it. XII. Whereas the basis of the new Constitution of these States is only generally laid down in the present Constitutional Charter; and whereas it is of the first necessity that no time should be lost in bringing forward the necessary Laws to give it effect; it is declared, that the present Legislative Assembly, on their meeting subsequent to the signification of the pleasure of the Protecting Sovereign, in regard to the Ratification of the said Charter, shall be held to be the first Parliament of the United States of the Ionian Islands; and that the Session, in lieu of commencing the 1st of March, as ordered in the Charter, shall commence 3 days after the promulgation of the Ratification; and the 2nd Session shall commence, as prescribed in the Constitutional Charter, on the 1st of March, 1819. viene prescritto dalla Carta Costituzionale. CAV. CALICHIOPULO. ALESSANDRO MARIETI. D. FOSCARDI. D. BULZO. FELICE ZAMBELLY. BASILIO ZAVO. VALERIO STAI. GIOVANNI MORICHI. B. THEOTOKY, President. STEFANO PALEZZUOL SCORDILLI. ANASTASIO BATTALI. ANASTASIO CASSIMATI. GIACOMO CALICHIOPULO MANZARO. SPIRIDION GIALLINA QM. ANASTASIO. ANO. TOMo. LEFCOCHILO CAVR. NICCOLO AGORASTO. MARINO VEJA. NICCOLO DR. DALLAPORTA. SPIRIDION METAXA LISEO. PIETRO COIDAN. SEBASTIANO DR. SCHIADAN. DANIEL COIDAN. PAOLO GENTILINI. SPIRIDIONE FOCCA GIO: DEMETRIO ARVANITACHI. DIONISIO GENIMATA. GIULIO DOMENEGHINI. MICHIELE MERCATI. MARINO T. STEFANO. ANGELO CONDARI. NICCOLO CAVADA PIETRO PETRIZZOPULO. GIO. PSOMA. NICCOLO VRETTO. GIORGIO MASSELLO. STEFANO FANARIOTI. RICHARD PLASKET, Secretary. DEMETRIO CO. VALSAMACHI, Secretary. We, having seen and considered the Constitutional Charter aforesaid, have, in the name and on the behalf of His Majesty, duly ratified the same in all and every one of its Articles and Clauses; as We do by these Presents ratify the same, for His Majesty, His Heirs, and SucFor the greater testimony and validity of all which, We have signed these Presents, in the name and on the behalf of His Majesty, and have caused to be affixed thereto the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. cessors. Given at our Royal Pavilion at Brighton, the 26th day of August, in the year of our Lord, 1817, and in the 57th year of His Majesty's Reign. In the Name and on the behalf of His Majesty. (L. S.) GEORGE, P. R. SPEECH of the Lord High Commissioner of His Britannic Majesty, Sovereign Protector of the Ionian Islands, on the Opening of the Legislative Assembly.--Corfu, the 27th of November, 1817. (Translation.) I FEEL the most lively satisfaction in once more beholding myself surrounded by the Legislative Assembly of the United States of the Ionian Islands, which, previously to its last adjournment, and conformably to the Treaty of the 5th November, 1815, considered and unanimously adopted a Constitutional Charter, to be submitted to His Royal Highness the Prince Regent, acting in the Name and on the behalf of His Majesty, George the IIIrd, King of Great Britain and Ireland, and of Hanover, for his Ratification. This Constitutional Charter has been duly returned to me, with the formal Ratification of His Royal Highness, and the same has been in my possession for some time. In consequence, however, of the cheering intelligence which had reached me from all parts of these States, from which I learnt that Divine Providence had bestowed upon them the blessing of an abundant harvest, (on which I beg to offer you my sincere congratulations) it appeared advisable to defer the promulgation of the abovementioned Ratification, until the various Members of this Assembly, who are most extensively interested in the produce of the Land, should have had time to arrange the important business which, during the season, demanded so much of their attention. Wishing, on the other hand, that no time should be lost in bringing into activity, that Constitution which with great wisdom you have unanimously adopted, I determined to fix this day for you to resume your attendance, trusting that, as it concerns the advancement of the good of the Country, you would disregard any personal inconvenience, to which you might happen to be exposed, in being summoned here at so early a period. I shall give instructions for the Constitutional Charter, as ratified by the Sovereign Protector, to be immediately presented to you; and I have requested the distinguished Persons, whom you thought proper to send upon the Mission to London, in testimony of your respect and attachment for His Royal Highness the Prince Regent, to prepare a Report of their proceedings, a Report which, I believe, is now ready to be submitted for your information. It only remains for you to fix with me the