discharging the duties of his station with all possible zeal and diligence, and to contribute all in his power to endeavour to promote good order in the administration of the affairs of this city.

Decreed, &c. 30th Jan. 1795. (Signed) G. BRENDER,

A. BRANDIS, Secretary.

Public Instrument of the new Order of Things solemnly published at the Hague.

and of a Citizen.

LIBERTY, EQUALITY, FRATERNITY. THE provisional representatives of the people of Holland, believing that they owe to their fellowcitizens a solemn declaration of the principles upon which their proceedings and actions depend, to all those to whom these presents shall come, or who shall hear them read, health, they make known, That we are perfectly convinced the power, which has been confided to us, reposes only on the free choice of our fellow-citizens, and that it is from this choice alone we have received it; that no su preme power resides in us; but that the proper sovereignty rests in the people, and this in such a manner, that the people can confer the exercise of it on their repre. sentatives, but can never alienate it from themselves: that we are assured the evils which this day bear so heavily on this country, and the other provinces, owe their origin principally to the perverse ideas which have been distilled into the people by artifice and violence: and therefore it is the duty of the representatives of the people, who

declare by these presents,

That all men are born with equal rights, and that these natural rights cannot be taken from them.

That these rights are equality, liberty, safety, property, and resistance to oppression.

That liberty is the faculty which belongs to every man, to be able to do that which does not affect the rights of other men; therefore its natural limitation is found in this principle, "Do not to another that "which thou would not wish him "to do unto thee."

That therefore it is permitted to all and to each to make known to others his thoughts and sentiments, be it by the way of the press, or by any other means.

That each man has the right to serve God in such manner as he pleases, without being in this respect any way restrained.

That safety consists in the certainty of not being troubled by another in the exercise of his rights, nor in the peaceable pos session of property legally acquired.

That each man has the right of suffrage in the legislative assembly, of the entire society, either pet

sonally

That consequently no person can be obliged to cede, or sacrifice any part of his particular property to the general commonwealth, unless this shall be expressly regulated by the will of the people, or their representatives, and according to a previous indemnity.

That the law is the free and solemn expression of the general will; that it is equal for all, either to punish or to reward.

That no person can be accused, arrested, or put in prison, but in such case and according to such formalities as shall be previously fixed by the law itself.

That in case it shall be judged necessary to hold any person prisoner, no one ought to be treated more rigorously than is absolutely necessary for confining his person.

That all men being equal, all are eligible to all posts or employments, without any other motives of preference than those of virtue and of capacity.

That every one has the right to concur in requiring, from each functionary of public administra

tion, an account and justification of his conduct.

That there never can be laid the smallest restriction on the right of cach citizen, to represent, that which is his interest, to those in whom the public authority is entrusted.

That the sovereignty resides in the entire people, and that there. fore no portion of the people can arrogate it to themselves.

That the people have at all times a right to change their form of government, to correct it, or to choose another.

That such are the principles upon which we have believed it to be our duty to found our actions and our proceedings; and being desirous of applying them to the order of things, which had heretofore taken place, we forthwith discovered that the form of government, which was confirmed in 1787 by means of the invasion of the Prussian army, and consequently by force only, was in every respect contrary thereto,

That the persons who heretofore composed the assembly of the selfnamed States of Holland and West Friesland, were never elected by their fellow-citizens to be representatives, and that therefore this government could not exist, as being absolutely contrary to the rights of man and of a citizen: that we also presently perceived that all hereditary dignities, such as that of hereditary stadtholder, captain general and admiral of this province, and of the equestrian order, as well as all hereditary nobility, are repugnant to the rights of man, and that they ought to be held and declared abolished, as they are

declared

declared to be abolished by these presents.

That we assure ourselves, by this declaration, all the extorted and illegitimate oaths on the soi-disant ancient constitution, prescribed in 1787 and 1788, become in fact of no value, inasmuch as such an oath ought to have been previously binding; but to tranquillise all and each, we declare besides, in the name of the people of Holland, as it is well and expressly declared by these presents, that all citizens who may have taken the above oath are hereby discharged therefrom.

That in the same manner the college (as the ci-devant deputy counsellors of the Southern and Northern Quarter were called), the division of the economical admi. nistration in regard to finances, &c. and the chamber of accounts, are entirely incompatible with these principles, as they all resulted from the old defective form of government, in which there was no real representation whatever, and consequently we have judged it to be our duty to suppress and abolish them all; and we now suppress. and abolish them accordingly by these presents, and establish and appoint a committee of public safety, a military committee, a committee of finance, and a committee of accounts, the whole provisionally, and only until definitive arrangements shall be made on these subjects by an assembly of representatives, chosen by all the people, who shall be convoked for that purpose as speedily as possible; that besides, we have not thought it fit to attach any other title to our present assembly than that of provisional representatives of the people of Holland, without adding

to it the name of West Friesland, having judged that it would be better to comprehend the entire pro vince of Holland under that denomination.

We will and ordain expressly the courts of justice in this province, as well as the regency of the cities and blessed places situated in it, that our present publication shall be made known to all. the citizens of this province by the sounding of trumpets and ringing of bells, and such other solemn manner as shall be judged the most convenient in each city or place, and that it shall be posted up according to custom, and that each one shall conform himself to it precisely.

Done at the Hague under the small seal of the country, the 31st of January, 1795, the first year of Batavian liberty.

(Signed) P. PAULUS, Vt. D. J. DE LANGE VAN WINGAERDE

Hague, the 7th Pluviose, the 3d year of the French Republic, one and indivisible.

THE representatives of the people belonging to the armies of the North, of the Sambre, and of the Meuse, taking into their consideration, the wants of the army of the republic, and the necessity of sup

plying it with the objects of subsistence, supplies of provision and clothing, of which it has occasion in the countries where it is established; wishing to avoid the means of particular requisitions, and the intervention of subaltern agents, they think it most agree able to address themselves to the States General, and formally invite them to supply them in the space of one month with the following quantities, viz.

200,000 quintals of wheat avoirdupoise weight.

5 millions of rations of hay. 200,000 rations of straw.

5 millions bushels of corn. 150,000 pairs of shoes. 20,000 pairs of boots. 20,000 coats and waistcoats, 40,000 pairs of breeches. 150,000 pairs of pantaloons. 200,000 shirts. 50,000 hats.

To be delivered further, within two months, 12,000 oxen.

These different objects are to be delivered at Thiel, Nimeguen, and Bois le Duc, at three different times.

The representatives of the peo. ple anxiously expect, that the States General will comply with the above request, and do every thing in their power to prevent their fellow-citi. zens from being troubled with the forms of a requisition, always perplexing to the inhabitants; and that they will use every exertion to complete their contingent. They hope that the slow form of ordi. nary administration, and the doubts of the competence of their authozity, which may put some stoppage to this operation, will be carefully set aside. They have a right to

flatter themselves, that all the citi zens of the United States, and all the constituted authorities, will use the same zeal to second their views and amicable intentions. Every necessary measure shall be taken to settle for the payment of the above articles.

(Signed) N. HAUSSMAN,

JOBER, ALGUIER,
GILLET, ROBERSOR;
J. B. LACOSTE.

Proclamation, signed at the Hague, 27th Jan. 1795.

THE States General of the Unit. ed Provinces, to all who shall see or hear these presents greeting, give to know, that the representatives of the French nation now in this coun. try have intimated to us, that it is necessary that speedy provision should be made of several articles appertaining to the subsistence and clothing of the French troops, namely, the following:

200,000 quintals of corn.

5 millions of rations of hay, at 15lb. each. 5 millions measure of oats, at rolb. each, heavy weight. 200,000 rations of straw, at 10lb. each. 150,000 pairs of shoes. 20,000 pairs of boots. 20,000 cloth coats and waistcoats.

40,000 pairs of stocking breeches.

150,000 pairs of trowsers, of coarse linen.

200,000 shirts. 50,000 hats. All which are to be delivered at Nimeguen, Thiel, and Bois le Due,

within the space of a month, in three instalments-and besides,

12,000 oxen within two months. The above-mentioned representatives have also added, that instead of following the practice introduced in other countries which their troops have entered, namely, that the requisitions of similar articles have been made, published, and carried into execution by themselves, they have chosen to treat this republic in another manner, and thereby prove the inclination of the French na. tion, to consider it in the light of an approaching ally; and, of consequence, have begged of us to ef fectuate the delivery of the abovementioned necessaries in the specified quantities, and at the appointed times and places, adding, at the same time, that the payment shall be regulated according to arrange. ments which shall afterwards be made with the government.

Convinced of the necessity of taking the most effectual measures for complying with the said requi. sitions we have judged that the best and least burthensome method of accomplishing this object, will be for the government to contract for the articles in question, and for the respective provinces to furnish the necessary funds.

We doubt not that the inhabitants will be convinced of the absolute necessity of enabling their provincial sovereigns to furnish these necessary funds without the smallest delay; but we think it nevertheless necessary to hold up to all, conjunctly and severally, the distress to which they must expose themselves, if they manifest the least unwillingness or even procrastination; for we are intimate. ly persuaded of the serious intention VOL. XXXVII,

of the above-mentioned representatives of the French nation, that these requisitions shall be complied with, at the appointed time, and must therefore warn all in the most impressive manner, that they will have themselves to blame if measures of force and violence must be employed to obtain what we wish to see accomplished with the greatest possible order and regularity.

With this view, it will be neces. sary that those persons who have any provision of the required articles, should not refuse to allow the same to be judicially valued at a reasonable price, to sell and deliver them to the persons entrusted with the execution of this work, and manifest every possible readiness to co-operate for the proper conveyance of the goods to the appointed places: and that in order not only to prevent the consequences with which non-compliance with the requisition of the above-mentioned representatives will necessarily be attended, but also on pain of being rigorously punished for disobedience or unwillingness, according to the exigency of the