day on which the Ratification of the Constitutional Charter shall be formally promulgated, so that there may remain sufficient time for those arrangements which must necessarily precede a change of such vast importance; and you will observe that, by the last Clause of the Constitutional Charter, the new Government is to be installed, and to commence operations, in virtue of the same, 3 days after its promulgation. Your functions, Gentlemen, as Members of the Legislative Assembly, convoked in conformity with the IVth Article of the Treaty of Paris, will then cease; and, on the day after the installation of the Government, you will again assemble, agreeably to the last Clause of the Charter, in the capacity of Representatives to the First Parliament of the United States of the Ionian Islands, under the Constitution of 1817; when I have no doubt that you will continue to manifest the same zeal for the true honour and real interests of your Country, as that by which you have so eminently distinguished yourselves during the whole of the important deliberations in which you have been already engaged. I cannot, however, allow the character of your functions and position to change, as will be the case under the new order of things, without expressing to you, in the most emphatic manner, the perfect approbation which my Royal Master has been pleased to express, with regard to all your past proceedings; and I hope that I may be permitted personally to add, that the favourable impression which they have produced upon my own mind will never be effaced, either by time or circumstances. DISCOURS du Roi de France, prononcé à l'Ouverture de la Session des Chambres, à Paris, le 5 Novembre, 1817. MESSIEURS, A L'OUVERTURE de la dernière Session, je vous parlai des espérances que me donnait le Mariage du Duc de Berry. Si la Providence nous a trop promptement retiré le bienfait qu'elle nous avait accordé, nous devous y apercevoir pour l'avenir un gage de l'accomplissement de nos vœux, Le Traité avec le Saint-Siège, que je vous ai annoncé l'année dernière, a été conclu. J'ai chargé mes Ministres, en vous le communiquant, de vous présenter un Projet de Loi nécessaire pour donner la sanction législative à celles de ses dispositions qui en sont susceptibles, et pour les mettre en harmonie avec la Charte, les Lois du Royaume, et ces libertés de l'Eglise Gallicane, précieux héritage de nos pères, dont Saint Louis et tous ses Successeurs se sont montrés aussi jaloux que du bonheur même de leurs Sujets. La récolte de 1816 a, par sa mauvaise qualité, trahi en grande partie mes espérances. Les souffrances de mon Peuple ont pesé sur mon cœur ; j'ai cependant vu avec attendrissement, que presque partout il les a supportées avec une résignation touchante ; et si, dans quelques endroits, elle l'ont porté à des actes séditieux, l'ordre a partout été promptement rétabli. J'ai dû, pour adoucir le malheur des temps, faire de grands efforts, et commander au Trésor des sacrifices extraordinaires ; le tableau vous en sera présenté, et le zèle dont vous êtes animés pour le bien public ne permet pas de douter que ces dépenses imprévues n'aient votre approbation. La récolte de cette année est plus satisfaisante dans la plus grande partie du Royaume; mais, d'un autre côté, quelques calamités locales et les fléaux qui ont frappé les vignobles appellent ma sollicitude paternelle sur des besoins que, sans votre co-opération, je ne pourrais soulager. J'ai ordonné qu'on mît sous vos yeux le Budjet des Dépenses de l'Exercice, dans lequel nous allons entrer. Si les Charges qui résultent des Traités, et de la déplorable guerre qu'ils ont terminé, ne permettent pas encore de diminuer les impôts votés dans les précédentes Sessions, j'ai du moins la satisfaction de penser que l'économie que j'ai recommandée me dispense d'en demander augmentation, et qu'un vote de crédit, inférieur à celui du dernier Budjet, suffira à tous les besoins de l'année. Les Conventions que j'ai dû souscrire en 1815, en présentant des résultats qui ne pouvaient alors être prévus, ont nécessité une nouvelle Négociation. Tout me fait espérer que son issue sera favorable, et que des conditions, trop au-dessus de nos forces, seront remplacées par d'autres plus conformes à l'équité, aux bornes et à la possibilité des sacrifices que mon Peuple supporte avec une constance qui ne saurait ajouter à mon amour, mais qui lui donne de nouveaux droits à ma reconnaissance, et à l'estime de toutes les Nations. Ainsi que j'ai eu le bonheur de vous l'annoncer, dans le cours de la dernière Session, les Dépenses résultant de l'Armée d'Occupation, sont diminuées d'un 5ème, et l'époque n'est pas éloignée où il nous est |